Published in Scotland Magazine Issue 32 on 13/04/2007.

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Walk this way (Isle of Arran)

The Isle of Arran is best experienced on foot. Dominic Roskrow reports

Of all Scotland’s islands the Isle of Arran is the most clement, the most varied, and arguably the most interesting. But to fully appreciate it you need to get around it on foot.

The description of Arran as Scotland in miniature may be over-used but it is no less valid for all that. To the south its geography is gentle and undemanding, to the north it is mountainous and challenging. Its rugged shorelines reflect Scotland’s seascapes in general. Its glens are reminiscent of Highland passes on the mainland.

But its location right in the heart of the Gulf Stream means that there are quirks to the landscape, too. The Isle of Arran distillery in the north towards Lochranza, for instance, seems to be benefiting from a sun trap that is helping the whisky to mature quickly and with a rich creaminess. The brewery folk, too, speak of ideal conditions for making quality beer. The islands lay claim to flora and fauna normally associated with much warmer climes.

But to experience this properly you need to take time out to walk the island, and there is plenty of help on offer should you decide to go down that route.

Let’s get the big stuff out the way first. The Isle of Arran Coastal Way was opened some four years ago and is a lengthy walk that hugs the island’s coast whenever possible.

The walking distance is between 98 and 120 kilometres in all – 60 to 75 miles – and the route has been designed so that you can dip into parts of it for one day walks or attempt it as a whole over a pe.....

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By Dominic Roskrow

Section : Regional Focus

Page number : 32