Arran is 19 miles long by 10 miles wide
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Blackwaterfoot, Brodick, Catacol, Cladach, Corrie, Kildonan, Kilmory, Lagg, Lamlash

Lochranza, Machrie, Pirnmill, Sannox, Shiskine, Sliddery, Whitefraland, and Whiting Bay
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Brodick Castle, the Isle of Arran Heritage Museum, Balmichael Visitor Centre and  Arran Aromatics  > are all well worth a visit
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The main ferry route to Arran is from the Ayrshire town of   Ardrossan  >  to the island's main town, Brodick

the  CalMac >  car / passenger ferry makes the 55 min journey 6 times daily Mon - Sat, 4 times on Sun
 

There's a regular train connection between Ardrossan and  Glasgow Central >  There's also a bus connection to / from  Edinburgh  >

For more ferry information, contact Ardrossan ferry office, Tel. 01294-463470, or Brodick, Tel. 01770-302166
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THE 3 WALKS

Dont Get Lost Take A Copy With You

Print - Version - Here  >

Walk 1

Parking Walk 1   Parking

Park   at  Brodick  Castle  Car  Park

not   to  far  from  the  Ferry  Terminal

in Brodick

Walk 1 Brodick Castle

This walk is 5 miles

fairly demanding on woodland tracks & paths

leading to open mountainside

Refreshments & Toilets

at the Castle

UK Weather  >
 

Start at the entrance to the Castle car park, walk along the driveway towards the castle grounds
before reaching the entrance to the grounds, turn right signed countryside centre

join waymarked forest path which starts at the centre, go through the metal gate, a short distance along the path
walk straight on until you reach a stile

cross stile, continue uphill through woodlands, the path follows the banks of the Mill Burn
crossing and recrossing the small gorge by a series of footbridges
 

pass the side of a walled enclosure a small graveyard which marks the resting place of the
last Duke of Hamilton who died in 1895

a short distance further on the path joins a track
the trees in the forest are Scots Pine and Arran whitebeam

follow the uphill track straight on for around 250 mts, immediately after passing a red way - marked
forest road on the right, the track joins a  mountain trail, signposted to the summit of Goatfell

continue out of the woodland into a steep sided valley of Cnocan Burn, the track which becomes rougher
crosses open slopes, dotted with small stands of silver birch

cross the  burn bridged by a pair of railway sleepers to reach a gate in the deer fence, go through the gate
after 200 mts, the path reaches a cairn, where Goatfells 2868ft summit is visable ahead

TURN round retrace your steps off the open hillside and go through wood to waymarked forest road
turn left on Merkland Gorge trail follow the  RED  posts to a footbridge over Merkland Burn

immediately over the bridge turn down a path on the right and continue through the woodland until you reach
a  junction with a forest track

turn right and follow the downhill track towards the main road, recross Merkland Burn by a second footbridge
just before the main road turn right on the path which skirts parkland,
before meeting the driveway to the Castle turn right to return to car park

Walk 2

Parking Walk 2   Parking

Park  in  layby   just  at   the bridge  over  Glenashdale  Burn

in  the  small  seaside  resort  of  Whiting  Bay

Walk 2 Whiting  Bay

This walk is 5 miles

fairly demanding hilly walk

on forest tracks and paths

refreshments and toilets in Whiting Bay
 

UK Weather  >
 

Start with your back to the sea, walk through the gap between the the youth hostel and Glenashdale Burn
which leads to a track signposted to the Giants Graves, continue along the track which follows the riverside

enter the broad leaved woodland, after a short distance the track divides, fork left signposted Giants Graves
walk uphill past a ruined building, into a forest plantation, climb a long flight of stairs leading up a steep bank

at the top of steps, turn left on to forest track then continue up a more gentle gradient past a grove of mature trees
to a view over Whiting Bay and Holy Island, follow the track until it turns right into a clearing with the Giants Graves

Turn round and retrace your steps back to the Glanashdale Burn, then turn left and follow the signs for Waterfall
you will hear the waterfalls, carry straight on until you reach a path branching to the the right

take a right and make a short descent to  a viewing platform, over the falls, which plunge over 100 ft
return to main path, and turn right emerging on to an area of open ground beyond the top of the falls

a footbridge leads to the opposite bank, walk straight on away from the river after 200m the path goes
through a gap in a stone wall, then immediately the track divides, fork right sign posted to Whiting Bay

via the Iron Age Fort, continue uphill path until you reach the forest path, turn left carry on climbing
until you meet a forest road, turn left on road and keep climbing until you reach a T junction

turn right signposted to Lamlash, follow road for about 1 mile, the road is parrallel to the coast
when you come to a clearing, go to the far side of it, there is a panoramic view over Lamlash Bay

retrace your steps to the start of the clearing, turn left on forest track, follow signs for Whiting via Hawethorn
continue downhill through a long forest glade, to emerge onto a minor road, turn right

the road soon becomes an unsurfaced track, follow it downhill around a left hand bend, onto the A841
turn right along the seafront past shops, to your parking place

Walk 3

Parking Walk 3   Parking

Park  at  the  beachfront  layby  next  to  the  Golf  Club

in  the  seaside  village  of  Blackwaterfoot

Walk 3 Blackwaterfoot

This walk is 6 miles

conditions undemanding along the seashore

moorland tracks and a quiet road

refreshments and toilets in Blackwaterfoot
 

UK Weather   >
 

Start from the car park near the golf course, go onto the beach, and turn left, if the tide is out you can walk interupted
to Drumadoon Point other wise follow the high tide mark below the edge of the dunes

a platform of rocks marks the end of the beach, clamber over them to reach the headland and a grassy path
turn right on path, which follows the shoreline to the Doon an ironage fort,bounded by 90ft cliffs

continue along the path which bends to the right through a cleft in the rocks, then left to a stile cross and walk
along the base of the cliffs above a grassy slope dropping to a rocky shore, the path divides

take a left accross a wide turfed shelf, as the shelf gets narrower the path skirts the high tide mark
fording small streams to reach the Cave pierced cliffs, continue to a formation of natural rock pillars

with arches around Kings cave which has an iron grating inside the entrance,King Robert the Bruce
is reported to have hidden inside the cave, legend has it that the irish giant Fingal sheltered here

a short distance ahead the path meets a track, turn right uphill over stile and through a rocky cleft
to reach the boundary of the forest plantation, there is a wide view ahead of Machrie Bay

further away the 2366ft summit of Beinn Bharrain, which rises in the north west of the island
follow the track all the way round the plantation boundary, to reach a car park on the A841

turn right on the road, at the far end of the car park, and follow it for about half a mile
to the end of the track, on left by the sign for Torbeg, turn along track through 2 gates

to Machrie Moor, an area of poorly drained rough pasture, a mound just beyond second gate
contains a 4000yr old chambered burial cairn and a rich concentration of iron age remains

return to road, turn left continue through the scattered hamlet of Torbeg into
Blackwaterfoot, turn right to the parking area
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For Disabled Or Less Adgile Ramblers

parts of these 3 walks are over rough and uneven ground + stiles which may not be suitable for all

however there are plenty of areas on Arran which are well worth a visit, including the 18 villages

more details can be had from the local Tourist Information

The  Pier  Brodick  isle of Arran

(Open all year)

Tel.01770-302166
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