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3 Walks. Isle Of Arran. Scotland,
**Directions To Get
Here**
By
car, from the south the main route to Arran is from the M74 motorway, on
to the A71 via Kilmarnock, to Irvine and Ardrossan
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
**THE 3 WALKS**
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
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
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
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
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
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 pasturea 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
**Disabled & 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