WALKING ON ARRAN About the Author Paddy Dillon is a prolific walker and guidebook writer, with over 90 guidebooks to his name and contributions to 40 other titles. He has written for several outdoor magazines and other publica- tions, and has appeared on radio and television. Paddy uses a tablet computer to write as he walks. His descriptions are therefore precise, hav- ing been written at the very point at which the reader uses them. Paddy is an indefatigable long-distance walker who has walked all of Britain’s National Trails and several European trails. He has also walked in Nepal, Tibet, Korea, Africa and the Rocky Mountains of Canada and the US. Paddy is a mem- ber of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild and is President of the Backpackers Club. WALKING ON ARRAN Other Cicerone guides by the author by Paddy Dillon Glyndwr’s Way Trekking in the Alps Mountain Walking in Mallorca (contributing author) The Cleveland Way and the Walking and Trekking in Iceland Yorkshire Wolds Way Walking in County Durham The GR5 Trail Walking in Menorca The GR20 Corsica Walking in Sardinia the Great Glen Way Walking in the Isles of Scilly The Irish Coast to Coast Walk Walking in the North Pennines The Mountains of Ireland Walking on Gran Canaria The National Trails Walking on Guernsey The North York Moors Walking on Jersey The Pennine Way Walking on La Gomera and The Reivers Way El Hierro The South West Coast Path Walking on la Palma The Teesdale Way (Martin Collins; Walking on Lanzarote and updated by Paddy Dillon) Fuerteventura The Wales Coast Path Walking on Madeira Trekking in Greenland Walking on Malta JUNIPER HOUSE, MURLEY MOSS, Trekking in Mallorca Walking on Tenerife OXENHOLME ROAD, KENDAL, CUMBRIA LA9 7RL www.cicerone.co.uk © Paddy Dillon 2016 CONTENTS Third edition 2016 ISBN: 978185284 825 5 Map key ...................................................... 6 Reprinted in 2019 (with updates) Overview map ................................................. 7 First edition 2004 Second edition 2011 INTRODUCTION .............................................. 9 Getting to Arran ................................................ 9 Getting around the island ........................................ 10 Printed by KHL Printing, Singapore Finding your bearings ........................................... 13 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. A geology classroom ........................................... 14 A turbulent history ............................................. 16 © Crown copyright OS PU100012932 Land ownership and access ...................................... 19 All photographs are by the author unless otherwise stated. Island animals ................................................ 23 Island plants .................................................. 24 Accommodation ............................................... 25 Food and drink ................................................ 27 Maps ....................................................... 28 The walks .................................................... 29 Tourist information ............................................. 30 Emergency services ............................................ 30 Updates to this Guide THE WALKS .................................................. 31 Walk 1 Goatfell and Brodick ................................... 32 While every effort is made by our authors to ensure the accuracy of Walk 2 Brodick Castle and Country Park .......................... 37 guidebooks as they go to print, changes can occur during the lifetime of an Walk 3 Brodick and the Clauchland Hills ......................... 42 edition. Any updates that we know of for this guide will be on the Cicerone Walk 4 Sithein and Glen Cloy .................................. 46 website (www.cicerone.co.uk/825/updates), so please check before Walk 5 Lamlash and the Clauchland Hills ......................... 50 planning your trip. We also advise that you check information about such Walk 6 Sithein and The Ross ................................... 55 things as transport, accommodation and shops locally. Even rights of way Walk 7 Lamlash to Brodick .................................... 59 can be altered over time. We are always grateful for information about any Walk 8 Holy Isle from Lamlash ................................. 62 discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground, sent by Walk 9 Tighvein and Monamore Glen ............................ 68 email to [email protected] or by post to Cicerone, Juniper House, Walk 10 Glenashdale and Urie Loch .............................. 72 Murley Moss, Oxenholme Road, Kendal LA9 7RL. Walk 11 Glenashdale Falls and Giants’ Graves ...................... 78 Register your book: To sign up to receive free updates, special offers Walk 12 Lamlash and Kingscross ................................ 82 and GPX files where available, register your book at www.cicerone.co.uk. Walk 13 Eas Mòr and Loch Garbad ............................... 87 Walk 14 Lagg to Kildonan coastal walk ............................ 89 Walk 15 Kilmory forest circuit ................................... 94 Walk 16 Sliddery and Cnocan Donn .............................. 99 Front cover: Looking from Beinn a’ Chliabhain towards A’Chir, Caisteal Abhail Walk 17 Tighvein and Glenscorrodale. 104 and Cir Mhòr Walk 18 The Ross and Cnoc a’ Chapuill .......................... 109 OVERVIEW MAP Walk 19 Shiskine and Clauchan Glen ............................ 113 Walk 20 Balmichael and Ard Bheinn ............................. 117 Overview map of Ferry to Claonaig Walk 21 The String and Beinn Bhreac ............................ 122 Cock of Arran the Isle of Arran Walk 22 Blackwaterfoot and King’s Cave .......................... 126 35 Walk 23 Machrie Moor Stone Circles ............................ 131 Lochranza Walk 24 Dougarie and Beinn Nuis .............................. 134 Catacol 33 37 Walk 25 Dougarie and Sail Chalmadale .......................... 141 A841 Walk 26 Circuit of Glen Iorsa .................................. 145 30 36 Walk 27 Imachar and Mullach Buidhe ........................... 153 34 Walk 28 Pirnmill and Mullach Buidhe. 158 A841 38 KILBRANNAN SOUND 32 Sannox Walk 29 Coire-Fhionn Lochan ................................. 162 29 Pirnmill 31 Caisteal Walk 30 Catacol and Meall nan Damh ........................... 166 Abhail 39 28 Loch Walk 31 Catacol and Beinn Bhreac .............................. 169 Tanna 41 FIRTH OF CLYDE Walk 32 Catacol and Beinn Tarsuinn ............................. 175 Beinn 43 Corrie Walk 33 Lochranza and Meall Mòr .............................. 180 Bharrain 44 Goat Fell Walk 34 Gleann Easan Biorach ................................. 185 Imachar 27 Beinn 1 Walk 35 Lochranza and the Cock of Arran ........................ 190 Nuis 42 A841 Walk 36 Lochranza and Sail an Im .............................. 194 25 40 2 Walk 37 Sannox and Fionn Bhealach ............................ 199 Loch Iorsa 24 Walk 38 North Glen Sannox Horseshoe .......................... 204 Dougarie G Ferry to Ardrossan Walk 39 Glen Sannox Horseshoe ............................... 210 THE STRIN Brodick Walk 40 Glen Sannox to Glen Rosa ............................. 218 B880 Machrie 4 3 21 Walk 41 Sannox, Goatfell and Corrie ............................ 223 7 5 Walk 42 Glen Rosa and Beinn Tarsuinn ........................... 230 23 A’Chruach A841 20 Walk 43 Western Glen Rosa ................................... 236 6 Walk 44 Eastern Glen Rosa .................................... 245 Lamlash Holy Shiskine Lamlash Isle 22 Bay 8 Appendix A Route summary table .............................. 250 19 SS Blackwaterfoot B880 18 RO E 9 Appendix B Arran Coastal Way ................................ 254 H 12 T A841 Appendix C Useful contacts ................................... 259 Drumadoon 17 10 Appendix D Gaelic/English glossary ............................. 262 Bay Tighvein Whiting Bay Whiting Bay 16 11 Route symbols on OS map extracts Corriecravie (for OS legend see printed OS maps) 15 route finish point N Sliddery Kilmory 13 alternative route alternative start/finish point F finish point 0 5 km 14 Kildonan 3 miles start point route direction Pladda 7 WALKING ON ARRAN INTRODUCTION The Isle of Arran rises proudly from By air the Firth of Clyde between Ayrshire Two airports are handy for Arran. and Kintyre. Its mountainous form Glasgow International Airport, www. dominates the open waters of the glasgowairport.com, is served from Clyde and its jagged peaks are a around a hundred locations by over a tempting challenge for walkers. dozen airlines, including budget and We know that people first came to national carriers. Several British and the island some 5500 years ago, European airports, as well as a few in although some periods of its history the United States and Canada, serve are only dimly recorded. Over the Glasgow. Prestwick International past hundred years or so, tourism has Airport, www.glasgowprestwick.com, become an important industry here. handles flights from around a dozen Arran has much to offer the visitor southern European airports, almost and is often described as ‘Scotland exclusively operated by Ryanair, in miniature’. Roads are few, but www.ryanair.com. opportunities to explore the island on foot are many and varied. By rail This guidebook offers a selec- Long-distance Virgin Trains start tion of 44 walks, along with a brief from London Euston, travelling overview of the Arran Coastal Way. via Birmingham to reach Glasgow As many of the walks are inter-linked,