Walking on Arran

The 45 walking routes in this Isle of Arran guidebook range from easy 3km (2 miles) nature trails to long arduous mountain routes with scrambles (up to 32km) providing thorough coverage of Arran, including the ascent of Goatfell and nearby Holy Isle. Most routes are 10 to 15km long but many give opportunities to create longer cross-island walks.

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Overview

This guidebook describes 44 walks on the popular and accessible Isle of Arran. The routes are between 2 and 20 miles (3 - 32km) in length, ranging in difficulty from easy waymarked forest trails to more arduous mountain walks, exposed ridge routes and scrambles. The book includes both linear and circular walks, and there are opportunities to link routes together and create longer walks across the length and breadth of the island.

Highlights include Goatfell, the nearby Holy Isle, Beinn Nuis, Beinn Tarsuinn, the Sannox Horseshoe, Glen Rosa and the Cock of Arran. All the routes are clearly described with OS 1:50,000 mapping, with extra notes revealing the archaeology, history and natural wonders of the island. The book includes background information on travel to Arran, public transport, and a Gaelic/English glossary.

There's something here to suit walkers of all fitness levels and abilities. Often described as 'Scotland in miniature', Arran boasts a rich variety of landscapes, and walks have been chosen to showcase this variety. For an island, travel to Arran is remarkably easy: it is not far to Glasgow, from where onward connections to the Isle of Arran are swift and frequent.

Table of Contents

Contents
Introduction
Getting to Arran
Getting around the island
Finding your bearings
A geology classroom
A turbulent history
Land ownership and access
Island animals
Island plants
Accommodation
Food and drink
Maps
The walks
Tourist information
Emergency services
The walks
Walk 1 Goatfell and Brodick
Walk 2 Brodick Castle and Country Park
Walk 3 Brodick and the Clauchland Hills
Walk 4 Sithein and Glen Cloy
Walk 5 Lamlash and the Clauchland Hills
Walk 6 Sithein and The Ross
Walk 7 Lamlash to Brodick
Walk 8 Holy Isle from Lamlash
Walk 9 Tighvein and Monamore Glen
Walk 10 Glenashdale and Urie Loch
Walk 11 Glenashdale Falls and Giants’ Graves
Walk 12 Lamlash and Kingscross
Walk 13 Eas Mòr and Loch Garbad
Walk 14 Lagg to Kildonan coastal walk
Walk 15 Kilmory forest circuit
Walk 16 Sliddery and Cnocan Donn
Walk 17 Tighvein and Glenscorrodale
Walk 18 The Ross and Cnoc a’ Chapuill
Walk 19 Shiskine and Clauchan Glen
Walk 20 Balmichael and Ard Bheinn
Walk 21 The String and Beinn Bhreac
Walk 22 Blackwaterfoot and King’s Cave
Walk 23 Machrie Moor Stone Circles
Walk 24 Dougarie and Beinn Nuis
Walk 25 Dougarie and Sail Chalmadale
Walk 26 Circuit of Glen Iorsa
Walk 27 Imachar and Mullach Buidhe
Walk 28 Pirnmill and Mullach Buidhe
Walk 29 Coire-Fhionn Lochan
Walk 30 Catacol and Meall nan Damh
Walk 31 Catacol and Beinn Bhreac
Walk 32 Catacol and Beinn Tarsuinn
Walk 33 Lochranza and Meall Mòr
Walk 34 Gleann Easan Biorach
Walk 35 Lochranza and the Cock of Arran
Walk 36 Lochranza and Sail an Im
Walk 37 Sannox and Fionn Bhealach
Walk 38 North Glen Sannox Horseshoe
Walk 39 Glen Sannox Horseshoe
Walk 40 Glen Sannox to Glen Rosa
Walk 41 Sannox, Goatfell and Corrie
Walk 42 Glen Rosa and Beinn Tarsuinn
Walk 43 Western Glen Rosa
Walk 44 Eastern Glen Rosa

Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Arran Coastal Way
Appendix C Useful contacts
Appendix D Gaelic/English glossary

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Reviews

Few islands pack as much variety of terrain into such a small area as Arran, and it's very hard to beat as a walking destination. There's a growing tendency to follow the excellent coastal path, but to do only that would be to miss out on such marvels as wild, boggy Gleann Easan Biorach and the high, forbidding moorlands of Tighvein.

This is the perfect guide to take you down paths less obvious.

Scotland Outdoors, May 2016

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Cicerone books are always compact, concise and have that attribute of giving confidence. One of the factors, applicable here, is the inclusion of enlarged sections of OS Maps. So the challenging mountain routes and the best low-level walks are put into spatial context and then complemented with good photographs. 44 walks are here to please all ages and conditions of walker.

Scottish Islands Explorer, May 2016

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Paddy Dillon's comprehensive guide to walking on Arran is refreshed for 2016, with the latest information on access and facilities on the island, including upgrades to the Arran Coastal Way. The guide covers 44 walks of varying levels of difficulty, from popular strolls to wild moorland romps. Many of these take the walker far from the beaten path. The walks are accompanied by useful maps and text descriptions including notes of historical and geographical interest.

Most of the easier itineraries are classic 'must-dos', with visits to the enigmatic Machrie Moor Stone Circles and the short hike up to the beautiful Caire Fhionn Lochan high on the list for visitors. Others are challenges for the true connoisseur, such as the circuit of Glen lorsa, something that took me ten years to get around to, despite living locally. And with these tougher walks does come a note of caution - if the indefatigable Paddy Dillon says the walk is remote, arduous or boggy, then do expect all these things and more.

Adventure lovers will find plenty of interest amongst the craggy peaks and ridges in the north of the island, which punch above their weight for excitement and challenge. A handy table in the appendices summarises the routes by length and height gain for quick reference. The guide also includes a useful chapter with updated information about transpor links, history, wildlife and amenities on the island, all of which help to give a flavour of life on this rugged yet accessible isle.

Scottish Mountaineer, Spring 2016

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