Things to do

The Isle of Arran, located a 55min ferry crossing from Ardrossan, is very distinct from Ayrshire and is known as 'Scotland in miniature'. Rising dramatically from the Firth of Clyde, Arran's profile gives you a foretaste of what lies in store. A fascinating and surprising island that never ceases to exert its unique magic on visitors of all generations, it has an unrivalled range of landscapes, covering the whole spectrum of Scottish scenery in one delightfully compact package.  It is big enough to offer a bewildering variety of activities yet small enough to retain its intimate island atmosphere.  All of which adds up to a holiday destination that is as exciting as it is peaceful and as fascinating as it is fun.

Walkers can now use a route around Arran's coastline in all weather conditions, that passes through most of the villages on the island.  For many years walkers have used the mountainous terrain in the north of Arran for upland walking and there are many well established routes into the hills. The Coastal Way, however, affords a combination of the many varied habitats that the island has to offer, including stretches of forest track, rugged and gentle coastlines plus more mountainous terrain, all of which follow a continuous 100 km route around the island.  See www.coastalway.co.uk for more information.

You can travel back beyond the mists of  time and visit many prehistoric standing stones and geological sites around the island.    Brodick Castle  and the Isle of Arran Heritage Museum www.arranmuseum.co.uk are both exellent places to start finding about the history and culture of the area (past and present).  The  Balmichael Visitor Centre  www.balmichael.com and Auchrannie Country Club and Spa Resort provide a wide range of  leisure and retail  facilities www.auchrannie.co.uk/country_club/leisure , well  worth a visit.   Take a tour around one of the many visitor attractions, including the new brewery at Brodick www.arranbrewery.com or the award-winning Lochranza Distillery www.arranwhisky.com.   View one of the most diverse and eclectic collections of original art, ceramics, sculptures  and prints at the Arran Art Gallery in Whiting Bay www.arranartgallery.com.  

 Whether it rains or shines, there’s never an excuse to sit around! 

For more details of  what's on and to find about what's happening in the community look at our  2 local newspapers   www.arranbanner.co.uk  and  www.arranvoice.com     

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