Many people think of the Scottish islands as just a place to visit in spring and summer, but if you join them you miss out on the islands sparkling in their winter sheen. And few islands shine as bright as Arran in the Firth of Clyde. The very good news is that Arran is a year-round island that is very much open when the mercury dips and you can enjoy it without the summer day trip crowds. What are you waiting for?
1. ‘Scotland in Miniature’ looks great in winter
You may well have heard this tag, which actually rings gloriously true. The Highland Boundary Fault ravages right through Arran, meaning its north is a mountainous wildscape of soaring hills, sweeping glen and surging river and burn. The Arran Hills are sensational draped in snow with some challenging adventures for those with skills who are well equipped. The gentler south offer sandy beaches, rolling hills and thick forests. The whole island is unfailingly dramatic – part of the reason we come back here. Every single year!
2. Arran’s wildlife comes out to play
Arran is the only island in Scotland where you can actually see all of the ‘Big 5’. We are talking red deer, red squirrels, otters, seals and golden eagles. Swirl in the occasional sea eagle and basking sharks and it’s a compelling mix. Winter sees the UK’s largest land mammal, the red deer, eke down off the high hills in search of food and shelter making it a great time to spot these majestic creatures. On our latest trip we spotted a mighty stag on a ridge really near the car, flanked by two soaring eagles, before dropping into Lochranza to find more red deer happily wandering around the village.
3. The food is great
Arran is renowned for its well-stocked larder of foodie goodies. There is cheese (look out for the new White Stag cheese), seafood, Arran ice cream, local tablet, a chocolatier and yes those delicious little oaties from the famous bakers, Wooleys. New Brodick retail outlet, the Arran Gift Box, have pre-packed boxes for you to handily take home with you as presents, or a wee special treat if your tastebuds are crying out for more of Arran when you get home – trust us, they will be!
4. There are plenty of restaurants
For seafood the young team at Mara Fish Bar & Deli work creative wonders with boat fresh seafood in Corrie. I love that they use sustainable packaging and you can take your posh fish fingers sandwich, steamed mussels or fish kofta down to enjoy on the shore with the sea salt in the air. Cruize has the island’s most eclectic menu – you don’t often see haggis on a pizza! It works and it’s delicious. Little Rock is welcoming café that offers tasty local produce driven lunches in Brodick. Over in Blackwaterfoot the Kilbrannan Restaurant offer plump king scallops plucked fresh from the waters outside, as well as Pirnmill lamb from Arran.
5. Whisky galore – beer and gin too
The Lochranza Distillery has been going great guns since it opened back in 1995. I love their smoky Machrie Moor, so I was delighted to see their new Lagg Distillery open in the south of the island in 2019. This spectacular new distillery – which looks like a giant spaceship descending on Arran – is a remarkable piece of architecture. It is dedicated to producing peaty, palate tingling malts. The brilliant set up includes a café, restaurant and tours. Tours kick off with an innovative audio visual presentation that beams images of the island on to the floor. For beer lovers the island now has two breweries.
There is Arran Gin too, and cassis and cider for that matter. The young team behind at Arran Botanical Drinks have a really characterful hideaway by the beach in Cladach. Here you can recline on the sands with a cocktail, or cosy up by their wood burning stove.
6. Cosy ports in a storm
There are some truly great places to stay on Arran. We enjoyed two really welcoming oases on our last trip. First up was the Auchrannie, the only real resort in the Scottish isles. We had a lovely family room in the new wing of their spa hotel, which had a private lounge with an outdoor hot tub and complimentary drinks. On the island’s western coast we also stayed at the Kinloch Arran. This whitewashed old dame enjoys a spectacular location overlooking the wee Blackwatefoot burn that gives the village its name and the Kilbrannan Sound, wild waters that lead over to Kintyre and then Ireland in the distance.
7. You can take alpacas for a walk!
Yes, we did say that, you can actually take these cute furry friends for a wee saunter in the Shiskine Valley. Young outfit Arran Alpacas run a great wee business that lets you meet the alpacas and learn about them before taking them for a walk. They have lovely camping pods here if you want to stay over too. Just down the road at Bellevue Farm they have alpacas too (apparently the ‘boyfriends’ of the Arran Alpacas ones), as well as a flurry of other farm animals to learn about and feed. They’ve got big plans for ranking up their tours so watch this space.
8. Wander the gardens
Head to Brodick Castle, Garden and Country Park. The landmark castle, which has recently been a given a massive revamp that has brought it back to its best and made it accessible to all, may be closed over winter, but that’s not the end of the story. You can still wander through the epic gardens and grounds. There are the formal gardens to explore on the Silver Garden Trail and Plant Hunters’ Walk. This bucolic oasis is alive with ponds, waterfalls and woodland trails, where you can spot all sorts of flora and fauna. The gardens lead directly on to the slopes of Goatfell, which the National Trust for Scotland also owns part of too.
This post comes in association with Visit Arran, but the views are very much our own. For more information on Arran see www.visitarran.com