Overview
Introduction to the Isle of Arran Coastal Way
The Arran Coastal Way is a stunning circular route around the beautiful Isle of Arran. It is a challenging 65 mile trek, packed with magnificent scenery and amazing wildlife. Enjoy fabulous coastal walking around the entire island and complete the journey by reaching the summit of it’s highest mountain, Goatfell. Arran is often referred to as “Scotland in miniature” and this trek certainly has a little bit of everything that makes trekking in Scotland so fantastic.
Highlights of the Isle of Arran Coastal Way
- Complete a full circuit of one of Scotland’s most beautiful Islands.
- Amazing coastal wildlife; you may see seals, otters and a variety of sea birds.
- Caves and rock formations, including King’s Cave, Black Cave and Preachers Cave.
- Reaching the summit of Goatfell, the highest mountain on the island.
What's Included with this Holiday
Accommodation for 7 nights
6 Days walking
A Qualified Mountain Leader
A Full Information Pack
Maximum group size of 10
Support Vehicle available (so you can skip a section)
Free pick up and drop off to Brodick Ferry Port
What to Expect from the Isle of Arran Coastal Way
Despite this being a coastal walk you can expect variety from this trek. The daily distances are relatively short but this a coastal “way” rather than a coastal “path”. You will walk on a mix of path, road, beach (pebble & sand), over boulders and up a rocky path to the summit of the island’s highest mountain.
Is the Isle of Arran Coastal Way Right For Me?
We have rated this trek a 3/5, this is the same as our West Highland Way. Do note that while the distance and ascent are much less that the West Highland Way the terrain is much more demanding at times. Sections of this walk are off-path and awkward underfoot and so some people may find this quite challenging. Also, do remember that the day on Goatfell is a full day of walking up and down a mountain. However, due to the nature of this trail it is very simple to skip a day should you wish to. Our customers have a mix of age ranges and abilities, which is what makes our treks so special. From long distance first timers to very experienced walkers both young and old, this trail has something for everyone. While you don’t need experience you will need a positive mental attitude to help you get to the finish.
Isle of Arran Coastal Way Gallery
- Holy Island seen from Arran
- The Mountains of Arran
- Goatfell over Forest
- Waterfalls on the Arran Coast
- Drumadoon Point, Arran
- Rocks and Sea near Arran
- Rocks with Ailsa Craig
- Arran Coast
- Reflections on the Arran Coast
- Waterfall at Black Cave on the Arran Coast
- Swans in the sea
- Boulders near Bannon on the Arran Coast
- Bay on Arran
- View of the caves near Millstone Point
- Scarlet walking the Arran Coastal Way near Sannox
- View of the path near the start of the Arran Coastal Way
- Beach near Laggan Cottage, Arran Coastal Way
- Path sectoin on the Arran Coastal Way
- path through boulders on the arran coastal way
- Coastline on Arran
- Path and Beach on the east coast of Arran.
- Beach at Sannox on Arran
- Boulders and Beach to the east of Arran
Isle of Arran Coastal Way Guided Walking Itinerary
Daily Plan
Each night you will be staying in Brodick, the main town on the Isle of Arran. Despite this the transfers to the start and from the end of each day of walking are still short. Therefore, you will be able to relax in just one base for the entire holiday while getting to explore the island to the full. Every day you will be guided by your qualified and friendly walking guide while all the logistics of your trek are taken care of by your trek manager.
Day 1: Arrive in Brodick
This is your chance to get to the start of the holiday by making your way to Brodick on The Isle of Arran. Travelling to Arran is surprisingly simple, there are fantastic transport links. From Glasgow Central Train Station you can get a train straight to Ardrossan, where you can get the ferry over to Arran. For those travelling by air, the nearest airport is Glasgow International, from which you can get a shuttle bus into Glasgow city centre whereby the train station is easy to access. Once you have arrived in Brodick if you would like a lift to your accommodation this can usually be arranged, just let us know. In the evening you will usually get a chance to meet the rest of your group as well as your guides at a local pub for a drink or two.
Accommodation Brodick
Day 2: Walking to Lochranza
Today is the first day of our journey around the Isle of Arran and we begin at Sannox Bay. This beautiful beach is the perfect start to our adventure and will also mark the end in 6 days time. We will head away from the beach on excellent paths giving beautiful views over the sea towards mainland of Scotland. After following the River Sannox through a pretty woodland the path turns into a wider landrover track offering easy walking through Leac Gharbh. This path takes us to the interesting rock formations of Fallen Rocks whereby the path becomes more narrow and softer underfoot to Millstone Point and caves. After a magnificent lunch stop near Laggan we will continue on rougher ground. While the path is still obvious it twists and winds it way through rockier terrain and provides a great contrast to this morning’s walks. As we reach the end of the day the path becomes gentle and wide once again and we will soon be greeted by views of the small coastal village, Lochranza. Today is approximately 9 miles in distance and 300 metres of ascent.
Accommodation Brodick
Day 3: Walking to Machrie
Today we will begin by seeing Lochranza Castle. This interesting hall house extends into Loch Ranza on small peninsula, giving the impression that it is actually in the loch itself. From here a small ascent takes us on to the hillside which we will contour round to gain magnificent views of Catacol Bay. Once we drop down to sea level we have a section of road walking to complete before joining the coast again at Rubha Airigh Bheirg. A further section of road walking will bring us to Whitefarland Point. This is perhaps the highlight of the day, a beautiful coastal section with glorious views. However, do be aware that the walking he is awkward underfoot and so we will just take our time as we negotiate a section of boulder-hopping. One further section of road walking takes us in to Machrie, where we will finish for the day. While today does have a lot of road walking, it is well worth it to access the beautiful coastal path in between. Today is approximately 14 miles and 370 metres of ascent.
Accommodation Brodick
Day 4: Walking to Lagg
Today we will start with just a short section along the road before descending down the edge of a forest and back onto the coastal path. This is a really fabulous section of the walk whereby the coastal path explores a famous area of caves. The highlight of which is King’s Cave. King’s Cave is vast and we can even go inside for a better look. From here the path continues along an awkward boulderfield. However, the views up ahead of the basalt crags of The Doon make the walk well worth the effort. After walking along the sandy beach of Drumadoon Bay we will reach Blackwaterfoot, a likely lunch stop. From here, we will follow an awkward path along the beach round Kilpatrick Point and past a series of beautiful rock formations and caves. One of which, The Preaching Cave, was once used as a church after the clearances in 1843. As we continue further on the path becomes rockier and so we will take our time as we weave through the boulders until we reach a wide, flat grassy area. The path here can be boggy at times as we make our way to Sliddery Water. Sliddery Water is a rather notorious river crossing, wearing your sandals and rolling up your trousers is well recommended. There is an alternative route for anyone wishing to skip the river (or for when in very high water). From here a short and easy section takes us to Lagg where we will finish for the day. For some this may be the hardest day of the trek due to the awkward path but with so much to see and explore it is also perhaps one of the best. Today is approximately 12 miles and 280 metres of ascent.
Accommodation Brodick
Day 5: Walking to Whiting Bay
Today we will begin by making our way straight back onto the coast. The walking at first is very easy going along the beach itself before making use tracks which become a little less obvious as we go further. As we begin to approach the impressive Bennan Head the walking will weave along boulders once more. After passing an incredible waterfall we will reach the massive opening of Black Cave. Black Cave is the largest cave in Arran, it is 80ft high, 40ft wide and 100ft deep! Next, we have a tricky section of cliff to walk around, this is more difficult in higher tides and so we will structure the day to ensure we are not walking past during high tide itself. The awkward boulders continue, but it will not be long until we are on a flat grassy section once more. The walking here is easy as we pass yet another stunning waterfall and walking towards the beach. From here the peak of Ailsa Craig can be seen and for those who are very lucky a large seal colony can be spotted basked on the rocks! From Kildonan we are going to take the inland route of The Isle of Arran Coastal Way. This section gains a little height and so gives us specular views over to Holy Island from the forestry track. We will pass the Giant's Graves before heading down into the forest and to Whiting Bay itself. Today is approximately 9 miles and 350 metres of ascent.
Accommodation Brodick
Day 6: Walking to Brodick
We will start the day by following the Glenashdale Burn as is winds its way through the forest to the impressive Glenashdale Falls. From here we be will on an excellent forest track all the way to Lamlash, whereby we will stop for lunch. From the forest track we will gain excellent views down to the coast and across to Holy Island. As we proceed, we will gain our first views of Goatfell from the Arran Coastal Way, this is a great landmark which we will continue to gain glimpses of throughout the day as we approach closer and closer. Once in Lamlash we will follow a short section of road along the coast which will soon turn into a good track. We will follow this around Clauchlands Point whereby we will the begin to ascend the hillside to stay in the inland route. This route once again offers stunning views of the coastline below as we head up to the viewpoint and hill fort of Dun Fionn. From here we will descend excellent tracks and pass through easy fields until we reach Brodick itself. Today is approximately 12 miles and 480 metres of ascent.
Accommodation Brodick
Day 7: Walking to Sannox Bay
The last day of our journey will take us to the summit of Goatfell. This 874m mountain is the highest point on the island and no trek to Arran would be complete without a walk to the top. We will start from Brodick and follow the road to the Arran Brewery. From here our ascent will begin. We will head up through the forest until the view opens up and we will see the spectacular mountain in front of us. Do not worry, we will take our time to walk to the summit and are well aware for many this may be their very first mountain. It is a popular walk and so for perhaps the first time this week you will be on a busy path as we make our way to the summit to enjoy great views of the island. Our path down is less popular, although still an excellent track, and so gives us chance once again to enjoy the peace of The Arran Coastal Path. Once we reach the road you have the option to celebrate the completion of your trek now or for those who want to walk the full circumference of the island, we can walk along the road back to Sannox Bay. Today is approximately 9 miles in distance and 912 metres of ascent.
Accommodation Brodick
Isle of Arran Coastal Way Accommodation Options
For this trek you will stay in the same accommodation all week meaning you can get well settled in. We’ll transfer you to and from each day as needed.
Bed & Breakfast
The Bed and Breakfast option provides you with good standard Bed and Breakfast accommodation, with breakfast included within the price of the holiday. The B&Bs we use are located within small towns or villages and so you will have access to local shops as well as a choice of pubs to make sure you have plenty of opportunity to have an evening meal. In areas where there are no B&Bs or there are no facilities such as shops or pubs we will instead drive you out to another nearby village where a better overall experience can be achieved.
Hotel (Brodick)
If you are looking for a little more luxury with your accommodation you can book hotel accommodation with this trip. You will be provided a spacious modern en-suite room in a seafront hotel. Breakfast is included in this package.
Facilities in Brodick
Brodick is a small Scottish town on the eastern side of the island and has a variety of shops including a Co-Op supermarket, pharmacy, outdoor shop. There is also a range of places you can eat from pubs and restaurants to takeaways.
Dates & Prices
The dates of our scheduled treks can be seen below. We also off the option of private bookings for groups. Please get in touch if you'd like to book privately.
| Date of Trek | Availability |
|---|---|
| Saturday 22nd June 2024 to Saturday 29th June 2024 | Spaces |
| Saturday 7th September 2024 to Saturday 14th September 2024 | 4 spaces left |
No Suitable Date?
If there are no dates on this calendar to suit you please let us know, sometimes we can add extra dates if there is enough demand for an extra trip to be added.
Waiting List
If a trek is full but you would like to be added to the waiting list, please do let us know. The waiting list is there so that if anyone drops out of the trek we will contact you and let you know, so you can take their place on the trek instead.
Future Dates
Our trekking calendar is released a year in advance each spring. Keep an eye on the 'Year Planner' in the menu above, or send us a request for an email alert when the latest calendar is published. If you are keen to book early and secure a trek on a date to suit you, do feel free to get in contact with us to suggest a date
Pricing
Price for Bed & Breakfast:
The price of this trip is £1199 per person (based on two sharing).
To book this trip we will require a £200 deposit per person with the rest to be paid a month before your trip.
If you are booking as a solo traveller and happy to share a twin room with another solo traveller of the same sex the price is £1199.
If you are a solo traveller and would like a single room to yourself there is a £40 per night single supplement (£280 in total).
Price for Hotel (Brodick):
The price of this trip is £1499 per person (based on two sharing).
To book this trip we will require a £300 deposit per person with the rest to be paid a month before your trip.
If you are booking as a solo traveller and happy to share a twin room with another solo traveller of the same sex the price is £1499.
If you are a solo traveller and would like a single room to yourself there is a £80 per night single supplement (£560 in total).
How to Book
Booking is simple, you can either phone us, email us or use our online shopping cart below.
Book Isle of Arran Coastal Way Online
What Happens Once you Have Booked
Once we have received your booking (either through the online shopping cart, email or phone). We will then confirm with you that your accommodation option and room type, single, twin or double, is available. We will then send you a full booking form and information about paying your deposit for your trek. All deposits can be paid by cheque, bank transfer or debit/credit card. Once we have received back both your booking form and deposit we will let you know and your place on the trip will be secure.