ARRAN COASTAL WAY
Distance - 65 miles
Location - Isle of Arran, Scotland
June 2021
Itinerary
Day 1 – Brodick to North Sannox
Day 2 – North Sannox to Pirnmil
Day 3 – Pirnmill to Blackwaterfoot
Day 4 – Blackwaterfoot to Largybeg
Day 5 – Largybeg to Brodick
Day 1 - Brodick to North Sannox
On Sunday morning we left on the first ferry from Ardrossan, on our way to Brodick, Isle of Arran. The ferry took approx. one hour and was a smooth experience. As the island came into view, we soon saw Goat fell, the tallest point on the island that we were about to tackle, slightly daunting!
On arriving into Brodick, where our adventure would begin, we soon found ourselves at the foot of the Arran Coastal Way starting point. Walking in an anti-clockwise direction, we soon got on our way. Brodick has a few shops, so an excellent place to get any last-minute supplies.
The coastal way runs along the shoreline before heading along a forest path by the Cladoch visitors centre, which is where the ascent begins.
There are two route options at this point, one which takes you up to Goat Fell and the second which takes you through the forest with minimal ascent; we, of course, chose the former. We knew this would be a challenge, especially on day 1. However, we had no expectations regarding where we would end up at the end of the day, our aim was to take our time and enjoy the experience.
The ascent was gradual, and we could soon see the summit nearing closer and closer. The last km or so was, however, pretty gnarly, especially with our big backpacks as the terrain got a little more demanding and difficult to navigate. However, just after lunch, we summited Goat fell which sits at 874m, only to be surrounded by a sea of clouds, typical. Taking the opportunity for a rest, we sat and enjoyed lunch in the form of tortilla wraps and peanut butter, sharing the views with our new seagull friends. Our patience paid off as the clouds began to clear, and we were rewarded with spectacular views across to Cir Mhor, Beinn Tarsuinn and the Glenrosa valley below.
Feeling high on life, we decided to tackle an alternative route which would take us up to North Goat Fell and across the ridgeline, lets just say we didn’t make it very far! The immediate descent from Goat Fell was challenging, having to skid down on our bums (well mainly me Katie!), it was pretty slow going. This was followed by a down and up section, which with one wrong foot would end in disaster. Needless to say, once we reached North Goat Fell we bailed and took the path to the right, which would bring us back onto the Coastal Way. To top it off, we stopped for water and soon realised that one of our Sawyer squeezes was not working. This was a lesson to us to check essential equipment like this before leaving home!
Feeling somewhat deflated from the challenging descent over 1-2 km in just as many hours, followed by equipment failure, left us a little tired, both physically and mentally. But just when we needed it most, we came across an honesty box at High Corrie. After a well-deserved diet coke and Twix, we regrouped and got on our way. Now on flat ground, we soon picked up the pace and started to make progress. Looking at the map, we identified a few potential wild camping areas close to Sannox. The first possible wild camping spot was at Sannox, and we could see a few campers had already set up for the night, ideal place, slightly away from the road, with a toilet block close by. We chose to keep pushing on as it was a little too busy for our liking, and we were glad we did as approx. 1km further just before North Sannox we came across the perfect wild camping spot, away from the path, flat ground, with views out to sea and access to the beach; what more could we ask for! By this point, it was past 7 pm, we had something warm to eat, and we were ready for bed; it had been an epic day 1.
Day 2 - North Sannox to Pirnmil
Waking up to the sound of the waves was like nothing else, so calming and peaceful. After a good night sleep, we packed up and got on our way. Leaving North Sannox (no public toilet there by the way!), we got on our way. We had provisioned to cover the 65+ mile route over five days, which meant we had to be averaging 13 miles each day. As we were wild camping, we had no commitments and would just see how far we got each day.
The path leaving North Sannox was gravel, which then became narrower and grassier. The views along the coastline were beautiful, and we were fortunate to have perfect weather; we could have been in the Mediterranean.
Making great progress edging our way towards the Cock of Arran. The path then became a little more challenging and rockier underfoot. As we rounded the north tip of the island, we could see Lochranza coming into view. The path takes you in and around the bay, which felt like an age! As we were passing the Golf course, we came across a herd of deer, just casually snacking on grass. Clearly a sight the locals are used to, but something we don’t see every day!
Coming along the south side of the bay, passing the castle and ferry terminal, we came across a lovely little pop-up café, so of course, we had to stop. Good job we did as we had missed our turning! By this point, it was approx. 2pm and lunch was much needed. The sun was beating down and it was turning out to be a very warm day.
Back on route, walking away from the village behind a row of houses, we were stopped in our tracks by a Stag that stood approx. 100m away. A magical moment!
From Lochranza to Catacol the path was frustrating, very narrow and overgrown, not ideal for those with large feet. After several kilometres on undulating terrain, there was a sharp descent to Catacol. At the south end of Catacol there was a parking area which would be ideal for camping. We, however, had a few more hours left in us. From here the route takes you along the road, walking on the tarmac under the heat of the sun was energy zapping.
Water was a little hard to come by in certain sections; however just along the roadside were little pipes of water trickling down, which is where we filtered our water.
Feeling the miles under our feet, we were starting to flag, desperately looking for somewhere to camp, then we came across a small ledge of grass just next to the path, it was less than perfect, narrow, slightly uneven, slightly slopping but this would be home for the night. This was just south of Pirnmill, close to Whitefarland Point.
Once we had pitched the tent, we had dinner and took a stroll along the beach, taking in the views and peacefulness.
Day 3 - Pirnmil to Blackwaterfoot
A slightly uncomfortable sleep, however we were up early and raring to tackle day 3. For this walk, we used a Harvey map, which was waterproof and super easy to use. The map highlighted the sections with no set trail; within 30 mins we came across one of those sections. The terrain was boulder underfoot, and you certainly had to take your time to navigate through. After a few kilometres, the path takes you back onto the road. We had never been so happy to see flat tarmac.
Admittedly the next section was a long, laborious road walk for several miles. The roads were fairly quiet; however, we still had to be careful of oncoming traffic.
We took a short rest stop at Machrie Bay Golf Course, treating ourselves to ice cream. The road continues towards Kings Cave Car Park where the route takes you along the north edge of the forest. There is a short steep descent on the way to King’s Cave. This section of the walk was fairly busy with many day visitors; we even came across a school trip.
We mistakenly walked past some caves, however taking the advice from another couple, we walked back on ourselves to take a look. Glad we did as the caves were full of cairns, as far as the eye could see.
From here we continued along the coastal path towards The Doon, an Iron age fortification on a headland, which was as spectacular from afar as it was up close, a geographical masterpiece that dominates the landscape.
The section immediately in front of the Doon was slightly bouldery, a path (of sorts) however had been created. It was difficult to look ahead with the dramatic features on our left, which took all of our attention.
At Drumadoon Point, there were areas of flat ground, which would be ideal for camping. Unfortunately, it was a little too early in the day for us to be setting up camp. As we rounded the point, we passed Shiskine golf course. What a place to play golf with the view of the Doon in the backdrop.
We arrived at Blackwaterfoot late afternoon; we stopped at the hotel in the village for a snack and drink; contemplated staying for hot food but convinced ourselves we had to eat the food we bought to lighten our load. So, pushing on, we knew we had to start looking for somewhere to camp for the night. The route takes you along the coast, away from the road and any housing, something we are conscious of when picking a wild camp spot.
Being along the coastal shoreline, the terrain was rocky, with no flat, grassy areas, less than ideal for camping. After a mile or so south of Blackwaterfoot we came across a slight outcrop of overgrown grass, bramble and fern, just a few metres away from the path; this would be home for the night. Sadly, we didn’t get a chance to sit outside much, as soon as we set up the tent, it started to rain, which meant that we stayed in the tent for the evening—no complaints from us.
Day 4 - Blackwaterfoot to Largybeg
Thus far the Arran Coastal Way was not disappointing, the views were incredible, the walk and terrain were varied, plus we had found suitable places to wild camp each night (something which always weighs on my mind, not knowing where we were going to end up!). The morning always brings a new perspective, in the daylight our surroundings looked very different, with rocky cliffs to the left and lots of bracken.
The path soon became demanding, crossing boulder fields whilst being slightly wet underfoot. Concentrating on where your next step will be is tiring, and we were making very little progress. After Brown Head the path splits into two, we chose to take the road option. Although it was probably the less picturesque route, it was what we needed.
We stopped at Corriecravie for our morning coffee, taking advantage of the picnic bench just to the right of the road. First time on the trip we had to put our midge not on.
Continuing our journey, admittedly, the road walk was long, after a few miles we came across the Lagg Distillery, sadly neither of us like whiskey, so we chose not to stop. Just after Lagg we came across the Velo café, so we stopped for a bite to eat. A lovely little café, a cyclist’s haven!
From here, the route goes back towards the coastline, which was pebbly, making it a little tricky to walk on. Ahead of us was Black Cave, which is impassable at high tide, also marked on the map as being boulder terrain with no defined path. Taking the easy option, we chose to take the alternative route.
In hindsight, we should have just continued on, however at the time, we could not bring ourselves to scramble over yet another boulder section. The alternative route takes you up a very steep section, onto farm tracks, approx. 1km before reaching the road. From here we proceeded on towards Kildonan which we were starting to see in the distance. Although a road walk is less than ideal we enjoyed this section as we had lovely coastal views.
In the distance, we could also see Pladda, a small island south of Arran. With the clouds slightly obscuring the view it looked somewhat mysterious.
At Kildonan, the route splits into two, with one continuing on along the coastline and the other going up towards the forest towards Glenashdale Falls. Wanting a change of scenery, we opted to take the forest route.
By this point, we needed water, sadly many of the marked water points on the map were either coming up dry or not accessible.
We enjoyed the forest section, it was a serviced forest track, so lovely underfoot and very quiet, we didn’t pass a sole. As the path rounded a corner, we were stopped in our tracks by Holy Isle coming into view. What a view!
Starting to become desperate for water, we came across a lovely water flow, slightly difficult to get to, but Kevin managed to fill up our bottles. With the knowledge that we had enough water, we could finally settle down for the night. We pitched our tent just to the side of the forest track with the most amazing views of Whiting Bay and Holy Isle in the distance.
Thus far we hadn’t encountered many midges, having camped by the shore this meant that there was a slight breeze that helped to keep them away. Here there was no breeze, and they were swarming, it was a battle against the midges, it was impossible not to get any inside the tent.
Defeated, we had dinner inside the tent and bedded down for the night.
Day 5 - Largybeg to Brodick
After a peaceful night’s sleep, we were well-rested and ready to tackle the final day of walking as we headed towards Brodick. On checking the weather, it was forecast to rain around midday onwards, which was a shame as the weather had been lovely thus far.
Leaving our lovely camping spot, we continued along the forest track before coming across Glenashdale falls. Rather than staying on the forest track, we came down alongside Glenashdale Burn towards Whiting Bay. Towards the base of the falls, there was a perfect space for wild camping.
Whiting Bay was a pleasant little village with a few shops and cafes, sadly none were open when we were passing. Pushing on towards Kingscross Point we had front row views across to Holy Isle. The path then takes you up and across before coming back down to the shoreline. It was a steep descent, via steps, followed by sections of boardwalks which would continue all the way to Lamlash, there were a few interesting sections. There was one section where we had to hug around a rock to avoid getting our feet wet, probably should have just got our feet wet!
Finally making it to Lamlash, a sizeable village with lots of shops, restaurants, and cafes. By this point it was around midday, we took refuge on a bench as we ate lunch, watching the grey clouds loom closer.
With only a few miles remaining, we made the final push towards Brodick. As we rounded Clauchlands Point it started raining, it was inevitable. The path was pretty narrow, slightly rocky underfoot, but manageable. Coming up towards Corriegills Point, marking an end to the coastal walking, the route takes you up and across fields before making a final descent into Brodick.
By this point, it was absolutely pouring down, which was a shame as we would have liked to have savoured the moment of completing the Arran Coastal Way. Returning to our starting point 5 days later, covering over 65 miles over varied terrain, wild camped in picturesque locations, nothing but each other and our backpacks, what an adventure!
Travel to and from the Isle of Arran
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We drove to Ardrossan and left our car at the ferry port car park.
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We took the Calmac ferry as foot passengers which took approx. 1 hour.
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Recommendation to book in advance to avoid disappointment.
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Check travel times in advance.
Accommodation
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We stayed at the Lauriston Hotel at Ardrossan the night before.
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For the duration of the walk, we wild camped.
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On our final evening, we stayed at the Ormidale Hotel in Brodick.
Supplies
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There are few amenities on the island therefore we would recommend taking what you need.
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In the larger villages such as Brodick, Whiting Bay and Blackwaterfoot there are shops, cafes and restaurants.