Theme Week Firth of Clyde – Isle of Arran

Friday, 26 July 2024 - 12:00 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General, Bon appétit
Reading Time:  5 minutes

Isle of Arran Distillery - Special casks © flickr.com - sebastian.b./cc-by-2.0

Isle of Arran Distillery – Special casks © flickr.com – sebastian.b./cc-by-2.0

The Isle of Arran (Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Arainn) or simply Arran is an island off the west coast of Scotland. It is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde and the seventh-largest Scottish island, at 432 square kilometres (167 sq mi). Historically part of Buteshire, it is in the unitary council area of North Ayrshire. In the 2011 census it had a resident population of 4,629. Though culturally and physically similar to the Hebrides, it is separated from them by the Kintyre peninsula. Often referred to as “Scotland in Miniature”, the Island is divided into highland and lowland areas by the Highland Boundary Fault and has been described as a “geologist’s paradise”.

Arran has been continuously inhabited since the early Neolithic period. Numerous prehistoric remains have been found. From the 6th century onwards, Goidelic-speaking peoples from Ireland colonised it and it became a centre of religious activity. In the troubled Viking Age, Arran became the property of the Norwegian crown, until formally absorbed by the kingdom of Scotland in the 13th century. The 19th-century “clearances” led to significant depopulation and the end of the Gaelic language and way of life. The economy and population have recovered in recent years, the main industry being tourism. However, the increase in tourism and people buying holiday homes on the Island, the second highest rate of such homes in the UK, has led to a shortage of affordable homes on the Island. There is a diversity of wildlife, including three species of tree endemic to the area.

The Island includes miles of coastal pathways, numerous hills and mountains, forested areas, rivers, small lochs and beaches. Its main beaches are at Brodick, Whiting Bay, Kildonan, Sannox and Blackwaterfoot.

The profile of the north Arran hills as seen from the Ayrshire coast is referred to as the “Sleeping Warrior“, due to its resemblance to a resting human figure. The highest of these hills is Goat Fell at 873.5 metres (2,866 ft). There are three other Corbetts, all in the north east: Caisteal Abhail, Cìr Mhòr and Beinn Tarsuinn. Beinn Bharrain is the highest peak in the north west at 721 metres (2,365 ft).

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Lochranza Castle © flickr.com - Arran Bee/cc-by-2.0
The main industry on the island is tourism, with outdoor activities such as walking, cycling and wildlife watching being especially popular. Popular walking routes include climbing to the summit of Goat Fell, and the Arran Coastal Way, a 107 km (66 mi) trail that goes around the coastline the island. The Arran Coastal Way was designated as one of Scotland’s Great Trails by Scottish Natural Heritage in June 2017.

One of Arran’s greatest attractions for tourists is Brodick Castle, owned by the National Trust for Scotland. The Auchrannie Resort, which contains two hotels, three restaurants, two leisure complexes and an adventure company, is one of biggest employers on the island. Local businesses include the Arran Distillery, which was opened in 1995 in Lochranza. This is open for tours and contains a shop and cafe. A second visitor centre has been announced for the south of the island, due to open in 2019.

The island has a number of golf courses including the 12 hole Shiskine links course which was founded in 1896. The village of Lagg, at the southern tip of Arran, has a nudist beach. Known as Cleat’s Shore, it has been described as one of the quietest nudist facilities in the world.

Here you can find the complete Overview of all Theme Weeks.

Read more on Isle of Arran, VisitScotland.com – Isle of Arran, Arran Single Malt, Wikivoyage Isle of Arran and Wikipedia Isle of Arran. Learn more about the use of photos. To inform you about latest news most of the city, town or tourism websites offer a newsletter service and/or operate Facebook pages/Twitter accounts. In addition more and more destinations, tourist organizations and cultural institutions offer Apps for your Smart Phone or Tablet, to provide you with a mobile tourist guide (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.




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