Hillwalking on the Isle of Arran

Arran is a very scenic, small, mountainous island just off the West Coast. It is relatively near to Glasgow and there is plenty of climbing for the the enthusiast or the serious Winter Climber. There is also plenty to do for hillwalkers and mountaineers.

Being an island you can only really get there using the Caledonian Macbrayne ferry service. If you're taking a car it's expensive but many walkers and climbers prefer to park at the ferry port and simply take their bicycles onto the ferry. The island is very popular with cyclists and the roads seem to be in quite a poor state so drivers don't present as much of a danger here...

Summer Hillwalking

There is loads to do in summer. Most of these routes will be accessible to walkers but some provide quite difficult scambles. The map I have used for any references is OS Explorer 361, Isle of Arran 1:25000.

Glen Sannox

Glen Sannox is actually a nice walk on it's own. It's fairly flat up to the head of the glen (peat bog!) only gaining 200m in height from the sea-level start. On a good day the views of the surrounding ridges are superb.

Glen Rosa

Glen Rosa is reach from the road just outside Brodick. Again, though a longer walk, the trek up the glen is as flat as Glen Sannox to the north gaining less than 200m in altitude. The walk takes you beneath Goatfell (the highest peak on the island at 874m) and into the glen which has the prime climbing territory on the island. Beinn Nuis - Beinn Tarsuinn providing a multitude of rick outcrops, buttresses and slabs.

Glen Catacoll

This glen provides some nice flat walking via a bird sanctuary. Lochranza (on the coast here) is also beautiful...

Accomodation

There are loads of good B&B's on the island. Lochside Guest House in Blackwaterfoot is probably the best B&B in the world. There is the Youth Hostel in Lochranza and the campsite there is lovely with unmetered hot water, lighting at night, space for caravans and a shop etc. The Glen Rosa campsite is handy but not very nice (only cold water, no showers, yuk!)

Climbing Routes to try.

Blank is blank -surprise surprise- I don't think there are any holds in the first 30ft! A truly great route though, not to be missed. It would probably get VS in Wales (V Diff in Northumberland..).
Calibans Creep isn't that brilliant! - if the weather's good, go and try South Ridge Direct (it's not that hard, the climbing is the best on Arran and it's a route you'll remember for the rest of you're days).

Contributed by: Kevin Hansen.

Ben Nuis Chimney grade 5 this is an absolutely excellent climb of the highest order. Finley Bennett and I climbed it in Jan 1995. there are 3 tunnel sections and the crux is a desperate verglassed offwidth Yosemite style horror well above the gear. Also memorable is the sunset over the mull of kyntire and the pool in the glen rosa hotel.

Contributed by:Edward Coxon

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Many thanks to those who have already contributed. Keep it comming folks.