Glen Sannox Horseshoe Arran
The Isle of Arran is not a place for the faint-hearted, with its granite peaks and pinnacles rising in unbroken sweeps from sea level to summit and few, if any, gentle slopes. The crags that buttress the summits are the domain of climbers and scramblers and present unforgiving profiles. At first glance it might seem that this place shuns walkers, but this is not entirely true. Across all parts of the range, ridge-top paths offer a way into and over the mountains. It’s true that you will encounter many exposed places, but with a bit of moderate scrambling there are outstanding adventures to be had.
Best of the bunch is the Glen Sannox horseshoe. All around its elevated course you are treated to one spectacular situation after another, like a magical mystery tour taking you through a world of lofty summits with revealing views at every bend. The crux of the route is the ‘Witch’s Step’ – a deep notch in the ridge, which can be outmanoeuvred with a bit of grade 1 scrambling and a sneaky pinnacle-avoiding path.