Morag Fleming travels to Arran to explore beautiful Brodick
Morag Fleming pays a return visit to the idyllic Isle of Arran.
THE Isle of Arran is only an hour or so from Glasgow, very easily managed using public transport, and cheaper than ever to get to.
Great news for Arran, and for Arran-lovers like me, who can go even more frequently to sample all it has to offer. This time I am just focusing on Brodick and Lamlash, only a couple of miles apart, and I’m treating myself to a stay in the Auchrannie resort.
Auchrannie started as a 16-bedroom guest-house in 1988 and continues to grow. There is something for everyone, with different types of accommodation (including self-catering lodges) and restaurant – my favourite serves Scottish tapas.
The facilities are second to none, especially the spa area and swimming pools.
For the kiddies there is the play barn next to Arran Adventure, which provides all sorts of excitement, from gorge-walking to segways.
Another type of adventure I would thoroughly recommend is a Mogabout tour. This leaves from the Auchrannie car park and takes me high up into the forests between Brodick and Whiting Bay, on forest roads that I wouldn’t normally be
able to drive up.
It’s possible to cycle or walk up here, but it would be a trek, and not everyone is able for that.
In fact, that is the reason guide and owner Alex started the business in 2013.
“I wanted to get people out of Brodick and into the hills, to see views and places that they might not get to otherwise.”
Alex’s guiding skills really make this a highlight – born and bred on the island, there isn’t much he doesn’t know. He takes us to the beautiful Glenashdale Falls, a steep climb normally, and to the Giants’ Graves nearby – two 6,000-year-old chambered cairns which are extremely interesting and atmospheric.
We stop for a cuppa in a glorious spot with incredible views of the whole northeastern quarter of Arran. What an afternoon!
The next day I take the bus to Lamlash. My ferry to the Holy Isle is not till two, which gives me time to explore the village itself.
It’s clustered round a curving bay with bonnie sailing boats bobbing in the water and the humpbacked Holy Isle to finish the picture.
There are gift shops and cafés to nip in and out of and benches on the green to while away the time – all very pleasant.
Then it’s time for the ferry, a wee motor boat that takes a mere ten minutes to get to the island. At the other side we are met by a volunteer and he gives us a bit of background on this interesting place.
It was bought in 1990 by Lama Yeshe Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist meditation master in the Kagyu tradition, and it has been a sanctuary of sorts ever since.
The south end of the island is where the serious retreats happen – the duration for nuns is four years but some are there on lifetime retreats – so we are warned to keep away from that area.
The building we see in front of us is where people can come for courses in such things as mindfulness and meditation or to stay a bit longer and volunteer to help the running of things.
There is lots of walking on the island with great views, interesting features and fascinating wildlife to bump into.
Saanen goats are white with horns and are said to be descended from Viking days, the Soay sheep are brown and are usually found on St Kilda, and there are 45 Eriskay ponies.
This is a lot, given that the species is critically endangered with fewer than
300 breeding females.
I’m also fascinated by the series of paintings on rocks lining the path I am on. These are of the Buddha and other notable figures in the religion and have become mini shrines, with offerings left at
their feet.
The Boathouse is a stopping point to chat with the volunteer, who makes me a coffee while I browse the shop.
My last stop is the garden. Flowers and vegetables are all mixed in together and everywhere are brightly painted pictures and signs with messages on them. It’s a genuinely tranquil place to spend some time.
My last day is spent in Brodick itself. First stop is the castle, which is quite something to behold. It is the Victorian addition of the tower at the end that gives it the imposing look, as well as its situation in the foothills of Goatfell, which rises up behind the castle, dwarfing it somewhat.
It is possible to climb Goatfell from here, as the path starts from behind the castle, but it is a hard slog – only a few feet shy of Munro height with a start at nearly sea level and a scramble to the top. This is a mountain, and no mistake!
I’m not up for this today, preferring a daunder round the castle and its lovely grounds instead.
The castle is dealt with fairly quickly, with only a few rooms open to the public, but it is an interesting tour with a knowledgeable guide in every room to explain what I am looking at.
I like the dining-room best with its dark wood panelling and silverware gleaming in contrast.
Just down from the castle is the walled garden with its climbing roses, my favourite; the pond garden with waterlilies, which I’m also very fond of; and the Bavarian summerhouse which is a highlight.
It is a unique structure, with twelve sides, set on the edge of a rise with views out to sea through the latticed windows.
The walls and ceiling are decorated with pine cones of different shapes, colours and sizes creating patterned collages the like of which I have never seen before.
From here it is a short stroll down to the pedestrian gate to the grounds, which is nicely placed at the entrance to the Arran brewery. Jamie, who is an apprentice brewer, talks me through the eight or so beers that the brewery produces.
I like the Milestone best because it is slightly sweeter and has citrus notes to it. It’s a coincidence that it is one of the strongest, honest!
Also in this wee collection of buildings is a pottery, an outdoor shop, a leather workshop and other gift shops plus bar and bistro.
This is very popular, especially on a sunny day when the outdoor tables are crammed with food, drinks and ice-creams. Just along from here is Home Farm which houses a café, a gift shop and some Arran icons.
First is Creelers smokehouse and restaurant which, as you might imagine, specialises in seafood.
Next is Arran cheese. The iconic coloured waxed rounds of flavoured cheddar are delicious, and if you don’t believe me there are always a few on offer to taste in the shop.
The last stop at Home Farm is Arran Aromatics, the soap and skin care range that has become famous all over the UK.
I still have a couple more stops to make in the long row of gift shops and cafés that line the shore in Brodick itself. The first is Wooley’s, the bakers, where I stock up on their delicious oatcakes.
A few doors down is the chocolate shop where I can see the chocolate being made through the window, and then I pick up an Arran ice-cream.
Is it me, or is everything nice made on Arran – beer, cheese, chocolate, ice-cream and bubble bath?
It’s time to head back to the mainland, but with Arran more interesting and accessible than ever it won’t be long before I’m back to sample more of the delights of the island. n