Trip created by Rachael Gavan
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Region: West Highlands including Knoydart
Trip Type: Wilderness Walking
Accommodation: Classic
Max Group Size: 8
Confirmed: When 3 Travellers Book
Deposit From: £486.25 £486.25

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All you need to know about your trip, this essential document is a must for all adventures.

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Join us on a fantastic walking trip that explores the beautiful Isle of Arran. Located off the west coast of Scotland, lapped by turquoise water and with mountains that rise high with rugged, rocky peaks – this stunning isle, home to a little bit of everything, is often referred to as ‘Scotland in Minature.’

Joined by an expert Wilderness guide, spend an unforgettable week discovering its many instances of natural beauty. Hike up its highest mountain, ribbon your way along its silvery shores, visit caves, neolithic ruins, a historic castle and a local distillery.

Having been continuously inhabited since the early Neolithic period, the island’s history, heritage and culture run deep. With a landscape peppered with standing stones, hut circles and hidden chambered cairns, it’s an engaging and evocative place to explore on foot. Also home to incredible wildlife, take the opportunity to look out for seals, otters, red squirrels, golden eagles and an abundance of red deer.

As the amber hues of sunset cast a deep, golden glow across the sea, moor and mountainside, relax each evening in charming accommodation, enjoying fresh seasonal food and warm hospitality. With every day curated to unfold at the ideal pace, enjoy the magic of Scotland distilled into one perfect package.

Trip Highlights

Hike to the top of Goat Fell, the island's highest peak.
Take a boat trip to the Holy Isle and learn about its fascinating history.
Explore the archaeological history, visiting standing stones, chambered cairns and mysterious castles.
Spot some of Scotland's best-loved wildlife, including red deer, dolphins and eagles.

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 – Welcome to Arran

Meet your guide at Ardrossan Harbour Station this afternoon and head west to take the ferry across the Firth of Clyde to the wonderful Isle of Arran. Once you have arrived, enjoy stretching your legs on a beautiful stroll that winds its way through birch woodland and provides stunning views of Goat Fell. Settle into your charming hotel, which is nestled in the village of Lamlash and looks out across the glittering bay. Enjoy a drink in the sunshine and a delicious dinner before turning in for a good night’s sleep. (D)

Walk Details: 5 km/3 miles | 200 m/650 ft ascent | approx. 2 hours

Day 2 – Glenashdale Falls & Giant's Graves

Wake to the sound of breaking waves and enjoy a delicious breakfast. Afterwards, head out with your guide for a cracking circular walk which climbs its way through a wooded glen for a wonderful view of a double cascading waterfall (known as the Eas a’ Chrannaig in Gaelic) and then onwards to two chambered cairns looking out over Whiting Bay. In the afternoon, set out to the southern shores for a walk on Kildonan Shore, looking out for the footprint of a large reptile from around 240 million years ago. (B, L, D)

Walk Details: 10 km/6 miles | 150 m/490 ft ascent | approx. 4 hours

Day 3 - Boat Trip to the Holy Isle

Today, lace up your boots and head out for a short boat trip to the Holy Isle. Situated just off Arran’s easterly shores, the island has a fascinating spiritual history dating back to the 6th Century. Once ashore, walk to St Molaise’s cave, where you can see rock carvings of crosses and ancient Norse runes. As seabirds wheel against the sea-blown sky, chat with your guide about the island’s fascinating history. Back on Arran this afternoon, take a tour of the local brewery, absorbing the sights and smells of the traditional beer-making process and enjoying a taste of their finest beers. (B, L)

Walk Details: 6.5 km/4 miles | 470 m/1,540 ft of ascent | approx. 3.5 hours

Day 4 – An Ascent of Goatfell

This morning, set off into the hills to summit the highest peak on the island – Goat Fell. Starting from the village of Corrie, enjoy ribboning your way through forests and across open moorland before beginning the main part of the ascent. The push to the summit can be a little challenging, but the views make it all worthwhile. Impressive granite ridges of the neighbouring peaks stand tall above the skyline, while panoramic views stretch all the way to Ireland on a clear day. Return to your hotel this evening and enjoy a cool drink in the historic walled garden. (B, L, D)

Walk Details: 10 km/6 miles | 835 m/2,740 ft of ascent | approx. 6 hours

Day 5 – Explore the Northern Coast

After a relaxing breakfast, enjoy a scenic drive north for a beautiful coastal hike. Begin by meandering your way across the moors, which stretch boundless and wild towards the horizon. The landscape here is mountainous and rugged, so keep an eye out for golden eagles and hen harriers. Descend to a remote cottage and follow a path along the coast, being rewarded with stunning views of Lochranza Castle. Afterwards, enjoy a visit to Lochranza Distillery, an independent venture which produces amazing whisky. (B, L, D)

Walk Details: 11 km/7 miles | 330 m/1,080 ft of ascent | approx. 4 hours

Day 6 – Machrie Moor Standing Stones

As the soft morning light slips across the water, set out for a lovely walk that visits some large eerie caves on the coast. Chat with your guide about the story of Robert the Bruce and the Spider as you wander up the path to King’s Cave. After lunch, visit Machrie Moor to explore the rich archaeological landscape, including stone circles, standing stones, burial cairns and cists. Later this afternoon, enjoy wandering around Brodick Castle and indulging in a cream tea to celebrate another lovely day on sea-soaked shores. (B, L, D)

Walk details: 10 km/6 miles | 280 m/920 ft ascent | approx. 4 hours

Day 7 – Brodick Bay & Depart

After breakfast, enjoy a morning walk with your guide. Stroll along the tranquil sands of Brodick Bay, listening to the raucous calls of seabirds and spotting red-throated divers and great northern divers off the shore. Stop at Arran Aromatics and the Isle of Arran Cheese Company. Smelling delicious – well, a delicious mix of herbal hand lotion and blue, brie and camembert cheese – nosy back to the terminal to catch the ferry back to the mainland. Your guide will drop you off at Ardrossan Harbour Station this afternoon, where your trip will conclude. (B, L)

Walk details: 5 km/3 miles | 30 m/95 ft of ascent | approx. 2 hours

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Wilderness Walking

Arran: Scotland in Miniature

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Trip Dates & Prices

Trip Dates for 2024	Availability	Status	Price	Book
18th May - 24th May 2024	2 places left	CONFIRMED	£1,945	Book Now
15th Jun - 21st Jun 2024	8 places left	UNCONFIRMED	£1,945	Book Now
20th Jul - 26th Jul 2024	8 places left	UNCONFIRMED	£1,945	Book Now
17th Aug - 23rd Aug 2024	7 places left	UNCONFIRMED	£1,945	Book Now
7th Sep - 13th Sep 2024	8 places left	UNCONFIRMED	£1,945	Book Now
21st Sep - 27th Sep 2024	8 places left	UNCONFIRMED	£1,945	Book Now

Trip Details

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Accommodation Read More

The Glenisle hotel is an award-winning boutique hotel nestled in the charming village of Lamlash and boasting a beautiful location looking across Lamlash Bay toward the Holy Isle.

Single Rooms

For solo travellers: Accommodation is based on sharing a twin room with another solo traveller of the same gender. A limited number of rooms for single occupancy are on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to a single supplement of £425. Please enquire for availability.

Meals Read More

All meals are included from lunch on day 1 to lunch on the final day, except for dinner on day 3. Included dinners are two courses as standard.

Throughout the journey, varied local produce will be served in hearty and imaginative meals. Seafood is a speciality with beef, lamb and venison also popular and of course, any special dietary requirements can be catered for.

Your guide will have an evening off during this trip where they do not eat with the group. They will recommend options for dinner that evening and will help you make any necessary reservations.

Inclusions Read More

6 nights accommodation in a beautiful hotel.
Meals as indicated in the itinerary (Meals indicated as B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner).
Boat trip to Holy Isle.
The services of an experienced and knowledgeable Guide/Driver throughout.
All transport throughout the trip, starting and finishing in Ardrossan.

Trip Grading Read More: Blue Graded 4-6
Blue graded walking holidays are suitable for fit and experienced hikers. We walk at a good pace and you can expect to be out for 6-8 hours a day. You will not always be on a path and the terrain underfoot can be rough and boggy, including boulder fields and mountain tops. Some of the daily walks will involve a mountain ascent of over 3000ft / 900m high. Daily distances will be typically up to 16km but may be longer occasionally. Daily hike details are available in the itinerary.

Travel – Arrival and Departure Read More

Your guide will meet you at Ardrossan Harbour Station at 2:00pm on Day 1 of your trip.

You will be returned to Ardrossan Harbour Station by 3:00pm on the final day of your trip.

Ardrossan Harbour Station is easily accessed from Glasgow with hourly trains from Glasgow Central Station, taking around 50 mins.

If you would like to use your own vehicle on the trip, please get in touch with our team to discuss.

Make This Trip Private

Fancy this trip just for your group? Get together with family and friends spend quality time exploring wild places. A private trip allows you to benefit from all the features of the group departure, including hand-picked accommodation and expert local guides but with the advantage of the flexibility to tailor the days to your group. Make the trip more or less challenging depending on your experience or choose to add in some optional extras like castle or distillery visits depending on your interests. The price of a private trip will depend on the number of travellers in your group. Let us know your prefered departure date and we'll take care of the rest.

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Jane Gillies

Our friendly office team hail from across the world but share a passion for the outdoor and wild spaces of Scotland. We are committed to providing you with the best customer service and are more than happy to chat through options and provide help and advice. Get in touch to find your perfect adventure.

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Meet Your Guide

Mungo Ross
18th May - 24th May 2024

Ian Johnston
15th Jun - 21st Jun 2024

Don Pritchard
20th Jul - 26th Jul 2024

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Difficulty Grades Explained

Blue Graded Walking Holidays

Blue graded walking holidays are suitable for fit and experienced hikers. We walk at a good pace and you can expect to be out for 6-8 hours a day. You will not always be on a path and the terrain underfoot can be rough and boggy, including boulder fields and mountain tops. Some of the daily walks will involve a mountain ascent of over 3000ft / 900m high. Daily distances will be typically up to 16km but may be longer occasionally. Daily hike details are available in the itinerary.

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Trip Reviews

Rated 5.00 out of 5 based on 16 reviews of Wilderness Walking – Arran: Scotland in Miniature

Every client receives a feedback survey when they return from their guided, self guided or tailor made holiday with us. Once completed the review is published on our website just as soon as our database updates. The little touches and details are important to us and where issues are raised we make positive changes to our trips to improve your experience.

That’s why we read each of our client’s reviews and although we don’t respond to all of them, if it’s glowing feedback then we get the satisfaction of helping to make your holidays truly memorable.

Ana Rubio López

Reviewed on 23/07/2023

Age: 40 - 50
Country: USA
Trip Date: 08/07/2023
Trips Taken: 1

The Bottom Line

Sydney B. Bennion

Reviewed on 16/07/2023

Age: 60 - 70
Country: United States
Trip Date: 08/07/2023
Trips Taken: 6

The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line

I love Wilderness Scotland's formula. I'm a repeat customer. This trip was fun, but should have been a day or two longer so we could see the standing stones and spend some time in Brodick town.

Dan Gunderman

Reviewed on 15/07/2023

Age: 50 - 60
Country: United Kingdom
Trip Date: 08/07/2023
Trips Taken: 1

The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line

I loved the varied landscape of Arran. I live in Scotland (and visited for years before moving here) and had never been to Arran. It's a packed four/five days, and extending it to seven days would be easy and advisable, although I have to admit that I partly chose this walk originally because I was concerned that a longer trip would be too much for my current level of fitness.

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Wilderness England

Arran: Scotland in Miniature

Travel Planning & Advice

Trip Highlights

Did you know?

This trip can be booked as a private departure

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 – Welcome to Arran

Day 2 – Glenashdale Falls & Giant's Graves

Day 3 - Boat Trip to the Holy Isle

Day 4 – An Ascent of Goatfell

Day 5 – Explore the Northern Coast

Day 6 – Machrie Moor Standing Stones

Day 7 – Brodick Bay & Depart

Trip Dates & Prices

Trip Details

Single Rooms

Blue Graded 4-6

Photo Gallery

Make This Trip Private

Speak to an Expert

Jane Gillies

Meet Your Guide

Difficulty Grades Explained

Blue Graded Walking Holidays

Trip Reviews

Pre-Trip Service

Trip Comments

Accommodation & Food

Your Guide

Accommodation & Food

Your Guide

The Bottom Line

Pre-Trip Service

Trip Comments

Accommodation & Food

Your Guide

The Bottom Line

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