Arran – The Island that Constantly Reinvents Itself

“Why do you go back to Arran every year?”, asked my neighbour just before we headed back again. If you’ve been to Arran you’ll already have your own ferry full of answers. I replied that as a journalist one of the main reasons is that I simply have to. By that I don’t mean I don’t want to – there is no finer isle in Scotland for me – but that Arran just keeps on changing; reinventing itself, adding something new. It’s only been half a year since my last trip, but I find Arran has done it again, adding yet more layers of reasons to visit.

New Isle of Arran Snorkel Trail

Our first experience – I’m here with my wife Jenny and our two kids, teenager Tara and 10-year-old Emma – couldn’t be any newer. In fact we are the first people ever to don masks and try out the new Isle of Arran Snorkel Trail. COAST (The Community of Arran Seabed Trust) and the Scottish Wildlife Trust invited us on one of the brand new snorkel trails in Arran waters in Whiting Bay. I’d never even considered snorkelling off Arran, but it’s so much fun we end up snorkelling on each of our four days here! If you want to read more about this experience head over to The Coig for my Arran snorkel blog.

Arran’s epic natural amphitheatre of hills

Snorkelling on this first morning proves hungry work and we’re famished as we burrow back north away from the hulking presence of the Holy Isle. It always snatches my breath away when I first see it again, even after all these years coming to Arran. Our destination is newbie The Parlour. This superb new venture in the centre of Brodick is ideally placed just across from the beach. We order takeaway pizzas that would please any visiting Neapolitans, thin-based and bursting with delicious ingredients. We tuck in vowing to get up Goatfell across the bay (we don’t as we’re too busy – that’s Arran for you) as we gaze out over Arran’s epic natural amphitheatre of hills. Then we pop back to The Parlour as they stock an irresistible range of the acclaimed Arran Dairies ice cream.

The best kids farm visit ever

It’s time now to check into our first accommodation. It proves a stunner – Bellevue Holiday Cottages are well named as these farm cottages offer sweeping views out over the Shiskine Valley on to the Arran Hills and out across the Kilbrannan Sound to Kintyre. We’re not alone here. The girls are delighted as our neighbours are turkeys, hens and ducks, oh and cows, pigs and even alpacas! Staying here is like the best kids farm visit ever as you get to sleep here too. We that love that they’ve created a large barn with lots for the kids to do when it’s wet. Also that it’s a working farm, so as well as tours you can buy fresh eggs, plus their farm reared pork and lamb.

New microbrewery

Heading back south I’ve heard great things about a new brewery on Arran. Waiting with a big smile down by the shore is the owner of Seagate Brewery, Stephen Sparshott. Passion and pride oozes from every pore of this new microbrewery. The foundation blocks of the brews could not be more solid, leaning towards Belgian-style beers, with a sprinkling of fine Scottish ales and stouts too. As he smiles out towards Holy Isle Stephen says, “I love it here and I love making beer”. I can really feel that and he is making many other people happy with his brews too.

Revamped Drift Inn

Just next door is the revamped Drift Inn. They stock Seagate beers, which you can enjoy in the large beer garden overlooking Lamlash Bay. We watch out for seals and dolphins as we tuck into local island produce including Arran venison. This seafood restaurant and grill have really stepped up their game under new ownership and we loved the covered terrace, which will be a real boon even beyond Covid.

Glamping with alpacas

Our kids are reluctant to leave ‘our animals’ and I am reluctant to say goodbye to the lovely Curries who run Bellevue, especially after we work out we could well be related through the old Kilpatrick McKelvies and their links into the Curries of south Arran. Our second hideaway was just up the road still in the Shiskine Valley at Balmichael. I remember how much fun it was here as a kid and it was sad to see the venue not working well for a few years. Dynamic young couple Tom and Emma Jessop have really got it back on track. Big time. Now rebranded as Arran Alpacas they have a herd of these friendly beasts – you can even help feed them and take them for a walk.

Arran Alpacas also offer accommodation. We book into one of their solid wooden barrel pods. They are like a little Tardis. Compact from the outside the space inside is put to really good use with a proper bed for mum and dad, then benches by day that switch to beds at night for the kids There is a seating area integral to the pods then a picnic bench outside too with a wee washing up area and environmentally friendly composting toilet. We hire an Ooni pizza oven for one dinner – the pizzas tasted amazing. We realise why when we found out they get their pizza dough direct from The Parlour! That night we also bubble away in their lovely outdoor hot tub. They’ve got posher safaris lodges too if you fancy splashing out on a bit more luxury.

First-rate Arran produce

For our second dinner at Balmichael we feast on a platter of Arran produce. Over the years the spread and quality of Arran produce has just mushroomed. We tuck into the waxed cheese from the Arran Cheese Shop and Arran Blue (my favourite blue in the world) from Bellevue Creamery, as well as their new Swiss hard cheese, White Stag. And – of course – Wooleys of Arran oaties. We also savour fresh bread from the local Blackwaterfoot bakery, James of Arran chocolates and pies from the Arran Butcher, plus more Arran Dairies ice cream. We got a lot of these goodies at the superbly provisioned A & C Cameron grocer in Blackwaterfoot, which I heartily recommend.

On to the serious business of whisky tasting

Towards the end of our trip we explore the north. I find it hard to visit Lochranza without popping into the eponymous distillery. This time we enjoy delicious venison burgers gazing out on the Highland hills in Casks Cafes. Then it is on to the serious business of whisky tasting. After a short film introducing the story of the distillery and hearing about their second Lagg Distillery, the tasting kicked off in the dramming room. The expert guide swept us through some very special malts and we bonded as a group comparing the flavours we pick up and choosing our favourites. I couldn’t leave without picking up a bottle and I snared a rare distillery-only edition.

Our last dinner proved a stunner at Blackwaterfoot Lodge. Originally a Temperance Hotel, you can stay here, dine here, or just come in to the bar (they’ve a strong whisky collection). We tucked in at a table overlooking a grassy garden. This proved handy as the kids ran outside to play on the giant Connect 4 board. The staff could not have been more welcoming. This is a new to us place that we’ll be coming back to.

Our last port of call – the Arran Heritage Museum – may not sound like the sort of place you would find something ‘new’. It really is, both in their bright, welcoming Café Rosaburn where the cakes are ever-changing and always delicious. Reclining in a garden just by the burn it’s in a gorgeous spot too. The museum was opened back in 1976 and I find something new here every time I visit. There is so much to explore I recommend honing your visit to one or two time periods and chatting to the staff too. They are very interested to chat about our possible family links to Kilpatrick and the Bellevue Curries; it’s that kind of place.

We head for the ferry with that pleasant, glowing exhaustion that Arran engenders. There were countless old favourites we’d not even touched on – like paddling at Kildonan, eagle spotting in Glen Rosa or visiting the cave where Robert the Bruce saw the spider try, try and try again. We had, though, uncovered a whole treasure trove of new delights in an island constantly reinventing itself that stacks up as the perfect holiday escape, whatever your age.

For more information just see www.visitarran.com