Looking at taking your campervan across to the Isle of Arran? Wondering where you can stay? What hikes to do? Where is good for paddle boarding? You’re in the right place! This guide is everything you need to know about visiting the Isle of Arran, what to do, and where to stay with a campervan.
Where Is Isle of Arran?
The Isle of Arran is located in the Firth of Clyde, not too far from the City of Glasgow. It’s one of Scotland’s most southern islands!
How To Get There
To get to the Isle of Arran, you need to hop on one of the CalMac ferries. There are three different ports you can catch a ferry from:
- Ardrossan to Brodick
- Claonaig/Tarbert to Lochranza (Claonaig is a summer route/Tarbert is a winter route or bad weather route)
- Campbeltown to Brodick (summer route only)
The most popular route, is the Ardrossan to Brodick, taking just 55 minutes.
For sailing information and to book, please head over to their website: https://www.calmac.co.uk/
Where To Stay In Your Campervan
The Isle of Arran is part of Scotland, so you can pretty much wild camp anywhere. Just as long as you not blocking anywhere, parking on somebody’s private property, or causing any bother. If wild camping isn’t your thing, that’s ok, there are a few different campsites dotted around the island. However, if you are visiting in peak season, I recommend booking as they do get full!
On our visit, we did a mixture of wild camping and staying the night at campsites.
I’ve put together all the different locations where we spent the night in our van onto Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/tGqeCLR924w4aR7a9
My favourite park-up was the Lamlash Bay. It’s a very beautiful, scenic spot! A great location for paddle boarding and watching the seals play in the water.
If you are looking for a campsite, Seal Shore Campsite, in Kildonan is a good choice! They have a private beach. Perfect if you have a paddle board or just enjoy going out for evening beach strolls. Also, watch out for wildlife! Dolphins and otters have been spotted here by other campers.
If you are planning on climbing Goatfell, the Fisherman’s Walk car park is a great choice! It’s not the most scenic choice of park-up, however, it’s located at the trailhead for the ‘easy’ route up Goatfell. You’re also only a minute’s walk away from Brodick Bay, another great SUP location and sunrise spot! The village of Brodick is also within walking distance. Just follow the Fisherman’s Walk along the beach, through the golf course into Brodrick.
Wildlife To Look Out For
The Isle of Arran is home to so much wildlife! But the most famous to lookout for is the Big Five:
- seals
- otters
- red deer
- golden eagles
- red squirrels
If you are lucky, you might also see dolphins, whales, porpoises, Heron, Oystercatchers, and even a little water vole. (Just make sure you look where you are walking! Alex nearly stood on the water vole!)
Best Hikes On The Island
The Isle of Arran is full of so many great hikes, for all different hiking abilities. Here is a list of my favourite hikes to do, all with links to step-by-step guides and downloadable GPX files.
All of them are family-friendly, except Goatfell. Even though my guide is for the ‘easy’ route up Goatfell, the climb is strenuous! Good physical fitness and mountain experience are a must!
- Goatfell – The Easy Route
- The Famous Machrie Moor Stones
- Glenashdale Falls – Arran’s Most Spectacular Falls
- King’s Cave Circular
- Hiking To Fairy Dell, Lochranza
Best SUP Locations
The Isle of Arran has some beautiful bays to paddleboard in. I even know someone who took on the adventure to paddle board around the whole of the island. What an experience that must have been!
However, as much as some of these locations I’m about to tell you are great spots for paddle boarding, it also depends on the weather on the day! The day I climbed Goatfell, the weather was so still. I decided to head out on my paddle board after the walk. Brodick Bay was like glass, it was beautiful! However, the following morning, it was a very different story! The only way I was getting my paddleboard in that water, was if I was going to be using it as a bodyboard! So be careful, check the weather, and remember, these locations aren’t guaranteed to be perfect SUP locations 360 days of the year!
Here are my favourite spots of SUP:
- Brodick Bay
- Lamlash Bay
- Seal Shore Campsite private beach
- Whiting Bay
To watch the full series of our time on Arran, please head over to our YouTube channel, The Adventurous Pair: https://youtu.be/02w1psFGEf4?si=D6skYn345SSm6_c3
Enjoyed this guide? Why not have a go at one of my other favourite places to visit in Scotland: https://livingwiththewolf.co.uk/category/scotland/
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