Holy Island from Lamlash

Lamlash

Route: Brodick to Lamlash

Area: Scotland, Isle of Arran

Date of walk: 16th October 2021

Walkers: Andrew, Gilly and James

Distance:  5.3 miles

Ascent: 650 feet

Weather:  Dull and overcast, some light drizzle

On the first day of a short walking holiday on the Isle of Arran we awoke to low cloud and grey skies. Our plan to climb Goatfell, the highest mountain on the island, would have to be postponed, as the clouds were below its 2,800 feet summit. We decided instead on a low level linear woodland walk

From our rented cottage in the attractive coastal village of Lamlash (Brae House, which I can highly recommend) we caught the 9.30am bus to Brodick Ferry Terminal, where we’d disembarked from the ferry yesterday. Times vary, so anyone following this walk should check the latest Stagecoach timetable

We walked along the seafront in Brodick for a short distance before turning inland at a junction with Alma Road. The road became a track and later on a narrow path which took us through attractive mixed woodland (apart from a couple of areas where large scale felling had taken place)

When we reached the car park and picnic area at Croc na Dail we made a short detour to see a small stone circle of the same name, reputedly a meeting place where crofters would meet in the past to discuss matters of common concern. Whilst the circle may be interesting historically, it’s a little underwhelming from a visual point of view

Back on the main path, the remainder of the route was close to the roadside. The woodland was attractive but there was some traffic noise which detracted slightly

A highlight of the walk was the view of Holy Isle as we arrived at the outskirts of Lamlash. From here we followed the footpath back into the village to complete the walk, one which we all enjoyed despite the dull skies and drizzle

Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)

Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow

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