Return to Arran with Gillian Hull, Part 2

5,000 years ago burials were communal, and choice of site was important. Torrylin Cairn in the south is strikingly orientated towards Ailsa Craig. There are ancient sites all over Arran, worth including when you are choosing a walk.

Christianity came early, possibly with St Ninian from Whithorn or his followers. Sixth century St. Molaise certainly visited Holy Island, and his cave became a place of early pilgrimage. Viking raiders swept down Scotland’s west coast at the end of the 8th century, and began to colonise Arran around 900 AD. The following century the Norwegian king ‘Magnus Barelegs’ (did he wear a kilt?) laid claim to Arran and other islands. In 1263 King Haakon sailed 200 ships into Lamlash Bay, only to be defeated at the Battle of Largs. In 1266 the Western Isles including Arran were handed back to the Scottish king. Among reminders of Viking rule are place-names, runic inscriptions in St Molaise’s cave, and the splendid site of a Viking Ship Burial at King’s Cross Point.

South of Blackwaterfoot there are good walks with impressive coastal scenery including Drumadoon Point and King’s Cave, where there are Viking carvings of horses. It seems the story of Robert the Bruce encountering the spider did not take place in King’s Cave as often suggested, but on Northern Ireland’s Rathlin Island. Bruce was certainly in Arran in 1307, before his campaign for the Scottish Crown and eventual victory at Bannockburn.

The island’s most impressive building is Brodick Castle, parts of which date back to the 13th century. Built of red sandstone it stands proudly beneath Goatfell. The National Trust acquired it in 1957, after the death of the Duchess of Montrose, who was born a Hamilton. Originally a royal castle, it was conferred on the Marquis of Hamilton in 1609 when he was made responsible for administering the island. Successive Marquises and Dukes added to the castle, and acquired great treasures through successful marriages and wealth from their coalmines on the mainland. The Duchess of Montrose’s legacy is a magnificent garden filled with plants from around the world. Arran’s wet, warm climate and the site’s orientation, facing south and protected from the north, are ideal for many horticultural beauties.

Lochranza (‘ranza’ is Gaelic for a rowan tree) has a proud, ruined castle perched on a promontory. Begun in the 13th century, it was developed into a fashionable tower house in the 16th century and was for centuries a royal property. There are explanatory details about the changes. On a gloomy afternoon the prison for those awaiting trial seemed particularly grim. In the 18th century minor industries included coal-mining near the east coast and salt works in the north. Barytes (then used in paint production) was mined near Sannox, and in Pirnmill on the west coast, bobbins were made for Coats’ Thread Manufacturers. The population fell dramatically when more modern farming methods in the early 19th century led to evictions and emigration to Canada.

Today tourism is the major industry and quality products made on the island like whisky, foods and cosmetics appeal to visitors. With the diversity of historical attractions and outdoor activities there is plenty of variety. At the same time Arran manages to retain much of its character, and ‘the peaked island’ will certainly call us back.