About Arran

The Isle of Arran

Arran lies in the Firth of Clyde in Southwest Scotland, between the Ayrshire coast and Mull of Kintyre.

If you’ve arrived here thinking you were headed for Ireland, you’ll find a confusion that’s timeless: Arran, Aran & Aran Mhor…

Sometimes a visitor to the island finds the spirit of the island and captures it in images which are breathtaking in their perception.

Such is the case of the work of Hans Den Boer from Rotterdam in Holland. Click on his name to see more of our beautiful island… .

My Arran

by Lynn Gray Ross

Old wood, still standing
Tongue against groove
Weathering the elements
Clear midday light warming the wood.

Black roof, white walls, clear lines
Blurred with occasional gray decay
Sounds of peace and silence echoing
across the loch

Wood blurring softly, rotting slowly
Definitely deteriorating turf.

Poles lending support
Roof tiles falling constantly, contributing to decay

All around sea grass and yet another yellow coltsfoot.

A friend standing in the doorway, capturing a moment in the life of the beach hut.

In my photo for my album.

See Lynn’s Arran-inspired weavings on her website Lynn Gray Ross

June - a walk to King’s Caves on a brilliant summer day, a picnic by the Cave speculating with the boys what it might have been like to live there, especially if you were Robert the Bruce in the company of that persistent spider - if you haven’t heard the story, then it’s about the time he lay in the cave, totally discouraged at having lost six times in his attempts to drive the English back south of the border.

The spider made six attempts to climb up to the top of the cave above his head and on the seventh attempt made it to the top and began to weave a web. This encouraged the Bruce to take up the fight one more time and win that famous battle that sent them homewards tae think again.

A springtime walk in Glen Rosa - five minutes from home, water, stone & pale spring sunshine. The first adder of the season slinks off into the heather too quick for the camera.

At the end of the tranquil walk, an unexpected rumble of thunder and then another, rain lashing down just as the car door closes.

Dramatic lightning storm for the next hour or so - cosy at home, timing is everything.

Arran is always inspirational and always changing.

Just when I think I’ve become used to the surroundings, my breath is caught by a light on the mountains that I’ve never seen before, or a pink lily appears in my dark and soggy garden in December.

When I am fed up of high wind and rain and postponed journeys to the mainland, I sometimes begin to think longingly of sunshine holidays.

The island suddenly sparkles, the house is full of late winter sunlight again and I wonder why I ever thought of living any where else.

For more information about Arran

• Arran OnLine
• Arran Adventure
• Taste of Arran
• Arran Events