 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Isle of Arran" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(July 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Scottish Gaelic name | Eilean Arainn |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | [ˈelanˈaɾɪɲ]ⓘ |
| Old Norse name | Herrey[1] |
| Meaning of name | PossiblyBrythonic for "high place" |
 Arran Sunset Taken from Bell Stane, Ardneil Bay, 2007 | |
| Location | |
  Isle of Arran Arran shown within the Firth of Clyde | |
| OS grid reference | NR950359 |
| Coordinates | 55°34′39″N5°14′15″W / 55.5775°N 5.2375°W /55.5775; -5.2375 |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Firth of Clyde |
| Area | 43,201 hectares (167 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 7[2] [3] |
| Highest elevation | Goat Fell 875 m (2,871 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Council area | North Ayrshire |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 4,618[4] |
| Population rank | 6[4] [3] |
| Population density | 10.69 people/km2[4][5] |
| Largest settlement | Lamlash |
 | |
| References | [6] |
TheIsle of Arran[7] (/ˈærən/;Scottish Gaelic:Eilean Arainn) or simplyArran is an island off the west coast of Scotland. It is the largest island in theFirth of Clyde and the seventh-largest Scottish island, at 432 square kilometres (167 sq mi).Historically part ofButeshire, it is in theunitary council area ofNorth Ayrshire. In the 2022 census it had a resident population of 4,618. Though culturally and physically similar to theHebrides, it is separated from them by theKintyre peninsula. Often referred to as "Scotland in Miniature", the Island is divided into highland and lowland areas by theHighland Boundary Fault and has been described as a "geologist's paradise".[8]
Arran has been continuously inhabited since the earlyNeolithic period. Numerousprehistoric remains have been found. From the 6th century onwards,Goidelic-speaking peoples from Ireland colonised it and it became a centre of religious activity. In the troubledViking Age, Arran became the property of theNorwegian crown, until formally absorbed by the kingdom of Scotland in the 13th century. The 19th-century "clearances" led to significant depopulation and the end of the Gaelic language and way of life. The economy and population have recovered in recent years, the main industry being tourism. However, the increase in tourism and people buying holiday homes on the Island, the second highest rate of such homes in the UK, has led to a shortage of affordable homes on the Island.[9] There is a diversity of wildlife, including threespecies of treeendemic to the area.
The Island includes miles of coastal pathways, numerous hills and mountains, forested areas, rivers, small lochs and beaches. Its main beaches are atBrodick,Whiting Bay,Kildonan,Sannox andBlackwaterfoot.
Most of theislands of Scotland have been occupied consecutively by speakers of at least four languages since theIron Age. Therefore, the names of many islands have more than one possible origin, including Arran. Mac an Tàilleir (2003) says the name "is said to be unrelated" to those ofArranmore or theAran Islands in Ireland, which come fromIrishÁrainn meaning "kidney-shaped", though he does not rule out this derivation.[10]
Unusually for a Scottish island, Haswell-Smith (2004) and William Cook Mackenzie (1931) offer aBrythonic derivation and a meaning of "high place" (cf.Middle Welsharan) which at least corresponds with the geography – Arran is significantly loftier than all the land that immediately surrounds it along the shores of the Firth of Clyde.[8][11]
Any other Brythonic place-names that may have existed, save perhaps for Mayish,[12] were later replaced on Arran as the Goidelic-speakingGaels spread from Ireland, via their adjacent kingdom ofDál Riata.
During theViking Age it became, along with most Scottish islands, the property of theNorwegian crown, at which time it may have been known as "Herrey" or "Hersey". As a result ofNorse influence, many current place-names on Arran are of Viking origin.[13]
The island lies in theFirth of Clyde betweenAyr andArdrossan, andKintyre. The profile of the north Arran hills as seen from theAyrshire coast is referred to as the "Sleeping Warrior", due to its resemblance to a resting human figure.[14][15] The highest of these hills isGoat Fell at 875 metres (2,871 ft).[16] There are three otherCorbetts, all in the north east:Caisteal Abhail,Cìr Mhòr andBeinn Tarsuinn. Beinn Bharrain is the highest peak in the north west at 721.4 metres (2,367 ft).[17]
The largest glen on the island is Glen Iorsa to the west, whilst narrow Glen Sannox (Gaelic:Gleann Shannaig) and Glen Rosa (Gaelic:Gleann Ròsa) to the east surround Goat Fell. The terrain to the south is less mountainous, although a considerable portion of the interior lies above 350 metres (1,150 ft), and A' Chruach reaches 512.5 metres (1,681 ft) at its summit.[18][19] There are two otherMarilyns in the south,Tighvein and Mullach Mòr (Holy Island).
Arran has several villages, mainly around the shoreline.Brodick (old Norse: 'broad bay') is the site of the ferry terminal, several hotels, and the majority of shops.Brodick Castle is a seat of theDukes of Hamilton.Lamlash, however, is the largest village on the island and in 2001 had a population of 1,010 (1,100 mid-2020 est.) compared to 621 for Brodick.[20] Other villages includeLochranza andCatacol in the north,Corrie in the north east,Blackwaterfoot and Kilmory in the south west,Kildonan in the south andWhiting Bay in the south east.
Arran has three smaller satellite islands:Holy Island lies to the east opposite Lamlash,Pladda is located off Arran's south coast and tinyHamilton Isle lies just off Clauchlands Point 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) north of Holy Island. Eilean na h-Àirde Bàine off the south west of Arran at Corriecravie is askerry connected to Arran at low tide.Ailsa Craig is situated south east of Arran and on a clear day is visible from most of Arran's south coast.
Other islands in the Firth of Clyde includeBute,Great Cumbrae andInchmarnock.
The division between the "Highland" and "Lowland" areas of Arran is marked by theHighland Boundary Fault which runs north east to south west across Scotland.[21] Arran is a popular destination forgeologists, who come to seeintrusive igneous landforms such assills anddykes, andsedimentary and meta-sedimentary rocks ranging in age fromPrecambrian toMesozoic.
Most of the interior of the northern half of the island is taken up by a largegranitebatholith that was created by substantial magmatic activity around 58 million years ago in thePaleogene period.[22] This comprises an outer ring of coarse granite and an inner core of finer grained granite, which was intruded later. This granite was intruded into the LateProterozoic to Cambrian metasediments of theDalradian Supergroup. Other Paleogene igneous rocks on Arran include extensivefelsic and composite sills in the south of the island, and the central ring complex, an eroded caldera system surrounded by a near-continuous ring of granitic rocks.[23]
Sedimentary rocks dominate the southern half of the island, especiallyOld andNew Red Sandstone. Some of these sandstones containfulgurites – pitted marks that may have been created by Permian lightning strikes.[21] Largeaeolian sand dunes are preserved inPermian sandstones near Brodick, showing the presence of an ancient desert. Within the central complex are subsided blocks of Triassic sandstone andmarl,Jurassic shale, and even a rare example ofCretaceous chalk.[24][25] During the 19th centurybarytes was mined nearSannox. First discovered in 1840, nearly 5,000 tons were produced between 1853 and 1862. The mine was closed by the11th Duke of Hamilton on the grounds that it "spoiled the solemn grandeur of the scene" but was reopened after the First World War and operated until 1938 when the vein ran out.[26]
Visiting in 1787, the geologistJames Hutton found his first example of anunconformity to the north of Newton Point near Lochranza, which provided evidence for hisPlutonist theories ofuniformitarianism and about theage of the Earth. This spot is one of the most famous places in the study of geology.[27][28]
ThePleistocene glaciations almost entirely covered Scotland in ice, and Arran's highest peaks may have beennunataks at this time.[21] After the last retreat of the ice at the close of the Pleistocene epochsea levels were up to 70 metres (230 ft) lower than at present and it is likely that circa 14,000BP the island was connected to mainland Scotland.[29] Sea level changes and theisostatic rise of land makes chartingpost-glacial coastlines a complex task, but it is evident that the island is ringed bypost glacialraised beaches.[30]King's Cave on the south west coast is an example of anemergent landform on such a raised beach. This cave, which is over 30.5 metres (100 ft) long and up to 15.3 metres (50 ft) high, lies well above the present day sea level.[31][32][33] There are tall sea cliffs to the north east including large rock slides under the heights of Torr Reamhar,Torr Meadhonach and at Scriden (An Scriodan) at the far north end of the island.[19][34][35]
The island has the highest concentration ofpitchstone sources in the United Kingdom, with approximately 100 documented sources of it on the island.[36]
The influence of theAtlantic Ocean and theGulf Stream create a mild oceanic climate. Temperatures are generally cool, averaging about 6 °C (43 °F) in January and 16 °C (61 °F) in July at sea level.[37] The southern half of the island, being less mountainous, has a more favourable climate than the north, and the east coast is more sheltered from the prevailing winds than the west and south.
Snow seldom lies at sea level and frosts are less frequent than on the mainland. As in most islands of the west coast of Scotland, annual rainfall is generally high at between 1,500 mm (59 in) in the south and west and 1,900 mm (75 in) in the north and east. The mountains are wetter still with the summits receiving over 2,550 mm (100 in) annually. May and June are the sunniest months, with upwards of 200 hours of bright sunshine being recorded on average.[37]
Arran has a particular concentration of earlyNeolithicClyde Cairns, a form ofGallery grave. The typical style of these is a rectangular or trapezoidal stone and earth mound that encloses a chamber lined with larger stone slabs. Pottery and bone fragments found inside them suggest they were used for interment and some have forecourts, which may have been an area for public display or ritual. There are two good examples in Monamore Glen west of the village of Lamlash,[38] and similar structures called theGiants' Graves above Whiting Bay. There are numerous standing stones dating from prehistoric times, including six stone circles onMachrie Moor (Gaelic:Am Machaire).[39]
Pitchstone deposits on the island were used locally to make various items in theMesolithic era.[40] In theNeolithic and theEarly Bronze Age pitchstone from the Isle of Arran or items made from it were transported around Britain.[40] It is thought to be the source of most, it not all, pitchstone artefacts found in the United Kingdom. There are more than 100 document sources of the material on the island that prehistoric people could have collected/mined from.[36]
SeveralBronze Age sites have been excavated, including Ossian's Mound near Clachaig and a cairn near Blackwaterfoot that produced a bronze dagger and a gold fillet.[41] Torr a' Chaisteal Dun in the south west near Sliddery is the ruin of an Iron Age fortified structure dating from about AD 200. The original walls would have been 3 metres (9.8 ft) or more thick and enclosed a circular area about 14 metres (46 ft) in diameter.[42]
In 2019, aLidar survey revealed 1,000 ancient sites in Arran including acursus[43] near Drumadoon. Excavation began in 2023. This is believed to be the only complete example in Britain.[44]
An ancient Irish poem calledAgalllamh na Senorach, first recorded in the 13th century, describes the attractions of the island.
Arran of the many stags
The sea strikes against her shoulders,
Companies of men can feed there,
Blue spears are reddened among her boulders.
Merry hinds are on her hills,
Juicy berries are there for food,
Refreshing water in her streams,
Nuts in plenty in the wood.[45]
The monastery ofAileach founded bySt. Brendan in the 6th century may have been on Arran, with Holy Isle being a centre of Brendan's activities.[46] The caves below Keil Point (Gaelic:Rubha na Cille) contain a slab which may have been an ancient altar. This stone has twopetrosomatoglyphs on it, the prints of two right feet, said to be of Saint Columba.[47]
In the 11th century Arran became part of the Sodor (Old Norse: 'Suðr-eyjar'), or South Isles of theKingdom of Mann and the Isles, but on the death ofGodred Crovan in 1095 all the isles came under the direct rule ofMagnus III of Norway.Lagman (1103–1104) restored local rule. After the death ofSomerled in 1164, Arran and Bute were ruled by his son Angus.[48] In 1237, the Scottish isles broke away completely from theIsle of Man and became an independent kingdom. After the indecisiveBattle of Largs between the kingdoms of Norway and Scotland in 1263,Haakon Haakonsson, King of Norway reclaimed Norwegian lordship over the "provinces" of the west. Arriving atMull, he rewarded a number of his Norse-Gaelic vassals with grants of lands. Bute was given toRuadhri and Arran to Murchad MacSween.[Note 1] Following Haakon's death later that year Norway ceded the islands of western Scotland to the Scottish crown in 1266 by theTreaty of Perth. A substantial Viking grave has been discovered near King's Cross south of Lamlash, containing whalebone, iron rivets and nails, fragments ofbronze and a 9th-century bronze coin, and another grave of similar date nearby yielded a sword and shield.[50][51] Arran was part of the medievalBishopric of Sodor and Man.
On the opposite side of the island near Blackwaterfoot is the King's Cave whereRobert the Bruce is said to have taken shelter in the 14th century.[52] Bruce returned to the island in 1326, having earlier granted lands to Fergus MacLouis for assistance rendered during his time of concealment there. Brodick Castle played a prominent part in the island's medieval history. Probably dating from the 13th century, it was captured by English forces during theWars of Independence before being taken back by Scottish troops in 1307. It was badly damaged by action from English ships in 1406 and sustained an attack byJohn of Islay, theLord of the Isles in 1455. Originally a seat of theClan Stewart of Menteith it passed to theBoyd family in the 15th century.[53][54] For a short time during the reign ofKing James V in the 16th century, the Isle of Arran was under the regency ofRobert Maxwell, 5th Lord Maxwell.[55]
At the commencement of theEarly modern periodJames, 2nd Lord Hamilton became aprivy counsellor to his first cousin,James IV of Scotland and helped to arrange his marriage to PrincessMargaret Tudor of England. As a reward he was created Earl of Arran in 1503. The local economy for much of this period was based on therun rig system, the basic crops being oats, barley and potatoes. The population slowly grew to about 6,500. In the early 19th centuryAlexander, 10th Duke of Hamilton (1767–1852) embarked on a programme ofclearances that had a devastating effect on the island's population. These "improvements" typically led to land that had been rented out to as many as 27 families being converted into a single farm. In some cases, land was promised in Canada for each adult emigrant male. In April 1829, for example, 86 islanders boarded the brigCaledonia for the two-month journey, half their fares being paid for by the Duke. However, on arrival inQuebec only 41 hectares (100 acres) was made available to the heads of extended families. Whole villages were removed and the Gaelic culture of the island devastated. The writerJames Hogg wrote, "Ah! Wae's [Woe is] me. I hear the Duke of Hamilton's crofters are a'gaun away, man and mother's son, frae the Isle o' Arran. Pity on us!".[56] A memorial to this has been constructed on the shore at Lamlash, paid for by a Canadian descendant of the emigrants.[57][58]
Goatfell was the scene of the death of English tourist Edwin Rose who was allegedly murdered by John Watson Laurie in 1889 on the mountain. Laurie was sentenced to death, later commuted to a life sentence and spent the rest of his life in prison.[59]
On 10 August 1941 a RAFConsolidated B-24 Liberator LB-30A AM261 was flying fromRAF Heathfield in Ayrshire toGander International Airport in Newfoundland. However, the B-24 crashed into the hillside of Mullach Buidhe north of Goat Fell, killing all 22 passengers and crew.[60]
| Year | Population[61] | Year | Population |  |
| 1755 | 3,646 | 1931 | 4,506 | |
| 1782 | 5,804 | 1961 | 3,700 | |
| 1821 | 6,600 | 1971 | 3,564 | |
| 1841 | 6,241 | 1981 | 3,845 | |
| 1881 | 4,730 | 1991 | 4,474 | |
| 1891 | 4,824 | 2001 | 5,058 | |
| 2011 | 4,629 |
Arran's resident population was 4,629 in 2011, a decline of over 8 per cent from the 5,045 recorded in 2001,[62] against a background of Scottish island populations as a whole growing by 4 per cent to 103,702 over the same period.[63]
From the 17th to the late 20th century, Arran was part of theCounty of Bute.[64] After the 1975reorganisation of local government Arran became part of the district ofCunninghame inStrathclyde Region.[65] This two-tier system of local government lasted until 1996 when theLocal Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 came into effect, abolishing the regions and districts and replacing them with 32council areas. Arran is now in theNorth Ayrshire council area, along with some of the other constituent islands of the County of Bute.[citation needed]
In the2017 North Ayrshire Council election, the Ardrossan and Arran Ward elected twoSNP and oneScottish Conservative Party councillors. Following boundary changes, Arran became its own single-member ward in the2022 North Ayrshire Council election, electing a single Scottish Conservative councillor.[66]
For some statistical purposes Arran is within theregistration county of Bute,[67] and for ceremonial purposes it forms part of thelieutenancy area ofAyrshire and Arran.[citation needed]
In the House of Commons, since 2005 it has been part ofthe Ayrshire North and Arran constituency, represented since 2024 byIrene Campbell of theLabour party. It had been part ofCunninghame North from 1983 to 2005, and ofAyrshire North and Bute from 1918 to 1983.[citation needed] In theScottish Parliament, Arran is part of the constituency ofCunninghame North, currently represented byKenneth Gibson of the SNP. The |Labour Party held the seat until 2007, when the SNP gained it by 48 votes, making it the most marginal seat in Holyrood until 2011, when the SNP increased its majority to 6,117 over Labour.[68] Cunninghame North sits within theWest Scotland Scottish Parliament Electoral Region.[citation needed]
NHS Ayrshire and Arran is responsible for the provision of health services for the island.Arran War Memorial Hospital is a 17-bed acute hospital at Lamlash. The Arran Medical Group provides primary-care services and supports the hospital. The practice is based at Brodick Health Centre and has three base surgeries and four branch surgeries.[69]
Arran is connected to the Scottish mainland by two ferry routes operated byCaledonian MacBrayne (CalMac). The Brodick to Ardrossan service is provided byMV Caledonian Isles, with additional summer sailings byMV Isle of Arran. A service to Lochranza is provided byMV Catriona fromClaonaig in summer and fromTarbert in winter.[70] Summer day trips are available on board thepaddle steamerPS Waverley, and a summer service operated by a local resident connects Lamlash to the neighbouring Holy Island.
Brodick Ferry Terminal underwent £22 million of work to improve connections to the island. The new terminal includes better passenger facilities, increased passenger and freight capacity, and a new pier, all of which were set to open in August 2017 but finally opened on 20 March 2018, due to various construction issues. The island is served by a new £200-million dual-fuelled ferry,Glen Sannox, which has capacity for 1,000 passengers.Glen Sannox was due to enter service in 2018, but due to significant delays and cost increases, the vessel entered service in January 2025 and is to be followed by another new vessel,MV Glen Rosa. The delay to the arrival of these ferries has been dubbed the 'Ferry Fiasco'.[71]
There are three through roads on the island. The 90 km (56 mi) coast road circumnavigates the island. In 2007, a 48 km (30 mi) stretch of this road, previously designated as A841, was de-classified as a C road. Travelling south from Whiting Bay, the C147 goes round the south coast continuing north up the west coast of the island to Lochranza. At this point the road becomes the A841 down the east coast back to Whiting Bay.[72] At one point the coast road ventures inland to climb the 200 metres (660 ft) pass at the Boguillie between Creag Ghlas Laggan and Caisteal Abhail, located between Sannox and Lochranza.[19]
The other two roads run across from the east to the west side of the island. The main cross-island road is the 19 km (12 mi) B880 from Brodick to Blackwaterfoot, called "The String", which climbs over Gleann an t-Suidhe. About 10 kilometres (6 mi) from Brodick, a minor road branches off to the right to Machrie. The single-track road "The Ross" runs 15 kilometres (9 mi) from Lamlash to Lagg and Sliddery via Glen Scorodale (Gaelic:Gleann Sgoradail).[73]
The island can be explored using a public bus service operated byStagecoach.[74] The bus service is subsidised by theStrathclyde Partnership for Transport.[75]
The island's main industry is tourism, with outdoor activities such aswalking,cycling and wildlife watching being especially popular.[76] Popular walking routes include climbing to the summit ofGoat Fell, and theArran Coastal Way, a 107 km (66 mi) trail that goes around the coastline the island.[77][78][79] The Arran Coastal Way was designated as one ofScotland's Great Trails byScottish Natural Heritage in June 2017.[80]
One of Arran's best known tourist attraction isBrodick Castle, owned by theNational Trust for Scotland. The Auchrannie Resort, which contains two hotels, three restaurants, two leisure complexes and an adventure company, is one of biggest employers on the island.[81] The island has a number of golf courses including the 12 holeShiskinelinks course, founded in 1896.[82]
Farming and forestry are other important industries. Plans for 2008 for a largesalmon farm holding 800,000 or more fish in Lamlash Bay have been criticised by theCommunity of Arran Seabed Trust. They fear the facility could jeopardise Scotland's first marine No Take Zone, which was announced in September 2008.[83][84]
Isle of Arran Brewery is amicrobrewery founded in March 2000 inCladach, nearBrodick. The business went into liquidation in May 2008,[85] but was then sold to Marketing Management Services International Ltd in June 2008. It is now back in production and the beers widely available in Scotland, including certain Aldi stores, yet cutting staff in 2017 and 2018.[86] There are twowhisky distilleries on the island.Arran distillery opened in 1995 in Lochranza on the north side of the island. The Lochranza distillery, uncharacteristically for the islands produces an unpeated whisky. In 2019, a second distillery opened in the south of the island.Lagg distillery produces a more peated whisky, more traditional of the islands region.Other businesses include Arran Aromatics, which produces a range of luxury toiletries, perfumes and candles, Arran Dairies, Arran Cheese Shop, James's Chocolates, Wooleys of Arran and Arran Energy who produce biomass wood fuels from island-grown timber.[87]
The Scottish Gaelic dialect of Arran died out when the last speaker Donald Craig died in the 1970s. However, there is now a Gaelic House in Brodick, set up at the end of the 1990s.Brodick Castle features on theRoyal Bank of Scotland £20 note andLochranza Castle was used as the model for the castle inThe Adventures of Tintin, volume seven,The Black Island.
Arran has one newspaper,The Arran Banner. It was listed in theGuinness Book of Records in November 1984 as the "local newspaper which achieves the closest to a saturation circulation in its area". The entry reads: "The Arran Banner, founded in 1974, has a readership of more than 97 per cent in Britain's seventh largest off-shore island."[88] There is an online monthly publication calledVoice for Arran, which mainly publishes articles contributed by community members.[89]
Arran landscapes have been the inspiration for numerous famous artists includingCragie Aitchison,Joan Eardley,Jessie M King, andSamuel Peploe.[90][91][92]
Red deer are numerous on the northern hills, and there are populations ofred squirrel,badger,otter,adder andcommon lizard. Offshore there areharbour porpoises,basking sharks and various species ofdolphin.[93]
The island has threeendemic species of tree, theArran whitebeams.[94] These trees are the Scottish or Arran whitebeam (Sorbus arranensis), the bastard mountain ash or cut-leaved whitebeam (Sorbus pseudofennica)[95] and the Catacol whitebeam (Sorbus pseudomeinichii). If rarity is measured by numbers alone they are amongst the most endangered tree species in the world. The trees grow in Glen Diomhan offGlen Catacol which was formerly aNational Nature Reserve. Although this designation was removed in 2011 the area continues to form part of a designatedSite of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and is monitored by staff fromNatureScot.[96] Only 236Sorbus pseudofennica and 283Sorbus arranensis were recorded as mature trees in 1980.[97] They are typically trees of the mountain slopes, close to the tree line. However, they will grow at lower altitudes, and are being preserved within Brodick Country Park.
Over 250[98] species of bird have been recorded on Arran, includingblack guillemot,eider,peregrine falcon,golden eagle,short-eared owl,red-breasted merganser andblack-throated diver. In 1981 there were 28ptarmigan on Arran, but in 2009 it was reported that extensive surveys had been unable to record any.[99][100] However, the following year a group of 5 was reported.[101] Similarly, thered-billed chough no longer breeds on the island.[102] 108 km2 (42 sq mi) of Arran's upland areas is designated aSpecial Protection Area under theNatura 2000 programme due to its importance for breedinghen harriers.[103]
The north of Lamlash Bay became a Marine Protected Area and No Take Zone under theMarine (Scotland) Act 2010, which means no fish or shellfish may be taken in the area.[104][105] In 2014 theScottish Government created Scotland's firstMarine Conservation Order in order to protect delicatemaerl beds off south Arran, after fishermen breached a voluntary agreement not totrawl in the vicinity.[106] The sea surrounding the south of the island is now recognised as one of 31 ofMature Conservation Marine Protected Areas in Scotland. The designation is in place to the maerl beds, as well as other features including: burrowed muds;kelp,seaweed andseagrass beds; andocean quahog.[107]
The northern part of the island is designated anational scenic area (NSA),[108] one of 40 such areas in Scotland which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection by restricting certain forms of development.[109] The North Arran NSA covers 27,304 ha in total, consisting of 20,360 ha of land and a further 6,943 ha of the surrounding sea.[110] It covers all of the island north ofBrodick andMachrie Bay, as well as the main group of hills surroundingGoat Fell.[108]
| Main villages |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Smaller villages and settlements | ||
| Mountains and hills | ||
| History | ||
| Environment | ||
| Economy | ||
| Surrounding islands | ||
|  | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
