The Isle of Arran, Scotland is one of the most southerly Scottish islands and sits in the Firth of Clyde between Ayrshire and Kintyre. Arran is 19 miles or 30 km long by 10 miles or 16 km wide but has a remarkable diversity of landscapes and seascapes.
The pretty villages on Arran’s beautiful coastline are complemented by a rugged and mountainous interior in the north and green rolling hills and woodland in the south. There are some beautiful places to stay here with first class facilities and of course there’s always the whisky!
Whether you’re looking to get away from it all, have an action-packed break, visit friends & family or just uncover the hidden delights, there is something here for everyone.
The Douglas Hotel Brodick
Land on the Isle of Arran from the Scottish mainland and you will find yourself at the ferry port of Brodick, the hub of local activity. It’s only fifty minutes away from Ardrossan harbour on the ferry, but a world away in lifestyle. Look across and you will see, a stone’s throw from the port, the charming red sandstone facade of the Douglas Hotel. A former hunting lodge which originally belonged to Brodick castle, this 22 room boutique hotel has been beautifully restored and offers a taste of understated island luxury.
The hotel is a real family affair, owned by Sean Henry and run by his sister Elaine Campbell, even her children work here too! Bought in 2008, when it had fallen into disrepair the whole building was taken back to a sandstone shell in order to upgrade everything to a top four star hotel level.
The imposing Victorian building, which overlooks the harbour, looks from the front much the same today as it did 150 years ago, but that’s probably the only thing that hasn’t changed. The rear of the building is new, but it sympathetically blends in with the old. The colour palette for the interior furnishings is muted greys and creams reflecting the grey mistiness of the island.
The rooms are spacious and the amazing balcony room has great views from three dormer windows, and with a huge bathroom.
The bistro is quite chic with as much food being locally sourced as possible, offering delicacies such as Scottish scallops, Cajun Scottish salmon and smoked haddock risotto. Unsurprisingly, seafood is a must try on the island.
The bar has a huge selection of spirits and ales including fourteen Arran whiskies and even the first Arran gin. The Douglas has great friendly staff, many live here on the Island, and has won quite an array of awards including the Scottish Boutique Hotel of the Year.
The Auchrannie Hotel
The Auchrannie resort lies about a couple of miles along from the port of Brodick and commands a wonderful view out across the Arran countryside and towards the highest peak on the Island, Goat Fell. It is a large complex, with different types of accommodation suitable for couples, families or solo travellers. There’s a new Auchrannie app that you can download for your phone prior to your visit, which also gives you a preview of what’s on offer so you can plan ahead for your visit.
The original house dates back to 1869 and has a comfortable Scottish country hotel feel. The spa resort is more modern and contemporary in style with large well equipped bedrooms and lots of optional extra space with balconies and additional lounges with access to snacks and drinks and even an outdoor hot tub, to relax in around the building. Some of the rooms have separate bunk rooms for the kids; they even have TVs built into the wall for the top and the bottom bunk!
There are thirty 5 star luxury self catering lodges situated in the grounds, to provide more privacy and autonomy if you prefer to stay with your own group.
There is an in house beauty Spa — Aspa — using premium products and with a wide range of treatments available. There is also a lovely big swimming pool and a smaller children’s pool, steam room and sauna area. There’s even a large sports hall, great to use indoors if the weather is bad or if you perhaps feel like a game of badminton, and there are lots of other activities you can book like archery, Segways, gorge walking or mountain biking. There is a choice of places to eat including the Cruize bar brasserie, Brambles seafood grill and the 1869 restaurant which services the unique option of Scottish tapas!
Auchrannie is also very pet friendly. Dogs are welcome and there are lots of facilities for your VIPs (Very Important Pooches) including water bowls and VIP friendly areas. Lots of space and a range of great quality accommodation make this a top choice for any stay on this beautiful Scottish island.
The lamlash Bay Hotel
Lamlash Bay is a few miles south of the port of Brodick on the Scottish Island of Arran. It’s a very picturesque village with a stunning view out to Holy Island, a smaller landmass, which rises out of the sea in the middle of the bay, like a Brigadoon that might disappear at any moment.
The Lamlash Bay Hotel is a shorefront, family run, dog friendly hotel, with a unique panoramic view over the bay to the magical Holy Isle. The building was built in the 1920’s and the hotel was bought two years ago by Serge and Meg el Adm who have updated things, redecorated and are happy to provide a very warm welcome to new and returning visitors. The hotel’s decor is classic with lots of muted colours with a palette of greys, creams and pale blues. There are lots of colourful artworks from local artists everywhere, and accented Scottish touches just to remind you of your location.
All rooms are en-suite and free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel. The bar lounge stocks a wide range of beers, ales and malts and an impressive collection of gins and vodkas too. There is also a larger ground floor apartment at the side of the hotel which has its own entrance, disabled access and parking available outside. It is very spacious with of a lounge, dining area and kitchenette area, and two bedrooms (one with a double bed, the other with two twin beds) and an en-suite shower room.
The bistro style restaurant serves delicious freshly cooked meals and homemade pizzas from the stone based oven.
Lamlash is an excellent base from which to explore Arran, which is often referred to as Scotland in miniature and the Lamlash Bay Hotel has just the right balance of friendliness, good food, lovely rooms and a very special island vista
Arran, Scotland in miniature
The island of Arran attracts all kinds of people from walkers and wildlife enthusiasts, to whisky aficionados and golfers. There are in fact seven golf courses on the island and you can buy a pass to try them all out at your leisure. The island scenery is outstanding with rugged granite mountain peaks in the north, the green rolling hills of the south, beautiful villages and dramatic, ever changing coastal views around every corner. In autumn the colours of Arran with the gold and red leaves of the trees, and the heather and grey greens of the moors and moss are beautiful, and it’s a lot less crowded than in the summer. The weather does get windy and rainy now and again though so make sure you wrap up warm!
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