At the end of November, we spent a few days with my family on the Isle of Arran. Growing up, we spent a lot of family holidays on the Isle of Arran and I even shared about it in a feature I shared with the Sunday Post earlier this year. It truly is one of my favourite places in Scotland and I was so excited to spend a couple of days there with family. So here's what we got up to over a wintery break on the Isle of Arran.
Finding the Forest Library
For years, I've seen pictures on Instagram of a little forest library. So we decided to try and find it during one of our days on Arran. We parked at Eas Mor ecology centre, near Kildonan, and headed up the hill to try and find the Eas Mor Library. The spot was just as beautiful as I hoped it would be-a wee oasis in the middle of nowhere. We really enjoyed our walk into the hills on the south of the island to find this lovely little spot.
The forest library is a small hut at the top of the hill. Over the years, visitors from all over the world have covered the walls of the library with little notes, poems and pictures, turning it into a real life guestbook. I loved reading all the notes all over the room and Finlay felt so inspired by the cabin and the beautiful walk he decided to write a poem.
Driving the Ring Road
Because my husband Finlay has only visited Arran a couple of times, I decided the best way for him to see the island as a whole was to drive round the island once. The Ring Road takes you fully around the island on a 65 mile loop, allowing you to really see why the Isle of Arran is called "Scotland in Miniature". As we drove, I was able to share about memories from summer holidays on Arran and some things facts about the island that I remembered from books I've read over the years. It was such a fun and simple way to spend our first day on Arran.
Browsing the Shops in Brodick
One of my favourite things about the Isle of Arran is the abundance of lovely little shops dotted around one of the biggest villages, Brodick. I love browsing in shops, so Brodick really is the perfect place for me to do that (as well as coming up with some ideas for Christmas presents). Some of my favourite shops include the Arran Chocolate Shop (we normally end up picking up a wee treat from there most days) and the Arran Cheese Shop. We even managed to pick up some Christmas gifts from some shops on Arran and it was lovely to support some local businesses whilst we were on the island.
Visiting Arran Botanical Drinks
Another spot I've wanted to visit for years that we finally visited during this trip was Arran Botanical Drinks. During the summer months, I've seen people sipping cocktails on the beach at Brodick. At the end of November, that didn't sound quite so appealing. However, at this time of year, they transform their beach hut into an alpine ski lodge. We loved enjoying a late afternoon cocktail in this cute little spot. I can't wait to visit again soon!
Going for Wintery Walks
As with everywhere on the West Coast, the weather on Arran isn't always amazing. This visit, however, we were really blessed with beutiful cold and dry winter weather. This meant we could go for walks every day of our trip. I love getting out during the day and spending time outdoors when the weather is good.
Hope this little 3 day guide inspires you to consider a winter's trip to the Isle of Arran. It's one of my favourite times of year to visit, and this year was especially beautiful.
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