Cock of Arran

A linear walk through a landscape with particular interest to geologists as well as all those who appreciate fine coastal scenery. It is possible to make the return by bus.

Terrain

Clear grassy tracks interspersed with rough, boggy paths and some areas of easy scrambling over boulders.

Public Transport

Bus runs along A841 linking Sannox and Lochranza

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Start

North Sannox car park. Map and directions.

Currently 3.00/5

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Walk Statistics

Distance: 13km/8 miles
Time: 3.5 - 4 hours
Ascent: 85m (Profile)
Grid Ref: NS014466

Maps / GPS

Accommodation

Walk Description

Stage 1

The walk starts from the coastal car park at North Sannox - a short distance along a minor branch from the A841; alternatively this point can be reached by walking from Sannox itself. Head onto the clear coastal path from the car park and pass through a gate with a warning of 'Fallen Rocks 1½ miles' - the path is easy and trouble free as it runs alongside the forest on what was once the beach before the end of the Ice Age allowed Arran to 'rebound' upwards as the weight of ice abated. Pass by a tall white navigation mast - one of a set of leading lights used by vessels in the Firth of Clyde to indicate a measured mile and hence calculate the top speed of new Clyde-built ships.

Stage 2

Passing the edge of the forest, the path weaves easily through the 'Fallen Rocks', a slight understatement given the size of the huge conglomerate boulders stretching from the cliffs to the sea. Continue as a narrower path leads past a series of small caves, one large enough to facilitate overnight accommodation, and becomes quite waterlogged and boggy in places.

Stage 3

Eventually Laggan Cottage is reached, ideal for a lunch break overlooking the Firth of Clyde, with Bute, the Cumbraes and Ayrshire beyond. The route continues as an an obvious path, past the remains of a small mining operation complete with millstone, before a short section of scrambling at An Scriodan leads either to the beach or along the line of least resistance over the boulder-strewn slope above. Emerging at Fairy Dell, ignore the path leading left beyond the cottage to continue along the coastal path.

Stage 4

The path becomes easier, passing further fascinating rock formations along the seashore including Hutton's Unconformity, one of the sites at which geologist James Hutton (1726 - 1797) first identified the geological feature that was to lead to the notion that the earths' surface had evolved over an immense period of time. At a path junction follow the right-hand path as it skirts alongside the shore, passing rocky outcrops harvested for their shellfish by locals who venture out at every low tide.

Stage 5

The path slowly curves around the headland of Newton Point to reveal the straggly settlement of Lochranza, with the castle standing sentinel over the yacht moorings in the bay and the surrounding hills cradling all within their encircling slopes. Proceed onwards as the track becomes a metaled road and leads into the town itself - a right turn leads to the main road. There is a bus stop at the ferry slip to facilitate a return to the start of the walk, or Arran's only youth hostel if a longer stay is required.

Route: Phil Turner

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