Lochranza sits in a deep glen at the northern tip of Arran, with a 13th-century castle on a spit in the loch and red deer wandering through the village — genuinely, on the road and in gardens, which surprises first-time visitors.
The Isle of Arran Distillery opened here in 1995, the island's first legal distillery in around 150 years, and it has become one of the more successful of the modern Scottish distilleries. Golden eagles nest in the glen behind it, which the distillery has always made much of, and not without reason.
Visiting
There is a visitor centre with tours and tastings, a shop and a café. Tours run through the day in season and it is worth booking ahead, particularly in summer when the island is busy. The company also operates a second distillery at Lagg, in the south of the island, which has its own visitor centre — worth knowing if you are planning a whisky day.
Getting there
Lochranza is about 14 miles from Brodick, where the ferry from the mainland lands — around half an hour by road up the east coast, or the long way round the west. There is also a small seasonal ferry from Lochranza to Claonaig on Kintyre.
On a day trip from Girvan this is a long way: you drive north to Troon or Ardrossan, sail to Brodick, then drive or bus another fourteen miles. It works, but it uses most of the day. It is much easier if you are staying on the island.
While you are there
Lochranza Castle is free, open access and a two-minute walk — a 13th-century hall house remodelled as a tower, standing on its spit in the loch. The village has a shop and places to eat, and it is one of the prettiest spots on Arran.
See our Arran day trip for ferries and timings, and Girvan distillery for the very different — and entirely closed — operation on the mainland.
