Isle of Arran

The Isle of Arran (Scots Gaelic: Eilean Arainn) is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde (430 km2). It is in the region of North Ayrshire. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 5,058.

Economy

The main industry for the island is tourism, but farming and forestry are other important industries.

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• Arran Distillery, built in 1995, is the newest whisky distillery in Scotland.
• Arran Brewery, owned by Greene King, produces Arran Blonde beer which is sold throughout the UK

The main tourist spot on the island is the imposing Brodick Castle, owned by the National Trust for Scotland. Another interesting site is the twelve apostles of Catacol. This is a row of 12 small whitwashed cottages along the shoreline. The upper window facing the sea is different in each one. The theory behind this system was that the wife at home would be able to signal to her husband out fishing in the bay with a candle at the window. The husband would be able to identify who was being signalled by the shape of the window.

Related Topics:
Brodick Castle - National Trust for Scotland

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