Brodick: 119km (74 miles) W of Edinburgh, 47km (29 miles) W of Glasgow
At the mouth of the Firth of Clyde is the Isle of Arran, often described as "Scotland in miniature" because of its wild and varied scenery -- the glens, moors, lochs, sandy bays, and rocky coasts that have made the country famous. Once you're on Arran, buses take you to various villages, each with its own character. A coast road, 97km (60 miles) long, runs around the length of the island.
Arran boasts some splendid mountain scenery, notably the conical peak of Goatfell in the north (called the "mountain of the winds"), reaching a height of 869m (2,866 ft.). Arran is also filled with beautiful glens, especially Glen Sannox, in the northeast, and Glen Rosa, north of Brodick. Students of geology flock to Arran to study igneous rocks of the Tertiary period. Cairns and standing stones at Tormore intrigue archaeologists as well. The island is only 40km (25 miles) long and 16km (10 miles) wide and can be seen in a single day.
