How to get to Arran

Advance reservations are required for all foot passengers (and accompanying dogs) and their vehicles.  Please visit the Calmac website to make a booking or call the local office on 01770 460361 (option 2).  

Arran is easily accessible from the Scottish mainland and less than an hour’s drive from Glasgow City, Glasgow and Prestwick International Airports.

If you are travelling from outside Scotland, why not combine your visit to Arran with a visit to Glasgow; known as Scotland’s ‘Style Capital’ for its fabulous shopping in the ‘style mile’ on Buchanan Street and designer boutiques around Merchant City. The west-end offers great restaurants, bars and cultural places to visit including the The Huntarian Museum and Art Gallery and The Kelvingrove Art Gallery.

Getting to Arran is easy from Glasgow City Centre with a direct rail link from Central Station (take your seats on the front part of the train as only the front part goes to the harbour) and a 50-minute journey in modern, efficient trains (with complimentary wi-fi onboard) run by Scotrail to the ferry port at Ardrossan Harbour.

The Arran Ferry

When you board the ‘Cale Isles’, there is a feeling of leaving all the worries behind, as you set sail for Arran. Calmac links the island with the mainland and there are regular crossings between Ardrossan and Brodick. It is a pleasant 55-minute journey with good onboard facilities* including a cafe, coffee lounge, shop, bar and viewing lounge with a soft play area for the kids. All vehicles need to be booked in advance but foot passengers should buy tickets at the harbour prior to boarding.

* Some onboard facilities have been temporarily withdrawn due to the current circumstances with the pandemic.  

Our Location

Arran Art Gallery is situated in the coastal village of Whiting Bay, just 8 miles south of the main ferry terminal in Brodick. From here, take the A841 south towards Lamlash and follow this road to Whiting Bay.  Go through the village, past the small cluster of shops in the centre, and you will find us just beyond this point opposite the sea and next to ‘County Carpets’.   There are parking spaces opposite the gallery.

If you are travelling on foot you will find buses at the ferry terminal in Brodick.  Take the ‘323’ service to the south-end of the island and ask the driver to drop you at our front door.  Alternatively, you may prefer to book a taxi: Corrie Cabs 07517 356 985.

​Places to eat with a sea view
We recommend MOST at Eden Lodge, The Shore Arran, the Lagg Distillery, and The Lamlash Bay Hotel for drinks, light meals and for their pop-up evening dining events; and The Coffee Pot for breakfast, home-baking and light meals.

Local beauty spots
​The nearby Glenashdale Falls are spectacular after rainfall. There is a circular route taking in the Giant’s Graves and takes approx. 1.5 hours if you are reasonably fit and active.

King’s Cross Point is a natural paradise with stunning views of Holy Isle and the northern hills.  Take a picnic and enjoy the peace and tranquility of the surroundings.  Seals and otters frequent this quiet spot as well as many varieties of sea birds.  ​

Artwork on Location

We also exhibit artwork for purchase in a select number of venues on the Isle of Arran.  Please follow this link for more information.
Images: ‘Force of Nature’ Andy Surridge; Oil paintings by Kevin Fleming; Fused Glass Birds by Dorte Pape; ‘Whiting Bay’ (opposite the gallery) by Andy Surridge