In addition to the Cross Borders Drove Road, the Berwickshire Coastal Path, the Fife Coastal Path, and other Great Trails of Scotland, the Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) awarded the status of Great Trails to the Arran Coastal Way in the year 2017.  The Arran Coastal Way is one among the many long distance walking trails in Scotland that have been awarded with this status.

This walking trail is a 65-mile around-island trail. It is also the 29th long-distance trail route to be named among the other Great Trails of Scotland.  This status has been bestowed on the Arran Coastal Way by the Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) which is an outdoor advisory body to the Scottish government.

Officially opened in the year 2003, the Arran Coastal way is a beautiful route that goes along the coastline and offers a panoramic view of the dynamic landscape that takes you on a journey through sandy beaches, a rocky coastline and through the ancient woodlands of Scotland. This trail way links twelve coastal villages which provides the trekkers with enough opportunities to explore the villages, try out local food and snacks along with the option of overnight stay while enjoying the calmness of the coastline and spending time under a clear night sky filled with stars, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

This Great Trails status has the Arran Access Trust delighted as they are the organization looking actively after the route for years. Malcolm Whitmore from the Arran Trust made a comment saying, “Arran Access Trust is delighted that the Arran Coastal Way has become recognised as one of Scotland’s Great Trails.” According to him, The Isle of Arran has been appropriately called ‘Scotland in Miniature’ as it encompasses a great amount of history, similar landscapes, wildlife, and geology of Scotland. It is a great place for people to come and explore the local culture away from the bustle of the city life and is highly popular among the Scots, being only two hours away from Glasgow, giving them an opportunity to enjoy the open and calm island life.

The Chairperson of the Scotland Natural Heritage (SNH), Dr Mike Cantlay said: “We are really pleased to be able to give this much-deserved award to the Arran Coastal Way.” According to him, The Arran Access Trust has always worked hard over the years to bring this trail path up to the high standards that are required to be considered to become one of Scotland’s Great Trails. He appreciates their vision and commitment and says it is a shining example of what small communities can achieve when they share the same vision and dream to become better together.

According to the Scotland Natural Heritage (SNH), a walking trail must be at least 25 miles long and largely off-road, for it to be remotely considered for the Great Trails status and should have a clearly defined path.

The 29 recognized long-distance walks cover about 1900 miles around Scotland, and among them, Arran Coastal Way is my favourite trail as I have often been there with my friends and even alone. It is a delight to visit this serene coastal trail once in a while when you are feeling low or tired of your hectic life.