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Holy Isle (Isle of Arran) Walking Route
Key Facts
- Location: Firth of Clyde
- Size: 253 hectares
- Terrain: Some steeper, rockier hill sections on Mullach Mòr
- Access: Holy Isle ferry from Lamlash, Isle of Arran.
- Height gain: 423 metres
- Map: OS Explorer 361 Isle of Arran
- Starting point: Jetty on the Holy Isle; grid ref.; Grid ref. NS 052 310
Holy Isle walk summary
You don’t have to travel to Tibet to visit a remote Buddhist monastery – there is one just off the west coast of Scotland. Enjoy a day’s walk round Holy Isle in Lamlash Bay where a Buddhist community thrives in a landscape of towering peaks, tranquil gardens, and wild rocky shores. The circumnavigation of Holy Isle is truly about finding the middle path to island enlightenment.
This island oozes the calmest of Buddhist vibes from the moment you land and make your way to the Centre of World Peace and Health for a warm welcome and orientation talk.
The circumnavigation avoids the east coast to protect the pristine nature and restoration projects; instead the route climbs Mullach Mòr in the centre of the island where, looking though the prayer flags fluttering from the trig point at the summit, the breathtaking views across to Goat Fell are reminiscent of Tibet itself.
The route is relatively steep up and over Mullach Mòr on peaty, rocky paths (where there are some steep crevases to avoid) followed by an easy return route along the west coast.
Full route description for the Holy Isle walk can be found in our book ‘Islandeering; adventures around the outside edge of Britain’s hidden islands’; or download the route and GPX below.
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