Lochranza – Red Deer by the Sea Loch
A few hours.
The route
Lochranza sits at the head of a sea loch at the north end of Arran, a scatter of white cottages round a ruined castle, with the hills rising steeply behind.
Red deer live right in the village, grazing the golf course and the grass by the shore, and in autumn the stags' roaring carries across the loch. It's a gentle few hours for anyone who loves wildlife, with seals on the shore to look for too.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is The Hollies, 14 miles away. Sleeps 18.
The day
Lochranza
A slow wander round the village and the shore, with the deer grazing close by and the castle in the bay. Bring binoculars and a warm layer.
About two hours
Lochranza Castle
An attraction
Lochranza Castle stands on a grassy spit in the bay, and it's the place to start: park near it and check the signs. Red deer live all around the village. They graze the golf course at the head of the loch, wander along the shore and often lie on the grass by the castle. From late September into October the stags rut, and their roaring echoes round the loch. Keep at least 50 yards away, never feed them, and keep dogs on a lead. For seals, follow the shore path out along the Newton shore, where they sometimes haul out on the rocks. Otters are seen along the loch now and then, and golden eagles hunt over the hills around the village, so keep the binoculars handy.
If it rains
There's no shelter on the shore, though the deer graze on in all weathers. In heavy rain, watch them from the car by the castle and the golf course.
The Sandwich Station, Lochranza, takeaway in the old fire station.
Photograph by Ian Gregory via Google