📌 Island off the Isle of Arran
★★★
If somehow Arran isn’t quiet enough for you, you can step it up (or down?) another notch by hopping on the boat from Lamlash to Holy Island, a couple of miles off the eastern coast. After a long history of various religious activity, the island is now owned by the Samye Ling Buddhist Community (of the monastery on the southern Scottish mainland) and home to the ambitiously-named Centre for World Peace and Health. To get the full island experience, you can stay overnight at the centre and maybe attend a course or retreat. For most tourists though, a day trip by ferry combined with a walk along the coast or up Mullach Mòr is enough. There’s lots to see, from colourful Buddhist rock paintings to dramatic summit views, an isolated lighthouse and Eriskay ponies, Soay sheep and wild goats along the coastline.
🌍 Location
📌 In the Firth of Clyde, 2 mi off Isle of Arran’s east coast at Lamlash
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 061302
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.526727,-5.074026
🚢 Ferry from Lamlash on Isle of Arran (seasonal) – book in advance at busy times
🚗 Street parking in Lamlash, then use ferry
📝 Key info
⌚ Always open – but ferry access is seasonal
🎫 Free – charge for ferry
