Arran in Autumn

Fall for Arran

Come and see our beautiful island in Autumn as the scenery relaxes after the summer, with colours on the hills changing from vibrant green and yellow, to golden brown, rich auburn and warm orange.

Feel the warmth of this palette within you as you step ashore in the months of September, October and November.

Villages are generally quieter, offering you more time to take in the beauty of our island and all that it offers. September can see sunny hot beach days one week, whilst you can also experience the first of the Autumn storms with waves crashing against the granite rocks the next week, as if to remind us that nature is all-powerful, and she calls the shots.

Many of the island residents take the first fortnight in October off; the schools have a fortnight’s holiday which was historically for the ‘tattie howkin’[1], and nowadays there can be a mass exodus, as those working on the island take the chance to holiday off-island themselves. This in itself makes for a different and potentially quieter experience – allowing you time to really savour the island at your own pace. If you’re in the hills, you may hear the roar of the proud stags as they prepare for their rut, fighting antler to antler to rule over the cowed hinds.

And at the end of a day exploring, you can relax with a dram of the amber nectar, perhaps round a fire pit, and just let the Arran experience warm your senses. As famous Scots writer and Arran resident Robert McLellan said in his poem Arran Burn, ‘efter the steer and bustle o’ the simmer, a’ is idle’[2], but there is still so much to enjoy at this quieter time of year.

Arran: an island for all seasons

 

[1] Tattie Howkin’ – potato harvest
[2] Extract taken from Arran Burn by Robert McLellan