Brodick ( , gd, Tràigh a' Chaisteil ("Castle Beach") or ''Breadhaig'') is the main village on the

Isle of Arran The Isle of Arran (; sco, Isle o Arran; gd, Eilean Arainn) or simply Arran is an island off the west coast of Scotland. It is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde and the seventh-largest Scottish island, at . Historically part of Butesh ...

, in the

Firth of Clyde The Firth of Clyde is the mouth of the River Clyde. It is located on the west coast of Scotland and constitutes the deepest coastal waters in the British Isles (it is 164 metres deep at its deepest). The firth is sheltered from the Atlantic ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. It is halfway along the east coast of the island, in Brodick Bay below

Goat Fell Goat Fell (marked as Goatfell by the Ordnance Survey; Scottish Gaelic: Gaoda Bheinn) is the highest point on the Isle of Arran. At 874 metres (2,867 ft), it is one of four Corbetts on the island. The mountain, along with nearby Brod ...

, the tallest mountain on Arran. The name is derived from the Norse "breda-vick" meaning "Broad Bay". The harbour receives the main ferry between Arran and the mainland via

Ardrossan Ardrossan (; ) is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in southwestern Scotland. The town has a population of 10,670 and forms part of a conurbation with Saltcoats and Stevenston known as the 'Three Towns'. Ardrossan is located on the east shore ...

Brodick Castle Brodick Castle is a castle situated outside the port of Brodick on the Isle of Arran, an island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. It was previously a seat of the Dukes of Hamilton, but is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland. The castle ...

is a former residence of the

Dukes of Hamilton Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in April 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that peerage (except for the Dukedom of Rothesay held by the Sovereign's eldest son), and as such its holder is the premier peer of Sc ...

. Brodick is one of the largest villages on the island and is seen as the main hub due to the ferry terminal which connects the island to the mainland. It is host to many homes, hotels and shops, the health centre, nursing home, heritage museum, tourist information centre, Brodick Castle, public beach, park and an 18-hole golf course.

Transport

Brodick has Arran's main

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

terminus, which occasionally connects Brodick to

on the mainland and to the national rail network. The ferries are operated by

Caledonian MacBrayne Caledonian MacBrayne ( gd, Caledonian Mac a' Bhriuthainn), usually shortened to CalMac, is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, and ferry services, between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west ...

. serves the island year-round, with providing additional sailings during the summer. The crossing takes less than one hour. The route is one of the busiest crossings on the CalMac network, and dolphins and basking sharks are rarely spotted en route. A second, smaller ferry – – sails from

Lochranza Lochranza ( gd, Loch Raonasa) is a village located on the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. The population, somewhat in decline, is around 200 people. Geography Lochranza is the northernmost of Arran's villages and is located in t ...

to Claonaig on the Kintyre peninsula between March and October. The village has seen investment recently with £30M being spent on the new Brodick Ferry Terminal. This is a new larger passenger terminal with a larger pier capable of handling two large vessels at once, increasing capacity on Scotland's busiest ferry route which handled 828,262 passengers and 202,843 cars in 2016 up 8.7% and 6.8% respectively. In addition to the new ferry terminal, which was formally opened by Derek Mackay MSP on 12 April 2018, the island is expected to get a new dual-fuelled ferry built on the River Clyde for around £45m. The ferry has been named after a public vote in Spring 2017, and the ferry is expected to be delivered in early 2019. Unfortunately this deadline has been delayed, and it is unknown when it will enter service. The village is connected to all parts of the island by road including Lamlash and

Whiting Bay Whiting Bay ( gd, Eadar Dhà Rubha, "between two headlands") is a village located on the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland south of Lamlash and south of Brodick. It is the island of Arran's third largest settlement behind Lamlash an ...

to the south,

to the north and

Blackwaterfoot Blackwaterfoot ( gd, Bun na Uisge Dubh ) is a village on the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. The village is within the parish of Kilmory. It is located in the Shiskine valley in the south-west of the island. It is one of the small ...

to the west. A new upgraded bus terminal opened in Brodick at the new ferry terminal in early 2017, and is a hub for transport on the island, providing many bus services.

Village

Brodick is a popular holiday destination and a base for hill-walking. Tourism provides much of the village's economic base. There are many family-owned and independent businesses, such as hotels, restaurants, shops, bed and breakfast establishments, guest houses and outdoor activities. There is also a brewery (located in nearby

Cladach ''Note: ''Cladach'' is a general Scottish Gaelic word for "beach" or "shore" and occurs in many Scottish placenames'' Cladach ( gd, An Cladach) is a tiny settlement on the Isle of Arran, Scotland. The settlement is within the parish of Kilbride. ...

), a sports and leisure complex, and an 18-hole golf course. The village of Brodick is the largest settlement on the island (although Lamlash has a larger population), and is seen as the centre of economic activity due to the many businesses that are located around the village. These include the 22 bedroom Douglas Hotel & Bar, and the Auchrannie Spa and Resort, which comprises two 4-star hotels with 85 rooms and thirty 5-star self-catering lodges along with a spa, two leisure centres, and adventure company and more on site. The village is also the home of Arran Haulage and Arran Aromatics, as well as many more small independent businesses. Brodick has a primary school, village hall, library, church, sports park, health centre and public beach, and is the main shopping base on the island. Brodick has a large Co-op supermarket in the village, as well as a smaller Co-op convenience store at Invercloy. There are also hairdressers, estate agents, the post office, gift shops, bakers, chocolate shop, bike hire store, and numerous cafes, bars and restaurants, most notably Crofters, Douglas Bistro, Ormidale Bar, Brodick Bar and The Auchrannie Resort which has three restaurants and bars; Brambles - Seafood & Grill, Cruize - Bar/Brasserie and Eighteen69 - Scottish Tapas. Brodick is also home to Brodick Golf Club, which has 18 holes. The high school, council offices, Highlands and Islands University Resource Centre and hospital can all be found in Lamlash, located to the south. The largest peak on the island,

, overlooks the village and Brodick Bay. Reaching above sea-level, it is one of the most popular hiking routes in Scotland. File:Breadhaig.JPG, Brodick from Cladach Beach File:Brodick Castle Walled Garden.jpg, Brodick Castle Gardens Brodick ferry terminal construction.JPG, Brodick new ferry terminal under construction 2016 File:Goatfell from Brodick Harbour.jpg, Goatfell from Brodick Harbour

Brodick Castle

was previously a seat of the

, but is now owned by the

National Trust for Scotland The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland ( gd, Urras Nàiseanta na h-Alba), is a Scottish conservation organisation. It is the largest membership organ ...

. The castle itself will be closed for 2 years until 2018/2019 for refurbishment by NTS, however the grounds will be open throughout. A new Kids adventure section of the park opened in July 2017.

References

External links

Canmore - Arran, Brodick, General site recordCanmore - Brodick, Rosaburn, Arran Heritage Museum, Rosaburn House site record
{{Authority control Villages in the Isle of Arran Ports and harbours of Scotland Firth of Clyde