Cycling in Isle of Arran

Cycling on the Isle of Arran offers two main routes with moderate climbing and mostly paved roads around varied coastal and inland communities.

2
Routes: 150 km
In total: 90 km
Longest ride: 827 m
Most climbing

Rides in Isle of Arran

Road · United Kingdom
Around Isle of Arran
Isle of Arran, United Kingdom
90 km827 m ↑HardGPX
Ridden Aug 2024 · Added Aug 2026
Road · United Kingdom
Brodick to Corrie via the String Road
Isle of Arran, United Kingdom
60 km562 m ↑ModerateGPX
Ridden Aug 2023 · Added Aug 2026

Riding in Isle of Arran in numbers

Added up from the recorded routes and OpenStreetMap; nothing estimated.

Surface: Paved almost throughout
Roads: 42% of the riding on main roads without a cycle lane
Climbs: 1 named climb
Bail-outs: A railway station or ferry within reach on 2 routes
Ridden: Aug to Sep, 15–20 °C recorded

When to ride in Isle of Arran

Typical conditions by month, 2015–2024 reanalysis. Bars run from the average daily low to high.

Best months: Jun to Aug. The routes here were ridden Aug to Sep.

7°4°J19

8°4°F19

8°4°M18

10°6°A13

14°8°M16

16°11°J17

17°12°J18

17°13°A19

15°11°S17

13°9°O19

10°7°N19

8°5°D21

BestFineHard goingRain days per month under each bar · typical wind 27 km/h from the SW

Cycling guide to Isle of Arran

The Isle of Arran in Scotland features two popular cycling routes. The Brodick to Corrie via the String Road route is a 59.5 km point-to-point route with 596 m of climbing, passing through numerous villages including Brodick, Blackwaterfoot, and Corrie. The route's highest elevation is 229 m. It includes 29.5 km on main roads without cycle lanes and 0.6 km of cycle paths. The route is almost entirely paved with just 1% gravel or unpaved sections. The Round Arran route is an 89.9 km loop with 850 m of elevation gain. This longer route circles the island, passing many settlements such as Brodick, Lamlash, Whiting Bay, and Lochranza. The highest point reached is 200 m. It has 33.7 km of main roads without cycle lanes and 1.7 km of cycle paths. Like the other route, this one is 99% paved. Both routes have several railway stations nearby and include stretches without services up to 16 km on the shorter route and 11.1 km on the longer one, making provision planning important for cyclists.

Best time to ride

August with temperatures ranging between 18°C and 21°C on the listed routes.

Terrain

The terrain features moderate rolling climbs with average gradients of 4.3% to 5.7% on the main ascents. The highest points are 229 m on the Brodick to Corrie route and 200 m on the Round Arran loop. The longest climbs are between 3.9 km and 4.6 km in length, with maximum gradients reaching about 10.7%.

Cycling in Isle of Arran

Rides in Isle of Arran

Around Isle of Arran

Brodick to Corrie via the String Road

Riding in Isle of Arran in numbers

When to ride in Isle of Arran

Nearby destinations

Lamlash

Tarbert

Portavadie

Kames

Ayr

Dunoon

Gourock

Helensburgh

Lochgilphead

Girvan

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