The Best Family Friendly Short Walks on Arran
- Fiona Mackintosh
- Sep 10
- 3 min read
Arran is brilliant for big mountain days, but you don’t always need to summit Goatfell to get your dose of fresh air. Sometimes a couple of hours on your feet is plenty, if you’ve got family joining the walk.
Here are our favourite, family friendly short walks — all 5km or less and easily reachable from Hamilton Cottages— that really showcase why Arran is called Scotland in Miniature.
Machrie Moor Standing Stones
Mostly flat, easy and utterly atmospheric. The path takes you across farmland and open moor to Arran’s most famous ancient site. You'll pass several small stone circles before the big stones appear - massive, ancient and slightly mysterious. It’s the kind of place that makes you feel very small in the best possible way. Great for a relaxed family walk with plenty of wow factor.
👉 Practical bits: Park at Machrie Moor car park. About an hour there and back on a good path (Off-road buggies should handle it). Dogs on leads (sheep about). Our favourite time to go is sunrise or sunset.
King’s Caves. 5km.
A cracking loop along the coast with caves once linked to Robert the Bruce. You get forest, sea cliffs, beaches and a bit of history all rolled into a couple of hours. The carvings in the caves are brilliant for kids to spot.
👉 Practical bits: Park at Kings Caves Car Park. Allow 1.5–2 hours. Some steep ups and downs and path is quite rough in some places so not really suitable for buggies.
Eas Mòr Library, Waterfall and Cafe. 2km
This one feels like a hidden gem. A steep but fairly short hill to begin brings you to a dramatic waterfall and from there you continue to the 'library' in the woods. You'll find loads of things to spot and look at as you walk to keep the whole family engaged.
👉 Practical bits: Park near the Eas Mòr Ecology car park in Kildonan.
The cafe does a great selection of meals and snacks, check their seasonal opening times on social media.
Glenashdale Falls – 5km
An absolute classic family walk on Arran, I remember being bribed round this one with a packet of polo mints in the 80's. Now it's my turn! 😂 Huge, thundering waterfalls you can admire from a viewing platform that juts right out over the gorge – it’s pretty spectacular and if you’ve still got some energy, add the detour up to the “Giant’s Graves” cairns for sweeping views back across Whiting Bay. The loop through the pine forest on the north side is a winner with kids – plenty of space to play and it’s a bit more sheltered if the weather turns.
👉 Practical bits: The walk starts in Whiting Bay, signed from the village. Around 2 hours in total. A great one for a damp day when the waterfall is at its most dramatic (and the waterproofs are on anyway).
Coire Fionn Lochan. 5km
This one’s a bit more of a workout, but it’s worth every step. It will give you those proper mountain adventure vibes but all within a couple of km's from the car! The path climbs steeply up a rough track, winding up the hillside until you reach the loch with its own wee beach. It’s the perfect spot for a picnic, or a quick dip if you’re feeling brave. On the way back down you'll get great views over to Kintyre and the Paps of Jura beyond.
👉 Practical bits: Park in the lay-by at Thunderguy, just north of Pirnmill. About 6 km return, allow 2–2.5 hours. Path is steep and stony in places. There's a stile to climb over and several small stream crossings with stepping stones.
Glen Rosa and The Blue Pools. 5km
Arguably the most famous glen on Arran — a classic U-shaped valley carved by glaciers thousands of years ago, with steep sides and a crystal clear river running straight through the middle. The famous 'Blue Pools' are not far after the Garbh Alt bridge. They can be fairly busy if you go in the middle of the day on a sunny day in peak season but other time you'll likely have them to yourself! It’s an easy there-and-back stroll, but if you’d like a longer walk, you can do a loop starting and finishing at Cladach, taking in more of the glen and soaking up those big mountain views without needing to climb one.
👉 Practical bits: Park in the Glen Rosa car park by the campsite or at Cladach for the longer loop.
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