Arran for Ardrossan Harbour campaign

Arran for Ardrossan Harbour OUR AIM: TO SAVE ARDROSSAN HARBOUR WITH TWO USABLE BERTHS ORIENTED CORRECTLY TO ENSURE MAXIMUM RELIABILITY IN ALL BUT THE MOST CHALLENGING WEATHER CONDITIONS WHICH WILL SERVE ARRAN WELL FOR DECADES TO COME. For readers who live off Arran and may not have been able to sign the paper petition, please …

Poem of the month

  The March Burn Whan Ah’d sat thur lang eneuch, trauchlt tae ma feet, dichtit awa the stour and blawn leaves, the draibles and moose-keech Ah wis hauf-smoorit in; efter Ah’d shauchlt roon tae try and wairm ma banes, jiggin frae fit tae fit, and aw the while ettlin tae unnerstaun whit this place wis …

Wintering – the art of slowing down

By Roshni Parmar-Hill, published on 10th February 2025 on the Plum Village website Wintering. The term may feel unfamiliar; perhaps an image of a cold drizzly morning flashes through our mind, or a picture of freshly fallen snow. I first came across the term in Katherine May’s book ‘Wintering: The power of rest and retreat …

Natural Environment Bill – A lifeline for Scotland’s Biodiversity?

Published by RSPB Scotland, 27th February 2025. Featured image by Gary Ellis on Unsplash. Major new legislation for nature in Scotland is a rare opportunity – at most, it comes around once in a decade. We know all too well that Scotland’s nature is struggling, and urgent action is needed to save treasured species – from …

Arran Natural History Society March meeting

With Winter abating and Spring just around the corner, the ANHS is delighted to welcome everyone to their next meeting in person on Tuesday 4th March, at 7:30pm at the Ormidale Sports Pavilion, Brodick   The Life of Seals by Malcolm Kennedy ‘Seals are astonishing animals. I will summarise their evolution and their remarkable diversity …

Notes from The Arran Naturalist

As the topic of the March Arran Natural History Society meeting is on ‘The life of seals’, we thought it would be interesting to share the following notes on these beguiling creatures, from the first issue of The Arran Naturalist (Journal of the ANHS). Written by founder of the Arran Nature Centre, Daniel McNicol in …

What are the mountains saying?

By Peter Finlay. Featured image shows Goatfell, or Gaoitbheinn, and to the right the start of slope up towards Am Binnein. Photo credits P Finlay. The harsh grey slopes swell high in the low hanging late afternoon cloud – the grey cloud of January. The tinge of apricot red on a trailing wisp in a …

Storm appeals launched after Éowyn

In the aftermath of Storm Éowyn, fundraisers have been set up for Eas Mor Forest in Kildonan, and another by the National Trust for Scotland for support at their properties, including Brodick Castle. Please see the links below if you are able to help.                        …

Wee Bike Library is looking for donations

A request from the Eco Savvy Bike Library and other March events below: Do you have any outgrown bikes at home? Our Wee Bike Library is looking for donations! Since launching last autumn, we’ve rehomed many bikes, but demand is growing, and we now have a waiting list for children in need of a bike. …

NatureScot research on the maerl beds in the South Arran MPA

It is 9 years (last month) since the South Arran Marine Protected Area was established, and COAST brought news of NatureScot’s recent research into the MPA (conducted from the RV COAST Explorer in 2023). The summarised results report that “Although no signs of increases in maerl bed extent, distribution, and live maerl coverage was detected, this …