Paddleboarding on Loch Ranza was a nice chilled out session to start off our SUP Safari Scotland on the Isle of Arran. With snow a couple of nights previously and some pretty gusty winds we almost didn’t think it was going to happen. On the morning that we were due to leave we had a small window of sunshine which was enough to convince me to head out onto the water for the first of many paddleboarding sessions. If you would like to follow our journey throughout Scotland finding all the best places to Stand Up Paddle along the way you can check out the video series here or our blog post here.
The Main Points – Paddleboarding on Loch Ranza
- Location – Loch Ranza, Isle of Arran, Scotland
- Cost – Free beach access from car park
- Conditions – Seawater Loch
- Other users – Visitors to the village, walkers and boat owners
- Entry Point – Sandy Beach
- Surrounding amenities/Bathrooms- The village has a bathroom near the CalMac Ferry Terminal. Sandwich Station nearby serves sensational sandwiches in the summer months
The nearby distillery is worth a visit for whiskey enthusiasts Isle of Arran Cheeses Isle of Arran Icecream
Location
Weather
Water Temperature
Tides
A Wee Blether – Paddleboarding on Loch Ranza
I really loved Paddleboarding on Loch Ranza. With it’s 800 year old castle overlooking the sheltered water it’s a stunning location. Loch Ranza is a protected bay which is home to many small vessels which makes for a picturesque paddleboarding session. The tide goes out a long way and the bay itself is quite shallow.
Loch Ranza has easy access to the waters edge with relatively close by parking. You don’t have to carry your paddleboard too far. It is worth noting here that we parked on the grass near the castle. This spot had a well worn patch from others parking there. As there were no signs saying not to park on the grass we judged that it was ok. But some people gave us funny looks as we were packing up. However there were also a few locals who came and parked next to us. If we were to paddle there again we would park in the slightly more obvious parking nearer to the road. We suggest that as an option for other paddleboarders too.
And after your paddle check out the Sandwich Station for a great selection of gourmet sandwiches. They have a good choice of veggie and vegan options.
Check out our location video of Paddleboarding on Loch Ranza here
Check out our SUP Safari Scotland Episode 1 – Isle of Arran for more paddling locations here
If you haven’t yet watched part one of our SUP Safari Scotland Travel Video Series check it out here.
Arran is so beautiful. We took my dad there for his 70th and he climbed Goat Fell!
Is Arran Aromatics still there? I LOVE their geranium bubble bath. If only I had a bath…!