Smuggler's Den Self Catering
Accommodation
Isle of Arran

Smuggler's Den Holiday Accommodation

Pirates Cove, Corrie, Isle of Arran

  • Quality spacious holiday accommodation
  • 4 bedrooms, sleeps 8
  • Idyllic sea shore location

The Isle of Arran is a magical place for a holiday and will be made even better if you stay at Smuggler's Den, perfect for all the family (including dogs). The high quality ground floor accommodation sleeps 8 in 4 double or twin rooms (2 en-suite) with a family bathroom. Spacious and well equipped, it is situated only metres from the sea shore where you can watch the local otters and seals from the front windows. Basking sharks and minkie whales have also been seen from the property.

Accommodation Details

Smuggler's Den is a ground floor apartment offering excellent spacious accommodation in an idyllic shore front setting. The property comprises:

  • Two double bedrooms with en-suites (one with shower cubicle and one with shower over the bath)
  • Two twin bedrooms (close to family bathroom)
  • Family bathroom (with bath)
  • Large comfortable lounge with sea views
  • Fully equipped kitchen/dining room
  • South facing patio with garden furniture (a real sun trap)
  • Parking for two vehicles and shed for bicycles
  • Side and front garden
  • Suitable for limited mobility holidaymakers

Facilities

We try to make Smuggler's Den as comfortable as possible so hopefully you will enjoy and find useful:

  • 32 inch Freeview TV and DVD
  • Wifi
  • Washing machine, dishwasher, fridge/freezer, microwave, etc
  • Various books, boxed games (including Arran Monopoly)
  • Porch for outdoor footwear and hanging coats
  • Electric central heating
  • Linen provided (please bring own towels)
  • Own water supply with water sourced from the fell-side

Smuggler's Den is conveniently located just 4 miles north of Brodick, and the buses stop outside the house.

Getting To Arran

Ferry: Most people enter the island on the Caladonian MacBrayne ferry from Ardrossan. On this 50 minute crossing, you should see porpoises and maybe basking sharks. Booking your car on the ferry is strongly recommended.

From the south (by car): The island is just over 2 hours north of Carlisle. There are many routes from the M74 to the ferry at Ardossan. I recommend the A71 and then A78.

From the north (by car): Arran is only 30 miles from Glasgow. From the M8 travel south on the A737 and follow signs to Ardrossan.

Train: The train from Glasgow meets the ferry and is very convenient.

Aeroplane: Glasgow airport is 30 miles north and Prestwick 15 miles south. Then either hire a car, take a taxi (£35 from Glasgow) or bus or train.

For more information on train, road and flights to Arran please see the following: http://www.visitarran.com/site/traveltoarran.aspx

How to Find Us

Conveniently situated only five miles from the ferry between Brodick and Corrie, only a few metres from the sea. Local buses meet most ferries and there is a bus stop outside the house (ask for Carlo). For the cyclists it is dead flat and very scenic as you ride alongside the sea-shore. Follow the link to zoom out and see the benefits of the area - gridreferencefinder

Booking

For booking Smuggler's Den please book on-line through https://www.cottages-and-castles.co.uk/cottages/smugglers-den
or use this contact form
01738 503601 / 07740 740516

Prices per week starting Friday
  • January (excluding New Year) £400
  • February £500
  • March £550
  • April, May and June £650
  • July and August £750
  • September, October £650
  • November, December (excluding Christmas) £450
  • Christmas and New Year £750

Minibreaks available at £100 per day (minimum 3 days)

Relaxing

Smuggler's Den is the perfect place to relax and unwind. Enjoy the views and tranquillity of Pirates Cove. Watch the otters and the numerous shore birds.

Explore the shoreline and see the famous rock formations called "marbles". See the myriad of wild life in the rockpools.

Enjoy the comforts of Smuggler's Den. Watch Sky TV, catch up on the internet or have a long bath in the pure local water. I think the pure peaty water has health benefits - well it certainly makes me feel relaxed!

NB Whale and dolphin pictures courtesy of Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust

Hill Walking

Arran is superb for hill walking any time of year. From open moorland to craggy ridges, you will enjoy the diversity. Access to Goat Fell is either 1 mile to the left or right of Smuggler's Den as shown in the picture above. We like the craggy peaks and ridges accessed up Glen Rosa or Glen Sannox.

There are some classic rock routes and scrambles up to the surrounding peaks for the experienced only. Read the guide books carefully and enjoy the exposure. For a guided trip contact Arran Adventure 01770 302244 www.arranadventure.com

Wildlife

Watching wild-life from the front window of Smuggler's Den: A family of otters lives along the shore-front, and many of our guests have enjoyed watching them play in the shallows. Seals and porpoises are regularly seen in Pirates Cove. Basking sharks, dolphins and minkie whales have also been seen. In the last two years killer whales and humpbacks have been seen near Ardrossan and Arran.

Red squirrel: A walk in Brodick Castle country park should reward you with sightings of red squirrels. Listen for them breaking twigs in the trees above you. The wardens at the park regularly organise red squirrel viewing tours.

Hen harriers: If you're lucky you may see the hen harriers doing their aerobatics on the moorland. Recent guests saw one from the String road.

Red deer: Go to Lochranza golf course to see lots of red deer.

Golden eagles: Also in Lochranza, just behind the distillery, is the best place to see and hear the Golden Eagles.

Horse Riding and Fishing

Sea fishing off the rocks at Smuggler's Den is possible, but we prefer to fish in a bit more depth. The harbour at Corrie is good at high tide for mackerel. I�ve caught many mackerel from dropping a line with just a couple of feathers just outside Smuggler's Den in Pirates' Cove. For a fun few hours where you will catch dozens of mackerel go to Lamlash Pier and book a boat trip on Ocean breeze.

River fishing: The Machrie and Iorsa are two beautiful salmon and sea trout rivers. To arrange fishing see: http://www.arranfishings.co.uk/index.html

Horse riding: Close by at North Sannox, you can pony trek. Check out their web-site, http://www.arran.net/sannox/trekking/index.html

Kayaking and Swimming

Sea Kayaking is our passion and we just love the wild-life to be seen around Arran, and the views to the other Islands and peninsulas. Sea Kayak tours can be arranged with Arran Adventure 01770 302244 http://www.arranadventure.com � treat yourself to a fantastic experience.

Swimming: I swim in the Clyde from April to October in my wetsuit. Others swim with no wetsuit from June to September. The water is beautifully clear and you can see the underwater wildlife as you swim along. The seals just love to have a nosey and see what we are doing. There is minimal flow off Smuggler's Den so it is a safe place to swim & watch the slippy and sharp rocks though.

Cycling

Mountain Biking: Trails within the Castle Grounds start just 1 mile from Smuggler's Den. Undulating easy (green) trails with spectacular views plus harder single track are available. Recommended routes by the local mountain bikers who invite you to join them on various days are on the Arran bike club website.

Road Biking: The 56 mile "Around Arran" - a varied and scenic route and hillier than you think. String road is great for the hill climbers. A one day challenge is the Five Ferries = 80 miles in total and takes in Mull of Kintyre, Cowal Peninsula and Isle of Bute, via Five Ferries! Lots of cafe stops on all routes.

Easy Cycling: Riding either north to Sannox or south to Brodick is just delightful. It is flat, the scenery breathtaking and there are many places to stop for a cuppa on route.

Coastal Walks

Sannox to Lochranza is my favourite walk whatever the weather. You can go all the way along the coast or from Laggan Bothy over the hill to Lochranza. The spectacular coastal scenery and millstone history make this walk a must at any time of year. It takes about 3 hours and you can use the buses to return.

Holy Isle: Take the ferry from Lamlash to the monestary and walk along the coast and even to the summit.

Kings Cave: Superb coastal scenery and views over to Mull of Kintyre. The kids loved the caves (so did I!). Take a torch.

Golf

Arran has seven challenging courses all in wonderful locations. Each course may be played independently, however all seven clubs have joined together to create the "Arran Golf Pass" allowing one round on each course. This saves up to 30% on your Arran Golfing Experience. Contact 01770 860 226. And see http://www.golfonarran.com/

  • Brodick Golf Club - par 65. The course is entirely at sea level making it accessible for golfers of all ages and capabilities. This is 3 miles from Smuggler's Den.
  • Lamlash Golf Club - par 64, 18 holes. A serious challenge for golfers of all abilities.
  • Whiting Bay Golf Club - par 63, 18 holes. Spectacular views to the Holy Isle and the Ayrshire coast. This course has some of the most difficult Par 3s on the island.
  • Shiskine Golf and Tennis Club - 12 holes. Has recently been ranked amongst the top 100 golf courses in the UK. This has a very good cafe and one of Arran�s best beaches.
  • Machrie Bay Golf Club - 9 holes. Suitable for golfers of all abilities. This also has a good cafe.
  • Lochranza Golf Club - par 70, 18 holes. This is a demanding and challenging course and at 5,487 yards is the longest on the island. Watch out for the deer!
  • Corrie Golf Club - 9 holes. Spectacularly beautiful and challenging. Also just 3 miles away.

Shopping and Eating Out

Arran prides itself on many locally sourced produce - cheese, venison, sea food, oat cakes, beer, whisky, ice-cream, etc. You will find several shops in Brodick and Duchess Court selling these products. For gifts again Duchess Court and Brodick. Brodick Castle has a nice gift shop.

Arran has many good restaurants. Locally is The Brewery, Wineport Bistro Restaurant and Coast Caf�. North of Smuggler's Den is Sannox Hotel providing hearty meals using local produce. Further away but worth the drive to Lochranza is the Stag Pavillion - great seafood with an Italian influence at reasonable prices (bring your own alcohol).

Useful Links

Links to useful web-sites are on most pages throughout this brochure. A few extra ones that we like are:

Arran Coast: http://www.arrancoast.com/COAST is one of the UK's leading community marine conservation organisations. It organises many events for all.

Ships: http://www.shipais.com/currentmap.php?map=IsleofArran For the boat anoraks you can identify most of the boats that pass by Smuggler's Den (it is interesting!)

Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust: http://www.whaledolphintrust.co.uk/ This site informs you of the cetaceans seen in Scotland. And please log your sightings.

What's On In Arran: http://www.visitarran.com/whats-on The website always has a list of what is coming up including Ceilidhs and activities at the Castle such as Squirrel Watches.

Contact Details

Thank you for visting this website for Smuggler's Den, Pirates Cove, Corrie, Isle of Arran If you have any questions or wish to book, please contact:

https://www.cottages-and-castles.co.uk/cottages/smugglers-den
or use this contact form
Phone: 01738 503601 / 07740 740516
Thank you again, Annette