Beinn Dubh Airigh

Standing as a broad, moorland sentinel on the western side of Arran, this Marilyn offers a rugged, pathless experience away from the crowded granite peaks further north. Its heather-clad slopes overlook Glen Iorsa, providing a quiet vantage point for watching the sun set over the Kilbrannan Sound and the distant Kintyre Peninsula.

• •The name translates from Gaelic as the 'hill of the black shieling', a reference to the seasonal huts used by herdsmen when moving livestock to higher summer pastures in centuries past.
• •While it lacks the dramatic granite of Arran's northern giants, the summit provides an exceptional profile view of the 'Witch's Step' (Ceum na Caillich) and the jagged ridge of A' Chir across the glens.
• •To the west, the view is dominated by the long, low spine of the Kintyre Peninsula, which often appears as a dark silhouette against the Atlantic horizon.
• •Navigating the broad, boggy plateau can be more challenging than the climb itself; the lack of a distinct summit path makes the descent toward the prehistoric sites of Machrie Moor an exercise in careful micro-navigation.