Isle of Arran

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Margot Sandeman and the Arran Connection

Scottish artist Margot Sandeman (1922-2009) had a long-standing connection with the Isle of Arran. There were many happy childhood holidays with her family on the island. Later came sketching and painting trips with her good friend and fellow Glasgow School of Art student Joan Eardley. Finally, in 1973 Margot and her husband bought one of the little cottages up in High Corrie.

High Corrie is a unique place. The nine cottages that make up this tiny settlement sit tucked into the shelter of the mountain slope and give real insight into how the traditional communities of a bygone era would have looked. The setting – between mountain and sea – is beautiful, the views breathtaking. The High Corrie Burn flows past the clachan, while further up the hillside the rushing White Water makes an ideal picnic spot on the way up Goatfell.

We spent many memorable family holidays there. So it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that Margot Sandeman fell in love with the place. Nor that both Corrie and High Corrie inspired some of her finest works. Or that the Isle of Arran as a whole proved to be a life-long source of creative inspiration for her.

In the little exhibition, No More Sheep, currently on in Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow, a selection of Margot Sandeman’s delicate paintings mourns the passing of a way of life she’d witnessed throughout the long years she’d been coming to Arran. In the early days sheep had played a big part in the life of the islanders and were seen all over the island. By the late 20th century that way of life was passing, if not gone altogether. And through these pictures she mourns that passing.

It’s good to know that Margot Sandeman is still remembered. And while this is only a tiny exhibition, it’s a good point to start from for anyone keen to find out more about Margot’s love of Arran and the places that inspired so much of her work.

No More Sheep: Margot Sandeman on Arran runs at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum until 1st June 2025

The full article is available in issue 103 of iScot Magazine

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Archie Roy

He was a scientist who helped put the first men on the moon. While his interest in the paranormal earned him the nickname of Glasgow’s Ghostbuster. And his thrillers, many set on Scottish islands, were for decades amongst the most sought-after books in public libraries. Yet, surprisingly, he’s little-known today.

But without doubt Professor Archie Roy was one of those men that Scotland used to produce – a polymath. A man whose interests weren’t narrowly proscribed. Rather, he was someone who was interested in, and open to investigating, everything around him. Be that on earth, in the heavens or somewhere in between! And who was fascinated by that greatest mystery of all – the human brain.

In his thrillers, he wrote about places he knew well, in particular the islands of Arran, St Kilda and Mull. Fast-paced, some of his novels come with elements of science-fiction based on his own scientific experience and knowledge. In others, he looks at that great question of ‘what if’ specific events in history had taken a different course and left us with a very different present.

They’re thrillers that stand the test of time and use the landscapes of these three very different islands to great effect.

In this article, in the 100th issue of iScot Magazine, I look at the rich and fascinating life of Archie Roy: scientist, ghostbuster and thriller writer – and so much more.

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Coire Fhionn Lochan – an Arran gem

‘Climb every mountain …’

… and take this walk to the beautiful Coire Fhionn Lochan on the west coast of Arran. Its name means the Little Loch of the Pale Corrie, and its crystal-clear water is fringed with white granite sand.

There’s something quite strange about coming to a beach up in the hills, but it’s a lovely spot for a rest or a picnic. It’s not a long walk, but it can be steep. And for the more energetic, there are walks that head further into Arran’s stunning mountains.

It’s a walk rich in history, with clues to the past in the place names that describe the natural features of the surrounding landscape. Place names with a mixture of linguistic roots, that tell of the invaders from other lands, who descended upon these shores. Often arriving as deadly raiders, then returning as settlers, marrying into local communites and eventually adding to the genetic mix that makes up who we are today.

Whose blood flows through your veins? Are you descended from dark-haired Celts, or fair-haired Norse Vikings. Or even those unfortunate Spanish sailors whose ships floundered in the stormy waters off the Scottish coasts in the aftermath of the Spanish Armada of 1588 and stayed on (think of Jimmy Perez!).

This walk has echoes of St Columba, as well as tales of a visit from Robert the Bruce. It’s a walk in the present that resonates with the past. A lochan at the top of the world. Not a bad place to be at all!

Full article available in issue 95 of iScot Magazine

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Coire Fhionn Lochan – Arran at its best

‘Climb every mountain …’

… and take this walk to the beautiful Coire Fhionn Lochan on the west coast of Arran. It’s name means the Little Loch of the Pale Corrie, and its crystal-clear water is fringed with white granite sand. There’s something quite strange about coming to a beach up in the hills, but its a lovely spot for a rest or a picnic. And for the more energetic, there are walks that head further into Arran’s stunning mountains. I’ve written about this walk in the September/October issue of Scottish Islands Explorer.

What intrigues me about exploring the landscape of Sotland is just how much has happened in almost every area of the land. Even in places that seem deserted and remote to us today, you’ll find that not so long ago they were home to generations of people who lived and worked the land. And that usually means there’s something left behind that tells their story, if you know how to look for it.

You can find clues in the place names that describe the natural features of the land. Or those place names with a mixture of linguistic roots, that tell of the invaders from other lands, with other cultures, who descended upon these shores. Often arriving as deadly raiders, many then returned as settlers, marrying into local communites and adding to the mix of nations that make up who we are today.

Then there are the myriads of old tales and legends, which although fictitious at one level, do very often contain a grain of truth about otherwise long-forgotten events.

Even the shape and size and hair colouring of a commmunity can tell you something of its background. Whose blood flows through your veins? Are you descended from dark-haired Celts, or fair-haired Norse Vikings, or those unfortunate Spanish sailors whose ships floundered in the stormy waters off the Scottish coasts in the aftermath of the Spanish Armada of 1588 and stayed on (think of Jimmy Perez!).

This walk has echoes of St Columba, a visit from Robert the Bruce and a beautiful poem, amongst other intriguing aspects. It’s a walk in the present that resonates with the past and contains hopes for the future. Not a bad mix at all!

Should you wish to find out more, you can read my article in the latest edition of Scottish Islands Explorer. Print copies are for sale in many local newsagents and it’s available online for only £1.99 at:  pocketmags-scottish-islands-explorer-magazine