The Nature of Lochranza Golf Course

The Isle of Arran has a great variety of natural habitats (giving each of the 7 golf courses a unique character) and an abundance of wildlife.

You are almost sure to see wild red deer as you play at Lochranza. Just observe them and they will just observe you. Magnificent as they are, they add to our green keeping duties: the stags love sunbathing in the bunkers, and, in autumn, they dig muddy wallows to bathe in. They arise out of these wallows looking dark and dripping which makes them intimidating to opponents and attractive to the hinds! Our plantations have to be fenced because the deer have a hearty appetite for anything that grows. From mid-September on the stags begin to roar their challenges in the annual rituals of the rut.

If you pause for a break in your game of golf, look up and you may see buzzards or hen harriers hunting the hillsides. The Arran Distillery café is a wonderful vantage point for watching the high crags which are the favourite haunts of golden eagles.

Red squirrels live in the wooded areas of the course and are most easily seen early in the morning or at any time of day in Autumn. They are regular visitors to the Stags Pavilion garden.

Seals and otters inhabit the loch and surrounding coastline. Here, in the warmer months, look out for passing basking sharks or porpoises- they are not uncommon.

Geology

The glen is a U-shaped valley, carved out by glaciers in the last Ice Age. Arran’s almost surreal-looking high mountain ridges are visible from the sea field. They are composed of granite and were created by volcanic activity. The area has long been famous for its geology. Nearby geological attractions, accessible by walking, include Hutton’s Unconformity and 260 million year old giant millipede tracks near Laggan Cottage.

Farming

The local blackfaced hill sheep are kept on the course for lambing in early spring and can be useful grass cutters. Unfortunately they haven’t picked up the skills of giving definition yet. They are hardy, agile sheep, used to surviving on the steep hillsides, but the grass in the glen gives the lambs a nutritious and sheltered start. 

Weather

The lower end of the sea field can flood in high tides and winter storms. It is partially salt marsh so any lying water you see has usually risen up through the turf rather than been washed up with the waves. Sometimes you may notice the unusual phenomenon of turf bubbles.

History

About a couple of hundred years before the end of the first millennium, the Vikings found shelter in the natural haven of Loch Ranza and gave it the name we know it by, which means “the loch of the rowan tree river” in Old Norse. The main thread of the history of the village, which huddles round the loch and extends up the steep-sided glen, is one of crofter fishing. As time went on, young men would leave home to become sailors, until, at one time, there were more Master Mariners belonging to Lochranza than to any other village on the west coast of Scotland. 

Famous visitors who have been drawn to Lochranza’s beauty include Sir Walter Scott, who described it in “The Lord of the Isles”, and the Queen, who spent the first night of her honeymoon on board the Royal Yacht in the loch. 

The golf course’s origins go back to 1898/9. It was opened as a 12 hole course on 6th June 1899. It had been created by villagers with a new club house as well as new bridges over the burn for the use of golfers. At this time, sea captains were building some of the larger houses in the village and well-to-do West of Scotland families had begun to holiday here in the summer months. 

During World War 2 the golf course was a camp for commando training. After the war the 9 hole layout was established. Following a period as an 18 hole course with double greens, Lochranza was returned to its traditional 9 hole layout in 2011. 

We regard ourselves as  caretakers of this beautiful and precious landscape. We aim to manage the golf course in sustainable ways, using natural methods wherever possible to assist biodiversity, and encouraging visitors to appreciate the rich wildlife of the area.