Arran gets called Scotland in miniature, and for once the tourist board line holds up. The Highland Boundary Fault runs straight through the island, so the north gives you granite ridges and Goatfell, and the south gives you farmland, sandy bays and villages you can walk between. Gifts from the Isle of Arran tend to carry a bit of that range about them.
It is an easy island to get to, which is part of why so many people have a soft spot for it. Fifty-five minutes from Ardrossan into Brodick, or the short hop from Claonaig into Lochranza if you are coming down the Kintyre side. Two distilleries, a stone circle at Machrie Moor, and Holy Isle sitting a mile off Lamlash.
Here are seven pieces from six Arran makers, all in stock as I write, starting at six pounds.
‘Holy Isle, Arran’ Coaster – £6
Karebell Designs, Isle of Arran
Holy Isle sits out in Lamlash Bay, a mile offshore and impossible to miss from the coast road. Karebell Designs cut the scene by hand from paper first, then print it onto a wooden coaster. A wipe with a damp cloth keeps it clean, so it can live under an actual cup of tea. Six pounds is a sensible price for a gift that still says Arran.
Whisky Boat – £12.50
John Connell (Formerly Honest Coffins), Isle of Arran
A tea light holder carved from a single oak stave out of a whisky barrel, so the natural curve of the stave becomes the curve of the hull. It sits with a gentle rock to it and takes one standard tea light in the hollow along the top. Every stave comes out differently, so the grain, colour and markings vary from boat to boat. The maker had a candlelit bath and a quiet dram in mind when he named it.
Arran Tablet gift box – £17.50
The Tartan Tablet Company, Isle of Arran
Six 60g bags in a gift box – two butter, two vanilla and two Arran Gold. Tablet is one of those things people either grew up with or discover far too late in life. It is gluten free, and the allergens are printed in bold on every tag, which saves an awkward conversation at the table. Safe ground for someone who has everything, on the grounds that nobody has enough tablet.
Travel Mugs – £18
Ballarie Designs by J Grant, Isle of Arran
A 14oz white stainless steel travel mug, hand printed by Jess at Ballarie HQ in Arran with the character of your choosing. The character goes on both sides with the Ballarie logo in the middle, and it arrives in a presentation box. Twist cap, two sizes of drinking hole, and a handle that means something. Hand wash only, no bleach, and keep it well away from the microwave.
‘Map of Arran’ – £35
Karebell Designs, Isle of Arran
The outline of Arran, cut by hand from a printed map, so the island keeps its own roads and place names inside its own shape. It is mounted on recycled card and measures 10 by 8 inches, ready for whatever frame suits the wall it is going on. This is the same craft the coasters come from, done full size. A thoughtful present for anyone who grew up in Arran, holidays there, or keeps threatening to go back.
Glass seahorse – £60
Arran Glass Artist, Isle of Arran
Paul McGarrie fuses glass in his studio in Lamlash, and this seahorse stands 18cm high with a great deal of texture worked into it. He has it in various colours, and a couple mounted in white frames, so it is worth dropping him a message about what is in the kiln. UK postage is included in the price. We spent a whole post with him in August if you want to see more of the work.
Machrie Heather Necklace – £105
Jess MacDonald Brass, Isle of Arran
Jess MacDonald took an impression of a piece of heather she picked while out walking at Machrie with her children, and cast it in sterling silver. The pendant is 16mm across and hangs on an 18 inch chain. It comes with a little card explaining what heather stands for – good luck, protection, beauty and admiration. There is a bracelet and a pair of earrings in the same range, and gold or platinum by special order.
Six makers, one island
Arran packs a lot in for an island you can drive round in an afternoon, and there are more makers here than one list can hold. Everything above comes straight from the person who made it, posted from the island, so your money lands where it should.
There is plenty more in the Isle of Arran collection. If the fused glass caught your eye, our Arran Glass Artist maker story is worth five minutes. And if you are looking across the water instead, the gifts from the Isle of Bute guide covers the view from the other side of the firth.
