NTS Arran Ranger Service

28/05/2026

Come along to our fantastic pond dipping session today! Tickets still available!

26/05/2026

Very High Fire Risk!!!
It's been glorious weather but with it comes higher fire risk.
Please enjoy our glens and moorland but respect our wildlife and habitats, especially as many birds are now nesting.
* Don't light fires
* Don't use disposable BBQs
* Don't throw your cigarette butts onto the ground
* Do be extra careful if using a camping stove
* Do take all your litter home with you
Thanks!
There's no such thing as a harmless fire!
If you see a wildfire out on our hills please report it straight away be dialing 999
VisitArran
Brodick Castle, Garden & Country Park NTS

21/05/2026

🐉💦Marvellous mini-beasts and where to find them! 💦🐉

⏰1 week to go until our popular pond dipping drop-in sessions!

Beneath the water surface, our ponds are full of tiny freshwater monsters! 👹
Come along to our drop-in pond dipping session to investigate the underwater world and learn about the creatures living there!

The event takes place at the ponds near the Roundhouse in Brodick Castle, Garden & Country Park NTS and our rangers will be available to help you discover a multitude of aquatic beings!

Tickets £2 / person + Eventbrite fees (under 2s go free). Get your tickets fast at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/drop-in-pond-dipping-session-tickets-1987619533530

📅Thursday 28th May 2026 from 14:00-16:00
Choose a time slot for your arrival time when purchasing your ticket. There will be signs directing you to the ponds on the day!

The event is open to all ages; children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult 😊

🐉🐲💧💦🐉🐲💧💦🐉🐲💧💦🐉🐲💧💦🐉🐲💧💦🐉🐲💧💦🐉🐲💧💦🐉🐲💧💦

18/05/2026

Glen Rosa on the wild side!
Great walk today as part of the Arran Mountain Festival.
Great views, fabulous chat, cuckoo, kestrel, and a beautiful low fly by of a golden eagle at lunchtime, froglets, red deer, vole and an adder. What’s not to like!

13/05/2026

🌳🌳🌳Pathwork for a purpose! 🌳🌳🌳

A huge thank you to our small but indomitable team of volunteers today who braved the mud and midgies to maintain paths in Merkland Wood!
An entire boardwalk was replaced and another completed. Ditches were unblocked, salmonberry controlled and old infrastructure removed. We even relocated some cave spiders from the old boardwalk to a cave 🕷️All of this amazing work helps visitors to responsibly access our recovering temperate rainforest. Thank you volunteers!

12/05/2026

09/05/2026

🦉🦉🦉OWLMAZING!🦉🦉🦉

Today, the Young Naturalist’s Club learned all about Arran’s owls!
They made masks and enjoyed a great game of pretending to be owls - using only their ears to catch their friends!
After thinking about what owls ate, they pulled apart owl pellets and placed the bones on a bone chart. This told them if the owl had eaten a mouse, vole or shrew. 🐭
As a special surprise at the end, the young Nats were thrilled to be shown a live barn owl sleeping in a nest box!
(Many thanks to Jackie at Forestry and Land Scotland for showing us the owl remotely under licence).

06/05/2026

Come help us maintain footpaths in Merkland Wood!

We'll be fixing steps and clearing ditches. These small but essential actions support long-term restoration and help visitors experience this special environment responsibly.
When: Wed 13th May
Time: 9:30am - 4:00pm
What you'll need: Wellies, waterproofs, layers of clothing (no jeans), packed lunch, water.
How to book a place: click on the link below (spaces are limited)
https://nationaltrustforscotland.teamkinetic.co.uk/volunteers/opportunity/10272703
To secure your place you will need to register as a NTS volunteer first, but it will be worth it!

01/05/2026

It's a wrap!
Last week we had our last tree planting day for the season, another 1,550 trees planted!🌳🌳🌳
THANK YOU!!!
Thanks to all who came tree planting with us this winter.
Together, since the fire, we have planted 30,252 trees and built 6 new seed islands. Epic!
In sleet, rain, sunshine and showers we've had:
* All the Primary Schools of Arran plant 600 trees
* Local volunteers plant 4,852 trees
* Auchrannie Resort and Arran Active staff released from their day job to plant trees
* Morgan and the team from Arran Footpaths & Forestry planting 18,800 trees in all those more difficult to reach spots!

Thank you to everyone who donated trees towards our recovery after the fire. We couldn't have achieved this with out you.

There’s still time to donate trees as we’ll be planting next winter and propagating Arran Whitebeams.
https://support.nts.org.uk/dedicate/tree/glen-rosa

Brodick Castle, Garden & Country Park NTS
National Trust for Scotland

24/04/2026

EXTREME FIRE RISK
The recent spell of fine weather means we are now in danger of wildfires. Please act responsibly.
DO NOT light fires, use disposable BBQs or throw away cigarette butts in our hills.
We don't want a repeat of last years devastating fire.
VisitArran
Brodick Castle, Garden & Country Park NTS

🔥 Wildfire warning for Western Scotland 🔥

There is an extreme risk of wildfire in this area until Sunday, 26 April.

Wildfires have the potential to destroy property, landscapes and wildlife. All it takes is one spark to spread, causing a large amount of damage.

Remember, there’s no such thing as a 'harmless' fire.

🚒 Share this wildfire warning to help spread the word.