Arran

Snorkel Arran’s seas to witness community-led marine protection in action.

Nestled between the Mull of Kintyre on the west and Ayrshire on the east, you’ll find “Scotland in miniature”; the Isle of Arran. Arran residents have long been impassioned about their coastal waters and the need to protect them. COAST (Community Of Arran Seabed Trust) is a community-led organisation, founded in 1995, that works tirelessly to protect and restore a diverse, abundant and beautiful marine environment for everyone in Arran, the Clyde and Scotland.

In 2008, Arran’s community were proud to establish the Lamlash Bay No Take Zone, a 2.67km2 area where any extraction of marine life is prohibited – the first area of its kind in Scotland. In 2016, the much larger (280km2) South Arran Marine Protected Area was created to protect sensitive seabed habitats. Due to these protected areas, marine life in Arran’s seas is abundant and varied. From large marine mammals – such as seals, otters and porpoise – to the tiny thumbnail-sized sea slugs, there’s something to appeal to all interests.