Arran or the Isle of Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland.
With an area of 432 square kilometres (167 sq mi) it is the seventh largest Scottish island. Just over 5,000 people live there.
Arran shares with the Hebrides cultural and physical similarities. Arran is mountainous and has been described as a "geologist's paradise".p11/17
People have lived there since the early Neolithic period, from which time on there are numerous prehistoric remains.
From the 6th century on peoples from Ireland colonised the island and it became a centre of religious activity. During the troubled Viking Age, Arran became the property of the Norwegian crown before becoming formally absorbed by the Kingdom of Scotland in the thirteenth century.
The 19th century "clearances" led to significant reductions in population and the end of the Gaelic language and way of life.
The economy and population have recovered in recent years, the main industry being tourism. There is diversity of wildlife, including three species of tree endemic to the area. There are regular field trips in the summer by geology and biology students.