With a history reaching back to the great stone circles 5,000 years ago, much has been written about Arran, where King Robert the Bruce began his triumphant comeback in 1307.
The latest account of the area’s history has recently been published in a book entitled Arran – A History, by K.T.S Campbell, who is also the author of Ayrshire: A Historical Survey (Birlinn, 2003).
The book details Arran’s progressive transition from difficult periods such as the Great Irish Potato Famine of 1854, to more prosperous agricultural times in the 19th and 20th centuries, having moved away from the ancient ‘runrig’ style of farming.
There is also explanation of how tourism began to increase. A former schoolteacher, K.T.S Campbell studied Greek, English and aesthetic philosophy at Glasgow University.
