Goat Fell (
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...
: ''Gaoitbheinn'') is the highest point on the
Isle of Arran
The Isle of Arran (; ) or simply Arran is an island off the west coast of Scotland. It is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde and the seventh-largest Scottish island, at . Counties of Scotland, Historically part of Buteshire, it is in the ...
. At 874 metres (2,867 ft), it is one of four
Corbetts on the island. The mountain, along with nearby
Brodick Castle, is now owned by the
National Trust for Scotland
The National Trust for Scotland () is a Scottish Building preservation and conservation trusts in the UK, conservation organisation. It is the largest membership organisation in Scotland and describes itself as "the charity that cares for, sha ...
.
Ascent
Due to the popularity of "Scotland in miniature" (Arran), Goat Fell is a very popular peak and there are many possible routes of ascent, some of which may be combined with visits to the summits of other nearby peaks. The most commonly used route, a constructed path of just over 3 miles (5 km) in length, starts from near Brodick Castle in
Cladach. Initially the path leads up through the forested grounds of the castle, passing many
rhododendron
''Rhododendron'' (; : ''rhododendra'') is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the Ericaceae, heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are native to eastern Asia and the Himalayan ...
bushes. At just under 1,000 ft (300 m)
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
the path leaves the forestry, and the route continues through bare
moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of Habitat (ecology), habitat found in upland (geology), upland areas in temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and the biomes of montane grasslands and shrublands, characterised by low-growing vegetation on So ...
, reaching the summit by way of the east ridge of the mountain. There is a viewpoint table at the summit: on a clear day
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
may be seen.

An alternative shorter and steeper route comes up from the village of
Corrie. This route joins the main path on the east ridge. Goat Fell may also be climbed from the north, where it is linked by a ridge to the subsidiary top of North Goatfell, a point from which three ridges radiate. In addition to the ridge leading south to the main summit, there is a ridge heading northeast, providing some very easy
scrambling
Scrambling is a mountaineering term for ascending steep terrain using one's hands to assist in holds and balance.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. It can be described as being between hiking and climbing, rock climbing. "A scramble" is a relat ...
as it passes over Cìoch na h-Òighe (the ''Young Maiden's
Breast
The breasts are two prominences located on the upper ventral region of the torso among humans and other primates. Both sexes develop breasts from the same embryology, embryological tissues. The relative size and development of the breasts is ...
''). Finally, the western ridge drops down to a
bealach
A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both human and animal migration throughout history ...
known as The Saddle, before climbing again towards the summit of
Cìr Mhòr. The
right-of-way between
Glen Rosa and
Glen Sannox passes over The Saddle.
The mountain was the scene of the death of English tourist Edwin Rose who was murdered by John Watson Laurie in 1889 on the mountain. Laurie was sentenced to death, later commuted to a life sentence and spent the rest of his life in prison.
References
External links
Goat Fell tourist trail, map and large images*
* Computer-generated virtual panorama
NorthSouth
{{British hills
Corbetts
Marilyns of Scotland
Mountains and hills of the Isle of Arran
Highest points of historic Scottish counties