Arran Mile Stones — A Brief History

The Isle of Arran, off the west coast of Scotland, has a long history of wayfinding and distance marking. Mile stones (often written "mile-stones" or "milestones") were commonly placed along the island's main roads from the 18th and 19th centuries to indicate distances between settlements such as Brodick, Lamlash, Whiting Bay and Lochranza.

These small cast- or stone-mounted markers were typically sited by local parishes or turnpike trusts as travel and trade increased. They helped people, coaches and later motor vehicles to judge distance and find their way across the island's rural roads. Many surviving mile stones are now valued local heritage features and some are recorded on historic environment registers.

This site will collect photographs and locations of Arran's surviving mile stones — if you have images or precise locations, they can be added to dedicated pages for each marker.