Arran is an island off the shore of Scotland, in the United Kingdom. It is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde and the 7th biggest Scottish island, at 432 square kilometres (167 sq mi). Historically part of Buteshire, it remains in the unitary council location of North Ayrshire. In the 2011 demographics it had a resident population of 4,629. Though culturally and literally comparable to the Hebrides, it is separated from them by the Kintyre peninsula. Usually referred to as "Scotland in Miniature", the island is separated into highland and lowland areas by the Highland Limit Mistake and has actually been referred to as a "geologist's heaven". Arran has been constantly populated given that the early Neolithic period. Countless primitive remains have been located. From the sixth century onwards, Goidelic-speaking individuals from Ireland colonised it and it came to be a centre of religious task. In the distressed Viking Age, Arran ended up being the property of the Norwegian crown, until officially absorbed by the kingdom of Scotland in the 13th century. The 19th-century "clearances" led to considerable depopulation as well as the end of the Gaelic language and also way of life. The economy as well as population have actually recouped in recent times, the main industry being tourist. There is a variety of wild animals, including 3 species of tree native to the area. The island includes miles of seaside pathways, various hills and hills, forested areas, rivers, tiny lochs as well as coastlines. Its primary beaches go to Brodick, Whiting Bay, Kildonan, Sannox and also Blackwaterfoot.