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 seventh largest Scottish island, at 432 square kilometres (167 sq mi). Historically part of Buteshire, it remains in the unitary council area of North Ayrshire. In the 2011 demographics it had a resident population of 4,629. Though culturally as well as physically comparable to the Hebrides, it is separated from them by the Kintyre peninsula. Typically described as "Scotland in Miniature", the island is separated right into highland and also lowland areas by the Highland Border Mistake and also has actually been referred to as a "geologist's paradise". Arran has actually been continually inhabited since the very early Neolithic duration. Many prehistoric remains have been found. From the sixth century onwards, Goidelic-speaking peoples from Ireland colonized it and also it came to be a centre of religious activity. In the distressed Viking Age, Arran came to be the residential property of the Norwegian crown, until officially taken in by the kingdom of Scotland in the 13th century. The 19th-century "clearances" caused considerable depopulation as well as completion of the Gaelic language and also way of living. The economic situation as well as population have recouped over the last few years, the main sector being tourist. There is a diversity of wild animals, including 3 types of tree native to the location. The island consists of miles of seaside pathways, many hills as well as hills, forested areas, rivers, little lochs and also beaches. Its primary coastlines are at Brodick, Whiting Bay, Kildonan, Sannox as well as Blackwaterfoot.