Buggies, Caddies and Etiquette in the Isle of Arran
Seven volunteer run clubs, one modest buggy fleet at Shiskine, trolleys for 3 pounds and not a caddie on the island: Arran golf travels light. Here is what is actually available, what it costs in 2026, and the unwritten rules that make the friendliest golf in Scotland stay that way.
Photograph: Brodick Golf Club, by Alex Mac, via Google
How riding works here
One club on the island runs a real buggy operation, and it is the one everyone comes for. Shiskine, the 12 hole links at Blackwaterfoot, hires buggies at a published 25 pounds per round for visitors in 2026, bookable in advance and reserved for golfers unable to complete the course on foot, the polite island version of a medical policy. Pull and battery powered trolleys are 3 pounds per round, and on a course that measures 12 holes around the base of the Drumadoon cliffs, most golfers will want nothing more. Book the buggy when you book the tee time, inside the club's 14 day window.
Everywhere else, assume trolleys. Brodick, Lamlash, Whiting Bay, Corrie, Machrie Bay and seasonal Lochranza are small village clubs, some with a single machine that comes and goes with the weather, most with pull trolleys and an honest hill or two. The walking is short by mainland standards, the longest course on the island is comfortably under 6,000 yards, but Whiting Bay and Lamlash climb for their views. Anyone with a genuine mobility need should phone the club a few days ahead and say so plainly; island clubs bend further than most when asked early, and have nothing to offer when surprised on the first tee.
Buggy and trolley reality, club by club
| Venue | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Shiskine | The island's buggy fleet: 25 pounds per round for visitors on published 2026 rates, booked in advance, reserved for golfers unable to complete the course on foot. Pull and battery trolleys 3 pounds. Twelve holes, blind shots, a bell to ring; the buggy paths are part of the fun |
| Brodick and Lamlash | Village clubs near the main ferry: trolley golf with gentle starts, Lamlash climbing to the island's best views. Any buggy is a single machine subject to weather and availability; phone ahead rather than assuming |
| Whiting Bay and Corrie | Short, hilly, charming: Whiting Bay's climbs earn the panorama and Corrie's nine holes squeeze between mountain and sea for 15 pounds. Pull trolleys and a sense of humor are the right equipment |
| Machrie Bay and Lochranza | The island at its most informal: nine hole golf on the west and north shores, Lochranza open April to October. Bring or hire a pull trolley, pay the modest fee, play in two hours |
| Caddies, island wide | None. No Arran club runs a caddie program; the culture is walk, carry or pull. For the full caddie experience, the Ayrshire links across the water, Royal Troon and Prestwick among them, are a ferry and a short drive away |
Rates indicative for the 2026 season per club published information. Check tee times · Browse stays.
The etiquette that actually matters
Respect the bell and the blind shot
Shiskine's blind holes, the Crow's Nest and the Himalayas among them, run on a simple covenant: wait for the bell, then ring it properly for the group behind when you clear the green. Nothing marks a visitor faster than a hurried tee shot over a blind ridge. The same patience applies across the island's short holes, where reachable greens tempt the impatient; the local fourball ahead has seen it all before.
Honor the volunteer economy
These clubs are run by members who mow, mark and staff them. Book ahead even when the tee sheet looks empty, pay the visitor fee cheerfully where the clubhouse is unmanned, buy the coffee and the ball marker, and leave the course better than you found it: divots replaced, pitch marks repaired, wheels away from greens and tees. The Arran Golf Pass, 175 pounds across all seven clubs, is the best way to spread your money around the island.
Let the ferry set the pace
Island golf runs on sailing times, so build the day backward from the boat and keep rounds brisk, under four hours everywhere, closer to three on the nine holers. Dress codes are relaxed but tidy; waterproofs matter more than logos here. The seasonal rhythm, ferry honesty included, is in when to play golf on Arran, the ranked verdicts in the best courses on Arran, the caddie math for the mainland leg in our Scotland and Ireland caddie guide, and the whole destination at the Isle of Arran hub, with the Ayrshire ranking covering the far shore.
Plan your Isle of Arran golf trip
Tell us your group, your month and who needs wheels, and one concierge times the ferries, books the tee times and costs the trip to the head. No obligation.
Arran buggy and trolley questions
Can you get a buggy at Shiskine?
Yes, with a condition: the club's buggies, 25 pounds per round for visitors on the published 2026 rates, can be booked in advance and are reserved for golfers unable to complete the course on foot. Pull and battery powered trolleys are for hire at 3 pounds per round. Book the buggy when you book the tee time and always confirm directly before booking.
Are there caddies on Arran?
No. None of the island's seven clubs runs a caddie operation; this is small member club Scotland, where everyone walks with a trolley or carries. If a caddie experience matters to the trip, build in a day on the Ayrshire coast across the water, where Royal Troon and Prestwick run proper programs.
Do the other Arran clubs have buggies?
Assume not, then ask. Brodick, Lamlash, Whiting Bay, Corrie, Machrie Bay and Lochranza are small village clubs where trolleys are the standard and any buggy is a single machine subject to weather and availability. Phone ahead, state any medical need plainly, and have a trolley plan as the fallback.
What etiquette matters most on Arran?
Island habits: book ahead even where the tee looks empty, keep pace brisk on the short courses, replace divots and keep wheels off greens and tees, and respect the blind hole bell rituals at Shiskine. The clubs are volunteer run; treat the honesty of the place as part of the golf.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Fee changes, booking windows and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Policies and rates verified June 2026 against Shiskine Golf and Tennis Club's published 2026 rates and club visitor information. Last reviewed June 2026.