Why this 'special' sandwich bar is Scottish island's best kept secret

There was a long period when this destination was something of a foodie hinterland. We’ll call those the panini, baked potato or scampi years, when those options were about all that was available on restaurant menus. 

Now, we eat our way round the island, with visits to Mara Fish Bar & Deli, as well as The French Fox and Blackwater Bakehouse.

However, I’m extremely late to the prosaically-named Sandwich Station, just beside the Lochranza ferry terminal. 

It has virtually no social media presence and my other half only discovered it when he was Googling potential pit stops for the day he planned to cycle around the island. 

Information was scant, but after a quick email to their website, I discovered the venue was taken over by couple John and Lizanne Malpas, back in 2017. 

Between them, they have experience at Arran’s branch of seafood restaurant, Creelers - now closed - and they’ve worked at Blackwater Bakehouse and as managers for high-end safari lodges in Zambia. 

Situated along the road from Lochranza’s public loos, their own whitewashed outpost looks rather basic, with a tiny serving hatch at the front and al-fresco seating on a road-side grassy verge, where you can watch the CalMac ferries gliding in and out. 

The only sign that you’re visiting something special is the queue - how come THESE people know about this place? Even the island’s postie pulled up, in her red van, to get lunch. 

The regulars obviously know about their rather exciting menu. I’m visiting en famille, and the kids have already filled up on Wooleys of Arran pies.

Despite that, a voice pipes up that she’s still hungry, after she eyeballs what they have on offer.

That junior vegetarian goes for Blackwater Bakehouse’s white bread with a filling of sesame and soy marinated tofu, daikon radish and kimchi (£7.50). 

It has all the elements of a perfect sannie: bouncy, but sturdy bread, a flour-dusted crust, the bite of spicy cabbage, and the soft saltiness of tofu cubes, with a handful of the obligatory rocket.

Although this bap is about the size of her head, she dispatches every last bite.

My sister also scored, when it comes to the five-spice roast pork shoulder and Szechuan mayo (£8.50). We all say ‘ooh’, when she lifts the lid and shows us the contents. So much meat, all neatly laid out like the tiles on a Catacol cottage roof, and liberally iced with the Barbie pink condiment. There isn’t a single disappointing mouthful. 

My hot smoked Skipness salmon, creme fraiche and sesame pickled cucumber (£9.50) on beremeal loaf, is also a meaty dream. There are fat shards of coral-coloured and robust fish - about two fillet’s worth - with the zingy fresh additions. After polishing all that off, I feel as if I could swim all the way across to Cloanaig, while towing MV Alfred behind me. 

We also try the sumac-spiced cauliflower, baba ganoush and crispy shallots (£7.50), where the main billed ingredient was charred, smoky and warmly spiced with cumin, and the smoked mackerel, Arran Mustard and horseradish mayo (£8.50) option, which is bold and banging. I’m sure the seals that we’d spotted, lounging on the rocks at Pirnmill, would give one of their back flippers for just a little nibble of the crust. 

It might sound like we worked our way through the entire menu. Not quite. There are about six other gourmand choices for you to swoon over. If you’re after something more vanilla, the honey roast Ayrshire ham with Arran Mustard mayo (£7) is about as standard as it gets. 

They also do a decent flat white (£3), which is still a tricky thing to find on the island. As we were six days into our holiday and had already eaten our fill of Arran Dairies Ice Cream, which is one of their pudding options, we tried a workaday chocolate fudgy brownie (£2.50) and a syrupy and almond heavy fruit and nut flapjack (£3) that could probably power the feeblest of hikers up Goatfell. 

However, I doubt many people make it as far as the cake stage, after imbibing one of their mega door stoppers. Now that Arran has the Sandwich Station, the panini years are definitely over. 

Food: 9/10

Ambience: 9/10

Sandwich Station

Lochranza,

Isle of Arran

www.thesandwichstation.weebly.vom