Three limestone islands off the west coast of Ireland, the Arran islands (Inishmore, Inishmaan and Inisheer) are home to just over 1,000 residents, who all tend to prefer Gaelic to English and are proud to sustain their traditional Irish ways of life. Littered with Celtic monuments, churches, dry stone walls and over 250 species of birds, the little archipelago offers a heavenly retreat to any who feel burdened by the pace of mainland life.