The (0 1 0) surface of LiGaO2 is closely lattice matched to A-plane (1 1 (2) over bar 0) GaN making it an interesting candidate as a substrate for heteroepitaxy of non-polar GaN. We demonstrate successful, first-time growth of A-plane GaN on (0 1 0) LiGaO2 using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Structural and morphological analysis is performed using X-ray and reflective high energy electron diffraction, scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. Very high phase purity of A-plane GaN is shown. Apart from defects of the epitaxial film originating from substrate scratches, the film is smooth and shows an rms roughness of 10 nm over an area of 8 x 8 mu m(2). (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.