​Largs, the Isle of Cumbrae and Kelburn Castle | Dallaswear

Largs, the Isle of Cumbrae and Kelburn Castle.

Largs is a charming seaside town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Sitting on the Firth of Clyde and approximately 33 miles from Glasgow, Largs is a great place to visit. The towns Victorian promenade offers beautiful views and many opportunities to stop to take in the views. One place you ought to stop at is the famous Nardini’s art deco ice cream parlour, named one of the best in Scotland! The art deco setting is stunning after being restored to its former glory in 2008. With a 200-seat capacity the café, restaurant and ice cream parlour first opened in 1935 and soon became THE destination for day trippers to the town of Largs. An astonishing 32 flavours of ice cream are on offer, so there’s bound to be something to tempt you. I can highly recommend my personal favourite, the Scottish Tablet variety! Living in London it’s not often that I get tablet, so it was a real treat to enjoy it combined with ice cream. The ice cream is made on the premises and there is a glass window where you can watch the gelato chefs as they make it. If by some strange quirk of nature, you do not like ice cream, there are plenty of other goodies to chose from including fabulous Italian pastries which are also made in the on-site bakery!

Largs is home to Scotland’s largest marina, so you’ll see lots of boats coming and going. You may even see the beautiful Waverley, the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer. Launched in 1946, the Waverley was the last paddle steamer to be built for Clyde services. I’ve seen it several times in Largs and it’s a sight that just takes your breath away. There are times when the Waverley calls at Largs but it’s best to check the time table should you wish to book a trip.

Not far past Nardini’s you’ll come across a huge statue of a Viking, known locally as Magnus. The 16 feet tall statue was constructed of galvanised steel by David Ogilvie Engineering of Kilmarnock and presented to the town in 2013 to commemorate the 750th Anniversary of the Battle of Largs, 1263. The battle was of particular significance as it was the last time Vikings fought in Scotland, England, Ireland or Wales. Every year since 1980 Largs holds a Viking Festival, which in 2019 included a Viking village where the inhabitants live as the Vikings did, a fun fair, owls, a Scottish food and craft fair and a variety of street performers. Plans for this year’s event includes an air show, an opening parade and a Festival of Fire. All being well the event is due to take place 28th August to 5th September 2021.

Largs has a ferry terminal where it is possible to board a ferry to the Isle of Cumbrae. The crossing takes just 10 minutes. Although only four miles long and two miles wide Cumbrae is a wonderful place to visit. Considered to be Scotland’s most accessible island due to the quick and easy ferry crossing, there is plenty to see and do on. Millport is the only settlement on Cumbrae and is similar to Largs in that they both have Victorian promenades. Cyclists can use the main road on the island which forms a circular route and affords stunning views of the North Ayrshire coast, Ailsa Craig, Bute and the Cowal Peninsula. Conveniently, cycles can be hired in Millport.

Millport is home to Britain’s smallest cathedral which is charmingly known as the Cathedral of the Isles. Built in 1851 and designed by William Butterfield, it’s in the Gothic revival style.

Water sports are very popular on the Isle of Cumbrae and include yachting, powerboating, sailing, windsurfing, dinghy sailing and paddle boarding. What better way to see the resident population of seals, the many sea birds and if you are very lucky, in the warmer months, basking sharks?

Millport Golf Course was designed by James Braid, who designed many of Scotland’s greatest courses. This course boasts the most amazing views of Ailsa Craig, Bute and the Cowal Peninsula. It’s the only golf course on the island.

A mere five-minute drive from Largs, in Fairlie, you’ll find Kelburn Castle and Estate. Here you are in for a most unexpected surprise, for the castle, which is believed to have been built in around 1143, is adorned with the most amazing graffiti! Don’t worry this is not an example of an act of outrageous vandalism but the result of an artists’ collaboration between four leading Brazilian graffiti artists and their Scottish counterparts! To have covered the castle in graffiti, an art form most definitely associated with urban culture is inspired. As a fan of street art and graffiti, I find the sight intriguing, unexpected and delightful. The outrageous burst of colour is just so unexpected in this setting. In a direct quote from Kelburn’s website it states “In 2011, the mural was named as one of the world’s top 10 examples of street art by author and designer Tristan Manco – on a par with Banksy’s work in Los Angeles and the Favela Morro Da Providencia in Rio de Janeiro.”

Kelburn Castle and Estate is a wonderful place to visit with children. In particular the Secret Forest offers all sorts of adventures from the giant’s castle, crocodile swamp and Chinese Pagoda. There’s also an Adventure course for children and an indoor Play barn.

Kelburn is famous for its tree collection. There are two Yew trees which are over 1000 years old and these together with a Weeping Larch, are among Scotland’s top 100 most important heritage trees, as recognised by the Forestry Commission.

Kelburn is a fascinating place to visit, with so much to see and do. I’m sure it is a destination we will revisit in more detail in one of our future blogs!

In the meantime, please may we remind you that Covid restrictions are still in place at the time of writing and we advise you to check before travelling to any of the destinations featured in our blog.