Do not be fooled by the blue skies, the warm sunshine and the palm trees. This is not some Caribbean Island retreat of millionaires! No! This is a tiny island about an hour down the coast from Glasgow.
It lies in the Clyde, just across the water from the wee bustling town of Largs, famous for Nardini's Ice Cream!
You have to take a short ferry crossing to reach the island. On the day we went, everyone had decided to go, so there was a wait for the ferry.
Once you are there, life runs at a much slower pace. The first thing you notice are bicycles and tricycles of all shapes and sizes. A great many of the folk who go there go to cycle the 11miles round the Island. It is a kind of tradition. And there are a number of lcations who hire bikes out by the hour, by the day or by the week. As you walk or drive, the bikes are everywhere. They have right of way!
You will not find any speeding motorists on this island, not with so many cyclists of all ages - from 5 to 75!
Not that you would want to drive fast anyway. There is nowhere to race to!
The only town on the island is summer called Millport. It is not very large. There are lots of eating places, some shops selling all sorts of souveniers, and some shops aimed at the local population. And bike hire shops.
The island also lays claim to having the smallest cathedral in Europe. During the summer months, there are Sunday afternoon musical recitals in the Cathedral.
And a regular visitor to the island is " Waverely", the world's last sea going paddlesteamer. She ploughs up and down the Clyde during the summer season, before sailing to the South for August and September, before returning to her winter berth on the Clyde at Glasgow.
There are actaully 2 Cumbraes' - Little Cumbrae and Great Cumbrae. From the photos you will see that Little Cumbrae boasts a castle that may have been built by Robert The Bruce.
To the left of that on the coast going towards Ayr, at West Kilbride, there are the ruins of Portencross Castle. In times gone past, it was a staging post for the transport of dead Scottish Kings on their way to be buried on the St Columba's holy island of Iona.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Cumbrae
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Kilbride
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS_Waverley
 |
| The beach on Cumbrae |
 |
| Summer happiness |
 |
| panoramic view from the Harbour |
 |
| the harbour at Millport |
 |
| the promenade |
 |
| castle on Little Cumbrae |
 |
| Main Street Millport |
 |
| bicycles for all ages... |
 |
| ...and of all sizes |
 |
| Therese and Theresa set off round Cumbrae |
 |
| Little Cumbrae Castle |
 |
| Portencross castle at West Kilbride |
 |
| beach scene |
 |
| ferry offloading |
 |
| ferry approaching Largs |
No comments:
Post a Comment