Undiscovered Scotland

 

The island of Great Cumbrae, also known as "The Isle of Cumbrae" or just "Cumbrae" can be found in the Firth of Clyde a mile and a half or so off the coast of North Ayrshire. It is (very) roughly shaped like a teardrop, albeit with an indentation at its southern end, where you find the bay around which is wrapped its main (indeed its only) settlement, Millport.

Great Cumbrae measures some 2.5 miles from north to south, and some 1.2 miles from east to west at its broadest point. It is the larger of the two islands known collectively as "The Cumbraes", and is accessed by a frequent ferry service between Largs on the mainland and Cumbrae Slip, in the north-east of the island.

The island had a population of 1,376 in 2011, down from 1,434 a decade earlier. It rises to a height of 417ft or 127m at its highest point, marked by the naturally occurring Glaid Stone (and, of course by the obligatory trig point and viewpoint marker). The views from the top are simply outstanding, and a visit should be considered an obligatory part of any trip to Great Cumbrae. As a minor road passes within a few yards of the Glaid Stone, reaching it does not involve as much effort as you might expect. (Continues below image...)

 

Cumbrae Slip is several miles from the Millport, but there is a connecting bus service allowing foot passengers to travel back and forth between Millport and the ferry. The bus link, coupled with Great Cumbrae's small size, mean that many visitors choose to leave their cars in Largs and travel as foot passengers to the island. Another very popular option is to go by bike: with the 10 mile circumnavigation of Great Cumbrae attracting more cyclists (it can seem) than the rest of Scotland put together. It is also possible to hire bikes (with one, two, four or more seats) in Millport, and explore the island from there.

The road network is fairly simple. We've already mentioned the road that circumnavigates the island. There is also a loop of road, accessed from Millport or from near Cumbrae Slip which climbs into the interior. The operative work here is "climbs", and we suspect that most casual cyclists stick to the coast road.

Today's Millport retains the sandy beaches and slightly old-world resort feel that helped it develop. It is also home to University Marine Biological Station Millport, associated with the marine biologist Sheina Marshall.

With the Cathedral of the Isles set back from the sea, the most striking building in any view along or across Millport Bay is Garrison House. This is the name now given to what was previously known as The Garrison. Until 1997 this was used as council offices, but it was then abandoned due to its poor condition. A fire in 2001 did little to improve matters. Thankfully a major restoration has since been completed, resulting in a rebirth of this magnificent building. It now provides a range of community facilities including the Museum of the Cumbraes, a library, and a cafe, plus medical services and council offices. It also does much to improve the appearance of the whole of the centre of Millport.

Millport itself is remarkable linear. It extends for the better part of two miles along the shore, yet for much of that length is only one or two streets deep. Garrison House provides a focal point, both geographically and in terms of community activity. If the town can be said to have a heart, then it can probably be found at the harbour, towards the western end of the main promenade.

Not far away and worth looking out for is "The Wedge", which lays claim to being Britain's narrowest house. Rather further around the bay to the east is the "Crocodile Rock", a rock structure on the beach to which someone has added teeth and eyes.

Great Cumbrae first appears as a footnote in history books when King Håkon IV of Norway made his headquarters at its northern end in September 1263 before the Battle of Largs. His camp was at Tomont End, not far from the ferry terminus.

Until the 1700s the villages of Kames and Kirkton overlooked different ends of the bay that forms most of Great Cumbrae's south coast, but they gradually grew together as Millport. From the mid 1700s Millport was used as a base for a fast customs cutter, ideally placed to keep track of shipping passing through the Firth of Clyde.

In 1833 Lord Glasgow built a pier at Millport and the town rapidly became a regular port of call for Clyde Steamers. It also grew as the island holiday resort of choice for the Victorian chattering classes, though it was a little eclipsed by the later development of Rothesay on Bute.

In 1849 the 6th Lord Glasgow funded the building of a theological college in Millport. The building was completed in 1851, and in 1876 it was consecrated as the Cathedral of the Isles. It remains a must-see part of any visit to the island. Lord Glasgow lost most of his fortune in a banking scandal in 1886 and Great Cumbrae was sold to the then Marquess of Bute.

Despite a boycott in 1906 over harbour dues, Millport was an important stopping off point for Clyde steamers until the 1960s: and it remains a regular port of call for the Waverley, the world's last sea going paddle steamer. The town was for many years the terminus for a direct passenger ferry link to Largs and Wemyss Bay, but this ceased with the advent of the roll-on roll-off services to Cumbrae Slip in 1972.