A Walk Around Millport – The Isle of Cumbrae

When you think of a Scottish Island you probably think of Arran or Skye, or perhaps even Shetland. The notion probably conjures up visions of a ferry battling against stormy sea’s and all-consuming remoteness. This isn’t always the case, however. There is a Scottish island, reachable only by ferry, that you can travel to in 8 minutes.

Yes. 8 minutes. It’s called the Isle of Cumbrae and it sits just off the coast of Largs in North Ayrshire. On the island there is just one town, Millport, and you will mostly hear the locals refer to the island itself as ‘Millport’ rather than Cumbrae. It’s a pretty little place that used to be very popular with the working classes in Glasgow as a holiday destination before the introduction of package holidays abroad. Going ‘doon the watter’ was a common phrase, meaning to travel out of the Clyde from Glasgow and typically have a holiday at a variety of coastal destinations nearby such as Rothesay, Dunoon or Millport.

Even today in the summer months the island is very popular. You can cycle around the island, play golf at the one golf course on the island or simply sit on the beach with an ice cream and watch the boats in the harbour. As for me? I wanted to walk around the island which I hoped would not only make a great walk but would also let me take in the views, scenery and quirks of this pretty little place.

Now, when I say ‘around’ the island I don’t actually mean ‘around’. This is a popular route with cyclists but it misses the highest point on the island, the Glaid Stane, so my route for the day would be a little more creative and, I hoped, more enjoyable. My route would take me along the west coast of the island, with views to Arran, Bute and beyond and then it would bring me into the pretty town of Millport (where I fully intended on acquiring lunch). Once refuelled, I would climb to the highest point on the entire island and take in the views before heading back to the ferry terminal at the north-east part of the island.

My 10 Mile Circuit Around Cumbrae

My day was one with no car travel. Largs is well serviced by rail and I decided to take the train to the town and make the short walk to the ferry terminal nearby. Largs itself is a bustling town and in the summer is very popular with tourists. If you are there you might want to check out the award winning Nardini’s with their famous ice cream or perhaps if you want to visit later in the season you could experience the Largs Viking Festival! In case you are wondering, this festival marks the ‘Battle of Largs’ which took place in 1263 between Scottish and Norse forces. The festival culminates in the burning of a Viking Longboat and is worth seeing! (How many replica Viking ships have you seen burned in your life?)

The Sign As Soon As You Step Off The Train

The Front at Largs: Nardini’s in the Background

I made my way to the ferry terminal, which is a 5 minute walk from the train station, and got my ticket. Caledonian MacBrayne run the ferry (and you will be using their ships for most of your island visits throughout Scotland) and for a foot passenger you can get a return to Cumbrae for a mere £3.20. The ferry runs back and forth constantly from Largs to the ferry slip on Cumbrae and it’s fun to watch the ship trundle towards you. Once docked and unloaded both cars and people can board. Today, my trusty transport would be the ‘Loch Shira’. Now the ship has plentiful indoor seating but, being a big kid, I of course wanted to sit outside and ‘up top’. The views were lovely.

Heading to Cumbrae

‘Loch Shira’ Dropping Me Off

Walking The West Coast

Once I landed on the island, I noticed most of the passengers boarding the waiting bus (the bus and ferry work in tandem so you will never have long to wait) which was about to head south to Millport. I, however, strolled beyond the bus and headed northward to begin the first leg of my journey. The day was a bit grey but it was warm and I was looking forward to taking in the sights.

The road winds around the north of the island and it is dotted with interesting features. The entire island has things to be seen and enjoyed. There are walking routes, monuments and a variety of interesting rocks (read on!).

The ‘Tomont End Monument’ on the north coast of the island, dedicated to 2 midshipment of HMS Shearwater who drowned in 1841

The Views to Arran

The ‘Indian Rock’ is Certainly Noticeable!

The Small, Secluded War Memorial on the West Coast

The road has almost no gradient and in conjunction with the views and features dotted along the coast it is a beautiful place for a walk (or indeed, for cycling). The island has very few cars and the ones that are on the island are largely based in Millport itself. The coastal views are beautiful and the road gently curves into Millport, with a view of the town sprawling along the coast: it was an inviting view and I immediately decided to get something to eat.

Millport

The town of Millport sits at the southern point of the island and it is a very pretty little place. The town has a lovely selection of shops, a few which have been on the island for decades, and are arranged on an attractive sea-facing promenade.

The Royal George Hotel has stood on the island for a long time, providing a place for holidaymakers to spend a night. For those who wish to cycle around the island, Mapes has offered bicycles for rent since 1946 and also has an attached toy-shop. If you fancy a bite to eat Millport also has plenty of choice with places to sit in or take away including The Ritz Cafe with it’s funky 60’s decor.

For a little bit of everything, the Garrison House sits in the middle of the promenade and it contains the Musem of the Cumbrae’s, a library and a wonderful little cafe.

The Beautiful Garrison House

If you are feeling a little more adventurous, you could also visit the Robertson Museum which is situated 10 minutes outside of the town but it makes a lovely stop on a cycle tour of the island or as the destination of a stroll on a nice day.

I decided to grab a fresh sandwich and a drink from a local shop and I sat on one of the many benches at the little beach and enjoyed a rest while looking out to sea. Boats were bobbing in the harbour and on the horizon, the sun was only getting brighter and the crocodile was smiling. (Millport is rather famous for it’s rocks.)

Seriously

Heading for the Glaid Stone

While I could have sat there for quite a while, I had one more object for the day: to reach the highest point on the island, the ‘glaid stone‘. To get there, you have to follow the road that passes the Garrison House and steadily climbs until reaching the summit of the island. I was looking forward to seeing the views but I was immediately distracted by the Cathedral of the Isles which is the smallest Cathedral in the United Kingdom. I had to stop in and have a look (it is completely free to have a look around).

The Sign in the Town: The Glaid Stone is in the Centre

The Beautiful Cathedral of the Isles

The Pretty Interior & the Atmospheric Path

Climbing to the Centre of the Island (Note the spire of the cathedral in the centre of the picture)

The road winds through farmland and, while consistently uphill, is never what I would call ‘steep’. The summer this year in Scotland has been exceptional and this day was no exception: the grey clouds from earlier had vanished and the sky was turning blue and it was very warm. The island really is set-up for visitors as even this road had some strategically deployed benches making the walk comfortable even in the heat.

The views were only improving.

The View to Arran

The Glaid Stone: The Highest Point on Cumbrae

The views from the top stretched in all directions. The Isle of Arran with it’s towering hills in the west, the Isle of Bute to the north-west, the Paps of Jura and beyond. The walk to the summit of this little island had been well worth it. Also worth mentioning is just to the right of the cairn above was a well-placed bench.

Did I mention I like benches?

ThatGuyBry: Bench Expert

All that was left was to descend to the north and head for the ferry slip where the Loch Shira was waiting. I’d had a great day on this often overlooked little Island. The ease of access, the views & scenery and the pretty town of Millport had all made for a great day.

If you fancy an adventure a little out of the ordinary, why not visit Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae?

The Loch Shira: My Ticket Home

Comments

  1. Down loaded your tour, brought back memories. lived on the island from 1942 till 53, My father was the officer l/c of Hush Hush submarine detection station,part of H.M.S Bembow Clyde security operations. Now live in Natal South Africa.
    b

    1. Author

      It really is a beautiful island and I’m glad my blog brought back some memories for you.

      Thanks for your comment!

  2. Best views are from the golf course. Makes a lovely golf outing.

  3. Thank you for the tour! We’re located outside NY City so we’d love to explore there. Hoping we can get there before too long (when travel is back for us). Take care

    1. Author

      Thank you for your kind comment!

      If you ever visit the island let me know how you got on.

  4. You also missed out the Druid’s Stone or Standing Stone as you near the wood at the top of of the Ferry Road on your right. There is a path which takes you over the hill facing Largs. You can’t access the wood but If you look carefully to your left you can see the stone through the trees. It all looks very mysterious and atmospheric.

    1. Author

      Hi Marie,

      Thanks for highlighting some of the things I missed! If I’m ever back on the Island I will be sure to check those Stone’s out. Just shows how much the island has to offer!

  5. I’m lucky,I have family on the island so I get to walk over it a lot.The Inner circle walk includes a lot of what you’ve described and if you’re lucky you won’t be disappointed.
    My favourite view from the Glaid Stone is NW towards the Kyles of Bute and Ben Lomand in the far north.

    1. Author

      The island has a fantastic variety in the views it provides. I loved the view over to Arran! There are so many options when it comes to routes around the island for different tastes or abilities.

      So worth visiting!

    1. Author

      Agreed: it looks pretty dramatic when it’s wild and gorgeous when it’s sunny!

  6. I was born in Millport. This is a great review of my island. The review makes me miss the place even more

    1. Author

      Thanks for the kinds words Neil. The island is beautiful: you should definitely plan a wee return!

  7. Thanks for this, nice to read. We went last weekend and a horrible rain storm blew in, the skies were so atmospheric.

    1. Author

      Thank’s Franci for your nice comment. Such a shame to hear you had bad weather for your visit! The island is beautiful though and I bet the skies were very dramatic.

  8. I’m planning a day trip to Millport and wondering if it’d be nice to walk instead of cycle and after reading about your trip I think that’s exactly what we’ll do. We had a stunning day on Cumbrae last year cycling round with the dog in a trailer and playing on the beach for so long we nearly missed the last bus to the ferry! Thanks for sharing your route and pictures, they’re great!

    1. Author

      Thank you so much Rebekah, your comment was lovely to read.

      I’m really glad you are considering walking around the island: there is barely any traffic and the slower pace really lets you take in the beautiful views. I’d definitely recommend it.

  9. Very well presented and will do nothing but good for the island. I have known Cumbrae snce 1933 and spent some of the war years there with my grandparents. Guy, no mention of The Wishing Well, The Lion Rock or The Aquarium – next time, perhaps.
    Ps Only one misplaced apostrophe, not bad. Best wishes from Venezuela.
    Peter McLean.

    1. Author

      Thanks Peter!
      I also hunted down that apostrophe…I don’t know how it eneded up where it did!
      Unfortunately, I left out a few features of the island because they weren’t on my route but I may add them in future if I revise the article.

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