Thursday, 21 August 2025

Great Cumbrae and Millport.

                                                    ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN. 


As it's been a few years since I've visited Millport and Great Cumbrae I thought it was time for a return trip so this day walk occurred mid July of 2025. According to the blog my last visit happened just before Covid lockdown, early 2020, with snow still covering the Arran peaks. This time it was the school summer holidays so I suspected it would be busy, arriving in Largs by car just before 10:00am. Like everywhere else these days it can be hard to get parked if you arrive after that time though in Largs you can always get parked in a quiet back street in the fringes of the town. Largs above, near where I parked.


A view of Largs in the other direction, toilet block on this grass slope still open and free to use. As is the parking strip here. Horray! I'd deliberately picked a cloudy overcast day as I thought it would be less busy coupled with the fact that I was finding Scottish summers a bit too warm now for my liking with high humidity and an average of 22c (71 f)  to 28c (82f) throughout July. Summers used to be cool in Scotland mostly but for the past few years from May to September it has been warm enough to sit indoors with just shorts on, nothing else, not even socks, past midnight. And as my bedroom faces the sun all day, even with blinds closed and windows shut, it can reach oven like night time temperatures, brick walls and attic acting as storage heaters. Which is handy in winter but if it keeps up I may have to invest in a cooler unit rather than just a fan, Scottish houses, up until very recently, not requiring any air con in them. On days when it's above 25c I just drape a damp sheet over the bed before going to sleep, like a mosquito net, and this does help to cool the air beneath it.... and me. Cheap DIY air con.


The island of Great Cumbrae from Largs as seen from the Gogo Water. Great Cumbrae is not very big, around 16km following the coastal road around it, so this is most of it in this view apart from the town of Millport, out of shot on the left hand side.


The great thing about it is it's easy to get to, a mere ten minutes crossing and with 26 sailings a day in summer you can just turn up, as a foot passenger, and if you miss one ferry another turns up 15 minutes later. A real bonus in modern times as so many places and things now require you to pre book in advance rather than just turn up on the day. Sometimes weeks or months early. Even pre booking years ahead in certain popular cases. The down side of smart phones and the internet. Obviously if you want to take a car across you may have to book that.


Unlike every other time I got a bus into Millport. I usually walk across the island via the highpoint, The Glaid Stone at 127 metres (416 feet) which has great views and rural island scenery but this time I wanted to explore Millport more. Free bus travel with my over 60s card too but bus (£4?) and ferry (4:50?) combined still under £10 for one day return foot passenger. The reason for the ? is because I got an OAP discount on the ferry and never thought to look at the full price but the younger guy next to me was charged £4 return on bus. This is worth it as it's still a great little island. Part of Millport above and where I got off the bus as I wanted to walk into the town from the outskirts along the coastline.   


A rock garden.


Getting nearer. One of several sandy beaches in Millport. It is also a great island to explore at any time of year and I have enjoyed many memorable winter trips here in the past with the Arran peaks plastered in snow, crunching across this beach on a carpet of ice. Yet still a fine outing as it was sunny with no wind and surprisingly pleasant. Far less tourists about then.


This time it was as busy as I've seen it with maybe around 300 to 500 folk on the island in total but obviously I've avoided photographing them all where possible. I was surprised, given the number of people around, to see several of the outlying small shops were shut ( it was a Saturday.) as I'd assumed this was the time to make money if any money was to be had. But maybe with online sales they did not need to be open. Or maybe covid hit them hard. A puzzle that one fleeting visit would not solve. The bike shop, hiring all kinds of bikes including multi group vehicles, ( like 4 to 6 person peddle golf carts) and adult with child trailers I spotted all around the coastal road. Many folk also brought their own bikes across with them on the ferry.


I don't remember this wall and benches on my last visit as I think I might have photographed it if I had spotted it then but new or otherwise I was certainly impressed by it. A nice feature.


Apart from an attractive walkway and seating it may also double as flood defences.


I think I'm right in saying that all the islands in the Firth of Clyde are volcanic in origin. Volcanic plugs or ancient lava flows. This may explain why Millport has such an attractive shoreline with several small islands, rocky pools and stone platforms as well as sandy beaches. 


I forgot how beautiful it actually is here and it has retained its old fashioned feel. Nothing wrong with that as everyone I passed... be it eating ice cream cones, or cycling, or walking, or sitting, or playing crazy golf, or bouncing on the inflatable amusements looked really happy. And no one, for a change, appeared glued to their smart phones.


The painted Crocodile Rock was still getting families approaching it for a better look....

 


 An old family favourite for generations of children. 

but I found a larger creature lurking nearby. The less well known Dragon Rock.


The world's narrowest house is still going strong in central Millport. It even has it's own QR code now. ( black door and one window above it. Enough room for a bed, a TV and a chair presumably. That would do me. Don't need much else for a holiday bolt hole.)


The magic island. Some local walks. This was why I took the bus as it gave me a chance to explore and the energy to do some local Millport paths I hadn't done before. It was still hot and humid, around 24c but I arrived fresh, thanks to the bus.


First footpath sign I spotted led straight uphill from the town centre to a white/grey church which was getting renovated.


This is it here.


A path on the right hand side of the church took me round the top of Millport's outskirts.


It was all very Alice in Wonderland and I didn't mind being Alice for a day. No summer dress though. I draw the line at that.  The rabbits would show up later :o) White or otherwise.


Being high summer it was a bit overgrown in places but still easy to follow...


Past the Cheshire Cat.... not looking very cheery here though. Smile ye not... Hot summer and a thick fur coat maybe not the best combination.


And down again past a bridge troll.


After a good wander around the various town trails I decided to walk the full length of the western coastal road as that is the longest route around the island and as such one I've only done a handful of times over the decades... and the opposite side to the bus route.


There is a pavement all the way round this road and being high summer it was covered in flowering wild plants. 

It is the wildest and most rugged part of this small island and to my imaginative mind, in the sticky heat, it did start to resemble a smaller version of Hawaii ( A higher and more recent volcanic chain of islands which was used for the Jurassic Park films... and the TV series Lost.) 


Large impenetrable cliffs follow the coast road here most of the way with birds of prey, ravens, crows and large gulls soaring in the skies above. Still don't think it looks like Jurassic Park....?  


Well .... all of these latter day dinosaurs are meat eaters so the White or Grey rabbit (s) stood no chance. Cars on Great Cumbrae have increased slightly, especially in high summer, but the roads are still quiet enough for safe cycling. 


From the birds point of view it's ideal. Sit on your bum on the cliff edge until a bunny gets run over then glide down and have breakfast, lunch or dinner. See.... Just like the Jurassic Park of Scotland... yet only a tenner to get here. Dozens and dozens of bikes trundled past me but I appeared to be the only one walking.


A more secluded beach on this remoter side of the island with not a soul on it. As morning passed into afternoon and the muggy weather increased it got very dark and thundery. You couldn't see Arran at all and could barley see Bute. Both other larger neighbouring islands in the Firth of Clyde


I began to think a thunderstorm was brewing... which would have matched the lush and  sweaty tropical climate at this point.


The mainland at Largs was even darker...


...but although it threatened to produce thunder and lightening it did not rain.


This was a morning shot taken from the Ferry. Largs and 'The Knock.' (The small green hill.)


And this was my return to Largs in the late afternoon. I walked around 12 miles or 19km in total, most of it on hard pavements so I was a bit footsore returning to the car. A great day out though.


Still a magic island. A hill cottage above the town of Largs.


The 'Indian face'. Is it a fierce warrior.....

Or a look TV viewers in recent times know all too well. Does not look fierce from this angle.  More like....the end game is near.

Friday, 15 August 2025

Levengrove Park and The Havoc Grasslands Walk.

                                                 ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN.


This was a walk taken in early June 2025. Unlike most of the Glasgow parks, which, due to council cash restrictions and maintenance cut backs you can usually see weeds, brambles and ferns growing up through the various park hedges and hard to reach places ( which once were immaculate and well cared for, around a decade ago) Levengrove Park in Dumbarton is still in great condition. So beautiful and otherworldly it reminds me of the 1970s paintings of Gage Taylor, Bill Martin and the other visionary artists of that time period who created hyper real worlds of fantastic complexity and fine detail (Like South Aquaria or The Road) painting collection photo books which I still have.


I love coming here for the often unusual plants in the flower beds, which change with the seasons


Black flag Iris. (I think.)


And the perfectly sculpted look of the place.


Balls of Allium.


It is like entering another world. One without potholes or endless cut backs to public services. ( "There will be no return to austerity measures for the UK!... er...let's just call it something else instead then. Any suggestions around the room? Speak up. "   "How about rebranding some of them as... Green Initiatives?"   "Brilliant idea! Lets go with that then.")


It's a lovely park, made even better by running down a green slope to the River Clyde Estuary and a wide expanse of blue water.


In June covered in a lush deep carpet of buttercups and other wild flowers. With the rolling low hills of Renfrewshire and Inverclyde situated just across the water from the park.


Kilpatrick Hills and The Lang Craigs from Levengrove Park.


I might not get to Heaven, if it exists, but this will do me.


And in my minds eye I see... a focus point. A fountain of youth... perhaps.


Apart from this lovely park you can also do a 2 to 3 hour walk downstream along the edge of the River Clyde Estuary towards the Havoc Grasslands, past Brucehill and Westcliff, where a road tunnel under the railway line (Havoc Road) means you can either walk back along the main Cardross Road through Dumbarton to the park or go a shorter distance inland from the shoreline path, returning via a more inland track a mere arrow shot from the coastal path, but offering different views. 


The coastal path walking in the direction of Cardross ( or Port Glasgow, visible across the water here, above.)


Havoc Grasslands. Another path slightly inland which takes you back to the park without going up into the urban sprawl of housing. A longer different walk from Levengrove Park is the path/cycle track up the left hand bank of the River Leven to Balloch where you can get a train back to either Glasgow or Dalreoch Station in Dumbarton if you left your car at the park. 


You can go as far up this coastal path as the sewage works where an obvious pedestrian trail gets you past the railway line on the western outskirts of Dumbarton ( Westcliff) then up through a small wood to reach Cardross Road. Yet another route runs in the other direction, crossing the River Leven to gain access to Dumbarton Rock and castle then the shoreline path past it upriver to Dumbarton's right hand outskirts returning via Glasgow Road (A814)  All are good day or half day walks with plenty of interest.


Several caves near the Havoc Road exit. Formed when the sea level was much higher and at some future date may again experience waves crashing into them when the polar icecaps melt further.


A fit trail near Westcliff in Dumbarton. The return route I picked this time although it was a seat and a 10 min rest break I was interested in here not gymnastics as it was a hot day. It's been a very hot summer so far in 2025 and I've been very glad of mature trees, walking under their cool shade, whenever available.


This is why I love June though. The 'cream season' of buttercups and daisies. Nature at its finest and most colourful.


Dumbarton Rock. A view the Vikings (and ancient Rome) witnessed when the former lay siege to it. Ancient tribal seat of the Britons. Link here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumbarton_Castle


Royal purple.


Wild dog rose. The sweetest perfume out there. The scent of angels.


On the way back through the park I was lucky enough to spot a kayak group on the River Leven.


Sea kayaks. You can kayak down the River Leven but it's one I would recommend for more experienced kayakers as low tide rapids under Dumbarton's older stone bridge ( Bridge Street) means it's only accessible to cross safely at high tide and it's a short but dangerous river after heavy rainfall with turbulent currents, bends, and overhanging tree branches to look out for and avoid. Only to be attempted in calm conditions, like this, as it drains all of Loch Lomond after rainfall. Unless you are an expert kayaker and like wild, fast rivers. ( these are not fast river kayaks, good for distance work not sharp turns.)


A good ending to the walk.

And this is even better. If you only watch one video on here it should be this one. Five minutes of beautiful imagery and sounds. Art at its very best. What I always strive for in my posts as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ps62if38WQ&list=RD8ps62if38WQ&start_radio=1