A day on the Island of Great Cumbrae

[Catherine]

Cumbrae is a small island just off the Ayrshire coast. It is a wonderful place, where families go on biking holidays and enjoy being on safe roads with little traffic.

It only costs £25 for two people and a car to cross by ferry from Largs, and the views from the top of th island on a clear day are quite amazing - from Ben Lomond to the Isle of Arran, from the mainland to Kintyre. It's also a haven for birds and wildlife!

(First 2 pics in wrong order... can't fix!)

[Catherine]

Part two - More photos!

[Vastra]

The Lion Rock pic is just Fantastic!

[rolf]

Excellent series Catherine, really gives the flavour of the island, agree with Vastra, the Lion rock is great.

[ladylouise62]

"Lion Rock" really is a great name for it - although it looks like it has been put together with grey lego

It look like a lovely place - just the antidote to life down here in the packed South. But I think someone needs to tell the little boats - they can shepherd the sub as much as they want, but the sub will do exactly what it wants to do

As for the marine biology boat - it's very pointy. I don't know much about boats so I wonder why. My first thought would be an an icebreaker, but I suppose it could be something that helps keep it in the water in very choppy seas.

[Catherine]

Louise, I remember these rocks from childhood - the Crocodile Rock on Millport beach, the Lion Rock, a 'dyke' of solidified magma which forced its way through the softer rock which existed in far away volcanic times, Queen Victoria's face, the Indian's Head, etc.

The other side of the 'Lion' is actually even more impressive, with the 'mane' standing out in 3-D. (I've tried to find a really good pic from that side, but, taken against the south, I guess the lighting effect has made a shot like that rather difficult to balance)

The Marine Biology Station is run by the Universities of Glasgow and London. More info here - University Marine Biological Station Millport Click on 'Research Vessels' to find out more about them.

I could recommend a holiday in Millport to anyone, with its famous 'Joke Shop', its 'Country and Western Weekend' in summer and its Illuminations just now. I defy anyone to dislike it, and just know it would be loved by all on this site - by anyone still breathing in fact!

Scotland's National Sailing Centre is on the island, so you could learn to sail when you have parked your bike! Walking, Bird-watching, and catching the P.S. Waverley to visit other nearby islands could fill up your days there. You'll not want to leave it if you ever visit Cumbrae!

Here are a few more photos from a 'times gone by' - so you can see what I mean!

[ladylouise62]

It's all so lovely! That red sand is wonderful, and I love the 'gappy tooth' stretch of houses in picture 6.

It's so weird, but a week or so ago a friend of mine on Flickr posed a shot from N.Ireland with Islay in the background... the same-ish sort of area :-)