Great Cumbrae

10 miles / 17 km

This is the full circuit of this island just of the North Ayrshire coast. The circuit is taken anti-clockwise. The scenery is excellent and this is a great walk. It is a bucket list item too.

Hard

The road is flat throughout. It is exposed to the sun and the wind. The tarmac is good. The length of this walk makes this a hard walk. Plenty of drinks and good shoes is required. Millport has good shops and cafeterias. This is a great walk.

Train to Largs from Glasgow/Paisley/Johnstone 1 time an hour Ferry from Largs to Great Cumbrae 2 - 4 times an hour.

From the Largs train station, walk down the street to the left to the CalMac ticket office to get tickets/boarding passes for the ferry. The ferry itself is an attraction and the 8-minute-long sailing never fails to impress.
After disembarking, take the road to the right up the east coast until it turn to the left and enters the winding road on the north coast. The walk passes the HMS Shearwater monument which is a good place to take a break and remember those lost at sea around Great Cumbrae.




The road turns the corner to the west coast. The road is following this coast with it's great views towards Kilchattan Bay on Isle Of Bute, Isle of Bute and then the mountains at Isle Of Arran. The two following pictures speaks for themselves...






After passing the the Fintry cafeteria and then the monument to the many sailors lost at sea around this island, there is a good place here to take a rest and enjoy the scenery. In particular, the mountains on the Isle Of Arran.



The road gives way to a pavement and Little Cumbrae soon comes into view before the road/pavement is turning to the left and onto the south coast of the island.



The road/pavement is following the south coast past some chalets and over to the only hill climb on the whole walk... the 20 yards/meters climb up to Cardiff Street. Take the road to the right, down the hill to the bus stop next to King George Hotel. Continue along the shops or the promenade here. This is one of the great villages in Scotland.



Continue on the promenade around the bay here. This is normally a road most people does on the bus to and from the ferry. Which is a shame, I discovered when I walked it for the first time. The three following pictures will prove my point.









The road turns the corner again and is heading north to the ferry. This road, make that coast (the east coast) is nowhere near as interesting as the west coast of this island. It is still a very good walk with some rugged stone formations at first..




The rocks soon gives way to farm fields and a more gentle coastline. The walk up to the ferry is a stroll and a pleasure.



This great walk ends at the ferry.

The ferry back to Largs runs 4 times an hour.

The McGill's Bus 901 from Largs to Wemyss Bay/Gourock/Greenock/Braehead/Glasgow 4 times an hour (highly recommended).
The McGill's Bus 901 from Largs to Wemyss Bay/Greenock/Braehead/Glasgow 4 times an hour (not recommended).
The train from Largs to /Glasgow 1 time an hour (not recommended).

(For travellers to Paisley, I recommend McGill's Bus 901 to Port Glasgow and then the Port Glasgow - Paisley train 4 times an hour.)