Millport, Cumbrae

Etymology[edit]

The Gaelic name Cumaradh means "place of the Cymric people", referring to the Brittonic-speaking inhabitants of the Kingdom of Strathclyde. Alternatively, the name Cumbrae may derive from Kil Maura meaning "cell or church of a female saint".

History

The Garrison House in the centre of town, constructed in 1745, was formerly the barracks/Captain's mansion, then the home of the Earl of Glasgow, and is now in community ownership (see "Current Developments" below).

During the development of the River Clyde as a main thoroughfare for goods, shipbuilding and smuggling, Millport was a strategic base for Customs and Excise. Several of the streets in Millport are named after crew members of the Revenue cutter Royal George.

The Victorian era was a period of rapid growth, both in terms of population, governance, amenities and property. To the west and east of the old harbour, many fine Victorian and Edwardian villas were built, along with new tenements. These still form the backbone of the housing stock.

The Cathedral of the Isles of the Scottish Episcopal Church, completed in 1851 and which seats only 100 people, is the smallest cathedral in Great Britain. There are also claims that it is the smallest cathedral in Europe.

Recent developments

The Garrison House was badly damaged after an arson attack in 2001. Cumbrae Community Development Company, the local development trust, made a successful bid to the National Lottery and other funders to enable the building to be re-constructed for community benefit. After several years of work renovation of the property was completed in 2008 at a total cost of £5 million. It now houses the Museum of the Cumbraes, a library, council offices, a GP surgery and the Garrison Cafe. The Garrison Model Rail Club, located in cabins on the grounds at Garrison House, welcomes visits to its model railway layouts each week.

Currently a large development of around 40 family sized homes is underway between the Millport Bowling Club and Penmachrie Farm. It is notable that the houses are being built primarily by private individuals - with the land having been sold off in the form of single plots.

Retail facilities

Millport has several independently owned shops. Amongst the shops available are newsagents, grocers, craft and gift shops, clothes shops, electrical and hardware stores. There are three cycle hire shops, with several hundred bicycles between them.

There is a Chinese restaurant,a chip shop and several other restaurants making eating out easy.

Tourism

Millport, along with Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, is famous with generations of daytrippers from Glasgow as one of the resorts visited going "doon the watter" (down the water), meaning taking a trip aboard a River Clyde paddle steamer. At one time it was common for visitors to stay for several weeks over the summer, however nowadays the primary tourist trade comes in the form of daytrippers. This is mostly due to the growth of package holidays to Spain and the Balearics in the 1960s. It is still possible to experience a traditional day out courtesy of PS Waverley which calls at Millport twice a week during the summer, once originating at Ayr and once at Glasgow.

One of the best known landmarks in Millport is the Crocodile Rock on the foreshore. It has been a feature since at least 1913, as it was that year that Robert Brown was acknowledged by the council for the work.

The town hosts the annual Millport Country and Western Festival during the first week in September, and a fireworks display is held during September Weekend. Millport has the world's narrowest house, The Wedge which at its front, measures just 47 inches or 1.19 metres. The house is 22 feet long by 11 feet wide at its widest point.

Millport Bay contains a number of free-to-use visitor moorings, and is a popular destination for sailors in the summer. There is a small boat yard at the western end of the town. There are wide sandy beaches close to the centre of town for paddling and swimming. A live webcam of Kames Bay can be seen here.

Recreation

Millport has an 18-hole golf course, with spectacular views over the Arran hills and the Firth of Clyde. Other recreational facilities include a crazy golf course and two football pitches, one at either end of the town and a children's play area near the boat yard. For fishing, there are two fresh water reservoirs beside the golf course where fly fishing is available and excellent sea fishing, primarily for mackerel, is available. The best place for this is from the rocks at Farland Point, just inside the town limits. Many people take advantage of the level perimeter road around the island to walk and cycle the circuit of just over 10 miles.

FSC Millport

The Field Studies Council (FSC) began operation of FSC Millport field centre in 2014 following closure of the University Marine Biological Station Millport run by the University of London (UoL) in 2013. The FSC built new classrooms and accommodation to cater for school and university visitors undertaking field studies as well as Real Family Holidays.

Located on the eastern shore of the Isle of Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde, FSC Millport is ideally situated for marine biological teaching and research, sheltered and within easy reach of a wide range of marine habitats, such as rocky, sandy and muddy shores, salt marshes, a large estuary, and deep water with soft mud, gravel and rocky bottoms.

The centre has an illustrious heritage which began in 1885 when Sir John Murray, a pioneering Scottish oceanographer, marine biologist and limnologist set up an 84 ft lighter as a floating laboratory which he called 'The Ark'. Murray had previously been naturalist on The Challenger and he selected Cumbrae as the best place to pursue his interest in marine biology. A committee was formed in 1894 to build the Marine Station and although Murray died before it was completed, the scientists he brought to the island helped define early studies in Marine Biology.

David Robertson was a Scottish naturalist, also known as the ‘Cumbrae Naturalist’. He established Millport as an important area for biological research, and at his suggestion more scientists came to study there.

National Centre Cumbrae

Great Cumbrae is lucky enough to be host to a watersports centre which teaches a wide range of courses including sailing, windsurfing, paddlesports, cruising and yachtmasters. The centre has chalet-style buildings offering accommodation as well as teaching spaces and a gym. The centre also accommdates dive groups.

Transport links

In spite of its relatively remote feel, Millport is only one hour's travel from major transport hubs. Millport is easily accessible by public transport via the train at Largs, with a ferry journey of only seven minutes. A convenient bus meets each ferry giving the town excellent connections.