Largs
On the West coast in North Ayrshire, overlooking the Firth of Clyde is a small town called Largs. The original name comes from the Scottish Gaelic (An Leargaidh) which means, the slopes. Popular with tourists, it is a busy place especially when the weather is nice. Scotland is experiencing one of its driest spells for sixty years and it’s been more or less sunshine all the way for weeks. At the time of writing we are not under any water usage restrictions yet, but we are being advised to limit our consumption while the authorities keep a close eye on the situation. Of course, the cracking weather makes a difference, especially when taking time out to visit places.
Largs has a pier that was constructed in 1834 and today a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry service provides access to Great Cumbrae, an island just a short journey away. Historically there are connections with the Vikings, and you can visit the Vikingar Centre, which provides an interactive look into this period. Nardini’s is an ice cream parlour, cafe and restaurant and its fame is such you would be hard pushed to find a Scot who has not heard of this venue, let alone visited at some point.
I love being by the sea. Some of my earliest recollections involve days out to the beach and playing by the water, and every time I visit the coast, the sights, sounds and smells trigger these memories. Sitting back with a fish supper in hand, watching the sea and the birds, is one of those moments that connects me back to my childhood. Fish and chips was a treat when I was a lad. It’s not exactly cheap today, but when I was growing up, money was tight and a careful watch was kept on the pennies. This was the norm in the community I grew up in. Even today, although I can afford to, going out for fish and chips is rare. Doing so when visiting the coast still feels like a treat and the fish and chips always tastes the best I’ve had up to that point. I’ve just remembered that after the first Covid lockdown, I went out to Anstruther on the East coast and ate fish and chips while staring out to sea. Being out and about really did feel a treat then, making you realise how grateful we can be for simple pleasures.
However, I digress. Back to Largs. The image I’ve used for this blog is known as Magnus the Viking, which fits nicely with the history of the place. This art work can be seen along the front in the centre of town. There is the Pencil Monument, which was built in 1912, so called because it is long and thin just like a pencil. It commemorates the Battle of Largs in 1263, when the Scots defeated King Haco of Norway’s troops on the shore at Largs. St. Columba’s Parish Church is just down from Nardini’s cafe and is very impressive. Further along there are two other churches side by side, their respective steeples being quite eye-catching given their close proximity to one another. These are the Clark Memorial Church and St John’s Church. Outside of Largs there is Kelburn Castle, which is one of the oldest castles in Scotland. There wasn’t time to visit this or the Pencil Monument, so these are on the list for next time.
The Fiction Factory 