Inverclyde - Day 3

We decided to have a fairly easy day today. We drove to Gourock and parked in the station car park. We then caught the 10.20 Calmac ferry across the Clyde to Dunoon.

It only takes 20 minutes. Once we got there we climbed to the top of a hill to get a view around and get our bearings.

We then walked to Bishop's Glen Reservoir and through the woods that surround it. We saw a red squirrel.

The water was very still and had great reflections of the trees.

We then walked back through the woods and into the town.

We slowly strolled back to the ferry terminal, and caught one back to the other side.

Once back in Gourock we left Oscar in the campervan, and went for lunch. At Madeinitaly we shared a pepperoni pizza, which was very good.

We then drove home, arriving about 4pm.

Inverclyde - Day 2

In the morning we drove down the coast to Largs, and parked in the main car park. We then went for a circular walk, first along the promenade.

We then turned inland, and headed out of town and into farmland. As we got further round, the views over the Clyde started opening up.

Great Cumbrae is just off the coast at Larges.

We carried on and reached the top of Knock Hill, with its views of Bute and the Cowal peninsula.

The path made its way down to the lower coastal path, and we headed back towards Largs. We stopped to have our lunch at a picnic shelter next to a pond, with views down to the town and across to Bute.

Once back at the van we left Oscar and went for a stroll around town. To finish with we had an ice cream sundae at the famous Nardini's Café.

We headed to our camp site a couple of miles away, at South Whittlieburn Farm. It's very quiet, only one other campervan and a tent there.

There's quite a menagerie of animals at the farm: horses, chickens, geese, Bengal cats and some miniature goats which wander about eating everything in sight.

Later for dinner we had prawn Balti curry and rice.

Inverclyde - Day 1

We left the house at about 10am and drove west. We headed for the Visitor Centre at Greenock Cut in Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park. The centre was closed but we parked there and started our walk.

The area has reservoirs and waterways that were built in the industrial area to supply the shipyards, mills and other factories in Greenock and other towns on the Clyde.

The walk first passes the Compensation Reservoir, then the main Loch Thom reservoir, before heading up and over to smaller reservoirs called No. 1, No. 2 etc., up to No. 8.

The views opened up as we approached the Clyde.

As we turned left at the bottom of the hill, we started to walk beside the Greenock Cut. This is the aqueduct that takes water from the reservoirs to Greenock.

It's 5.6 miles long, with a good path beside it all the way. There are various bridges and sluice gates at intervals. It has been disused since 1971.

There are good views over the Clyde to the hills of the north.

Eventually we reached our starting point at the visitor centre, where the Cut begins.

Once back at the van, we drove to Wemyss Bay railway station. This is a very beautiful station building with curved steel and glass roof covering it, and the walkway down to the Rothesay Ferry.

It has a second-hand bookshop, Shirley bought a book and a jigsaw.

We then drove on to Lunderston Bay, where we planned to spend the night in the car park. It was quite busy to start with, with dog walkers and children playing in the play park. It did get quiet later, though the car park didn't completely empty till about midnight.

For dinner we had pasta and meatballs with tomato and chilli sauce.