Latest news with #FirthOfClyde
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The charming Scottish seaside resort that survived against all odds
Gone are the days when half of Glasgow thrashed 'doon the water' on holidays to the Firth of Clyde resorts. The advent of cheap jet travel has spirited Glaswegians off to the Spanish Costas, sounding the Clyde's death knell. Ayr no more. Ardrossan no more. One resort town, though, survived the onslaught. Largs is the beguiling Clydeside resort they forgot to close down. Behind the town's evergreen tourist appeal are an embarrassment of natural charms. The emerald cloak of the surprisingly wild (and wildly beautiful) Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park provides a rugged natural amphitheatre, with Knock Hill a brilliantly rewarding yomp. The famed beachfront promenade unfurls over two miles, with Great Cumbrae sparkling just across the water. The isles of Bute and Arran glower beyond, competing with the hills of Argyll for cinematic attention. 'Largs is lovely and it just oozes nostalgia,' beams Janet Martin of Tasting History Scotland Tours, who hasn't looked back since moving up from Kent 40 years ago. There is only one place for us to meet – Nardini's, a graceful old Art Deco ice-cream parlour and café that ushers us gently into a different time. It's a warmer, more innocent world, the 1930s when the 'war to end all wars' had supposedly brought enduring peace to a war-ravaged Britain. 'That was a different Britain back then and visitors today enjoy tapping into the comfort of that age and its heritage,' muses Janet. If the name Nardini sounds familiar it's because – outside of Scotland's west coast – it's more synonymous with the actress Daniela Nardini, who scooped ice creams for customers as a child long before winning awards for her role as Anna Forbes in the BBC Two series This Life. Her Scottish family of Italian heritage are part of Largs' solid Ayrshire sandstone backbone. Their Art Deco creation has stood proudly since 1935, even surviving the dark days of the Second World War, when all able-bodied Italian men of fighting age were incarcerated on the Isle of Wight, despite one of the Nardini family fighting for the Allies in the Great War. In its heyday, a six-man orchestra struck up and a crooner sashayed around charming customers. The stage still stands. Though there is no live music today I savour delicious nostalgia with traditional haddock and chips and a strawberry milkshake topped up with double cream. Long gone, of course, are the halcyon days when dozens of paddle steamers swished into Largs daily, disgorging delighted holidaymakers for meanders along the town's palm-fringed waterfront. The palms still sway, but only one paddle steamer – the heritage vessel PS Waverley – still calls in summer. You can catch one of the modern ferries that ease across to the island of Great Cumbrae, home to a cracking gin distillery, the trim village of Millport and the only cathedral in the Hebrides. That ferry link and the hourly train service are the oxygen that Largs needs to continue winning its battle for survival. The railway arrived in 1885. More hotels, guesthouses and cafes followed suit, along with Barrfields Theatre. Remarkably it's still open today and has had a swimming pool and history museum (Vikingar!) wrapped around it. The roster of past performers is as impressive as it is eclectic, with everyone from Billy Connolly and Gregor Fisher (Rab C. Nesbitt), through to Ronnie Corbett. During Largs' golden age most people came for a day trip or just a night, a trend that continues today, but historically some more unwelcome visitors lingered longer in the Firth of Clyde. Much longer. The Vikings first descended on the Scottish isles with the shock sacking of the religious community of Iona in 795 AD. They ravaged, settled and then ravaged again, seizing control of almost all of Scotland's islands, as far south as the Isle of Man, a Scottish possession at the time. At Vikingar!, local schoolkids learn that Largs had Thor long before Marvel, as they're stirred by proud tales of how the mighty Norse eventually met their match in the Battle of Largs in 1293. The museum's Joe Thompson tells me, 'Largs was pivotal as it's when we finally sent the Vikings home to think again. Without Largs, Scotland today might have been very different.' Largs really does spread its wings far and wide. A plaque marks the sight of the hotel where Churchill and Eisenhower cemented Normandy as the site of D-Day landings. William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, inventor of the Kelvin Scale, loved Largs so much he built a mansion here and Largs luminary Sir Thomas Brisbane made such an impact as governor of New South Wales they named Queensland's capital after him. Largs has also had a seismic impact on football. The roll-call of managers who have honed their skills or taught at the legendary Inverclyde National Sports Centre, overlooking the town, includes Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Kenny Dalglish, Roy Hodgson, Jose Mourinho, Fabio Capello and Giovanni Trapattoni. Footballers may hate sitting on the bench, but people in Largs love them. The resort must have more benches – and more shades of them – per capita than anywhere in Britain. They're well-used: a couple share their love of Nardini's ice cream with their daughter, while a brace of fish-supper quaffing bikers fend off the gulls and two mature gents bemoan another defeat for Scotland at Hampden Park. My head swims in thoughts of the famous Largs alumni; my heart sways at the Arran Hills poking through the cloud that hangs low over the isles. I make a last stop on the waterfront at a pub called The Paddle Steamer. As the slick modern hybrid CalMac ferry glides in I raise a toast to Largs, the Clyde resort that survived against the odds.
Daily Mail
15-06-2025
- Daily Mail
A massive search operation launched on the Firth of Clyde amid reports of a man overboard
A massive search operation was launched in the Firth of Clyde yesterday afternoon amid concern a man had gone overboard. The passenger was reported missing on the Gourock to Dunoon service after disappearing while fetching something from his car. The man, believed to be in his sixties, vanished from the Western Ferries vessel shortly after telling his wife that he needed to get something from the boot of their vehicle. When he failed to come back, she raised the alarm. Emergency services including the RNLI, Coastguard and Police Scotland officers joined the search after the alert was raised at around 1.30pm. CalMac ferries stopped services for safety reasons amid the operation and said its MV Ali Cat was aiding the search for the missing passenger. A Coastguard helicopter flew a search pattern over the Gourock- Dunoon route and surrounding areas. It was airborne for most of the afternoon before refuelling at Prestwick at 5.38pm. Coastguard crews searched on foot along the Gourock waterfront while police officers were deployed to the nearby ferry terminal. Western Ferries also suspended sailings on the route. In Dunoon, a Western Ferries operator said he had been told no boats would serve the 20-minute journey for the rest of the day, or at least until 'the search' was over. He said: 'I've just been told not to let anyone else into the car park and inform people that the only way they're going to get out of here today is by road.' One hotelier, whose rooms were filled with passengers stranded on the Dunoon side of the route, said: 'The way the current's going he could be at Holy Loch or Helensburgh by now.' Another passenger said the incident had left everyone on board 'traumatised'. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: 'HM Coastguard are responding to reports of a person overboard between the Hunter's Quay and Gourock area. 'An HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter has been tasked to conduct a search, alongside Coastguard rescue teams from Largs and Dunoon, in addition to RNLI lifeboats from Helensburgh and Largs.' Late last night the emergency services said the search had been called off until morning.
The Independent
15-06-2025
- The Independent
Person goes overboard on UK ferry with major search operation underway
A person has fallen overboard from a ferry in the Firth of Clyde. A search is now under way following the incident between Dunoon and Gourock on Sunday afternoon. An HM Coastguard helicopter was dispatched alongside an RNLI lifeboat. CalMac said its MV Ali Cat vessel is also assisting the search. It's understood the person fell from a Western Ferries vessel. A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said: 'HM Coastguard are responding to reports of a person overboard between the Hunter's Quay and Gourock area in Scotland. 'An HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter has been tasked to conduct a search, alongside coastguard rescue teams from Largs and Dunoon, in addition to RNLI lifeboats from Helensburgh and Largs. 'Nearby vessels have been called to assist. Police Scotland and Scottish Ambulance Service are also in attendance. 'The situation is ongoing.'
BBC News
15-06-2025
- BBC News
Search after person goes overboard from Dunoon-Gourock ferry
A person has gone overboard from a passenger ferry in the Firth of crews, including the service's helicopter, and lifeboat personnel have launched a search following the incident between Dunoon and Gourock on Sunday HM Coastguard spokesperson said teams from Largs and Dunoon alongside lifeboats from Largs and Helensburgh were responding to the Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service are also in attendance. This is a breaking story and will be updated shortly. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
A look at some of the spectacular vessels that visited the Clyde this week
IT has been another busy week of action on the Firth of Clyde, with vessels of all shapes and sizes cutting their path through the water. From giant cruise ships to mighty military craft, there's been something to interest everyone off the Inverclyde coast. Here's four memorable vessels from the past week... MS Amera (Image: George Munro) A cruise ship registered in the Bahamas was the latest luxury vessel to call in at Greenock on Tuesday. MS Amera arrived at the Ocean Terminal just after 9am as part of a 14-day trip around the UK and Ireland. Launched in 1988 as the Royal Viking Sun, when she was christened by legendary American actor James Stewart and his wife Gloria, the ship has operated under the Amera name since 2019. USS Thomas Hudner (Image: Colin Traveller) A UNITED States Navy vessel named in honour of American war hero was spotted in the Firth of Clyde on Wednesday. USS Thomas Hudner's roles have involved anti-aircraft, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, as well as strike operations. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer was launched in April 2017, having been built at Bath Iron Works in Maine. Le Boreal (Image: George Munro) This arrival that sailed into Greenock on Thursday morning didn't stay long as she whisked people from Inverclyde away on a magical Scottish adventure. Le Boreal docked at Greenock's Ocean Terminal at around 10am but unlike many of the cruise ships visiting this summer, Le Boreal's crew weren't watching passengers disembark for a day in Inverclyde or a trip elsewhere. Instead they were welcoming passengers on board for a week-long tour of Scotland's west coast. RFA Tidesurge (Image: Brian Thompson) A Royal Fleet Auxiliary replenishment tanker built in South Korea was one of the largest vessels in the area this week. RFA Tidesurge was captured off Gourock on Sunday and early on Monday morning before she headed for Loch Long. She is one of four Tide-class tankers designed to provide underway replenishment at sea capability and support to the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers.
