Gavin's Glen

Sails between Largs and Cumbrae

The Gouklan Stone stands in the southeast corner of Gouklan Wood.

The Gouklan Stone stands in the southeast corner of Gouklan Wood.

The small boat passed too fast and too close for the liking of the captain of the ferry who gave several warning blasts on the horn to no avail.

Tomont End at the north point of Great Cumbrae is the site of a Monument, which was erected by the Officers of HMS Shearwater in memory of two midshipmen who were drowned nearby. To the Memory of Mr. Charles D. Cayley, aged 17 years and Mr. William N. Jewall, aged 19 years, Midshipmen of H.M.S. 'Shearwater'. Promising young officers, drowned in the upsetting of their boat near this place, 17 May, 1844. In the summer of 1844 HMS Shearwater under the command of Commander Charles Gepp Robinson was surveying the west coast of Scotland. By mid May they had reached Largs Bay and on the afternoon of Friday 17th was at anchor. Two young midshipman from the Shearwater, Charles Cayley and William Jewell, borrowed a small sailing boat to amuse themselves. They were out near the north end of Cumbrae when a strong north-east wind caught them and drove their boat bow-first under the waves taking the boys with it. This was observed by the crew of another Government steamer in the bay called Vulcan which, having its steam up, went to the rescue. Unfortunately all they could recover were the boys' caps. There was a thorough search for their bodies but they could not be found. The monument was erected by Captain Robinson and Officers of HMS Shearwater. H M S Shearwater was a wooden paddle steamer Royal Navy surveying ship with a displacement of 328 tons. She was constructed in Harwich in 1827 and launched as a Post Office Steam Packet called Dolphin. In 1837 she was acquired by the Royal Navy and commissioned in 1840 at Liverpool as Shearwater. After surveying the coasts of Wales and Scotland she was sold off in 1857. Charles Gepp Robinson was born in 1805 in Devon and joined the navy in 1819. For two years he was stationed in the North Sea. He then sailed the coasts of east and west Africa until 1829 searching for slave ships and indeed managed to capture three. Robinson then joined the Surveying Department working mainly in Scotland, Wales and the Mediterranean until 1856. He became a Rear-Admiral in 1864 and Vice-Admiral in 1871 and died in 1875 at his home in Oban.

Wee Minnemoer Bothy is the home of Millport Curling Club which was founded in 1838. The first President was John Wishart from a report of a meeting held in the Kelburne Arms. The bothy was built by William Wishart about 1845. In these early years curling on Cumbrae was run less formally but from 1925 the Curling Club has flourished and more recently ladies were admitted to the club as members. The Club has been and remains active in many competitions organised by the Argyll Province and the Royal Club.

St Maura and Haakon played an important role in the history of Great Cumbrae.

The island is more generally known as "The Big Cumbrae" or just "Millport" after its main town.

Looking across to the Isle of Great Cumbrae from near to the pier in Largs.

This Trig Point (or triangulation pillar) is on the highest point of Great Cumbrae island at 417' (127m). The views can be stunning from here apparently - unfortunately this was not the case at the time of our visit as low cloud and rain obscured any such views.

The Glaid Stone is a glacial erratic deposited on top of Barbay Hill on Great Cumbrae in the last Ice Age. It is c. 12' (3.6m) long with a cross section of c. 4' x 4' (1.2m x 1.2m)

Loch Shira is the larger of two (small) CalMac ferries that service Great Cumbrae from Largs. It is seen here approaching the Cumbrae ferry terminal - which is little more than a slipway!

This track with rough steps leads from a car pull-in on the minor road which climbs up Barbay Hill to the highest point on Great Cumbrae marked by NS1657 : Great Cumbrae - Barbay Hill - Trig point.

Minnemoer is a small loch on the slopes of Barbay Hill. It is seen here from NS1657 : Great Cumbrae - Barbay Hill - Track to the Trig point

This boulder, near to both NS1657 : Great Cumbrae - Barbay Hill - Trig point and NS1657 : Great Cumbrae - Barbay Hill - The Glaid Stone has a little plaque attached to it with the heading "Great are the works of the Lord" (a quotation from Psalm 111).

The obelisk-shaped monument at Tomont End was erected by the captain and officers of HMS Shearwater in memory of two young crewmen who drowned when the ship capsized in 1844. The inscription reads: “To the memory of Mr Charles D Cayley, aged 17 years, and Mr William N Jewall, aged 19 years, Midshipmen of HMS ‘Shearwater’. Promising young officers, drowned in the upsetting of their boat near this place, 17 May, 1844. This Monument is erected in token of their worth by: Captain Robinson and Officers of the above-named vessel.”