January 30, 2025

Scottish Island Adventures - Cumbrae - with hosts Coinneach Macleod, the Hebridean Baker, singer-songwriter Natalie Galloway, and guest Gavin Mitchell

31 minutes

Cumbrae

The island of Cumbrae, also known as Great Cumbrae, is Scotland’s most accessible island. An 8 minute ferry journey from Largs, it has been inhabited since the end of the last ice age, but became popular during the 20th century thanks to the Clyde paddle steamers. The main settlement on Cumbrae is the Victorian seaside town of Millport. Countless visitors take day trips from the mainland to “cycle roond Millport!”

Field Studies Council

Field Studies Council Millport has a storied history as a marine research station. Now a thriving field centre, it offers accommodation and teaching spaces, making it an excellent base for environmental education and fieldwork. Visitors can head out on the research vessel Actinia to collect scientific samples or go wildlife watching, spotting dolphins, seals, and other marine life. The centre is part of Field Studies Council, a UK charity dedicated to delivering nature courses and environmental education across its 16 centres

Millport Golf Club

Millport Golf Club is a diverse golf course stretched across the heathland on the highest point of the Island. Founded in 1888, each hole of the club’s course has its own unique name - a nod to its long history. The course has views across the Firth of Clyde, down to Ailsa Craig and over to Bute and the looming skyline of Goatfell on Arran.

Thank you for listening to the Caledonian MacBrayne podcast. To find out more about Scotland’s west coast islands and all topics discussed on this episode, visit the CalMac website.

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By The Big Light/Caledonian MacBrayne

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