Time to get exploring again.
I haven’t been across in Cowal since ’17 so I thought a trip was in order.
I headed downhill to sea level from home and the back brake seized on yet again, I’d stripped it the previous day and thought I’d cleaned the gunge etc but obviously not, I carry a multi-tool and soon got everything back to normal, it was time to head west for MacInroy’s Point and Western Ferries terminal. There is also a regular ferry from Gourock Pier which will deliver you into the pier at Dunoon. This is the best option if you travel down by train from say, Glasgow.
It’s 9 mile exactly from home, dropping down to sea leveI, I made my way to Greenock joining NCN 75 at Victoria Harbour in Greenock and a quiet run along the quays down through Greenock and Gourock with the usual meander along Greenock Esplanade avoiding dog walkers who tend to walk on the designated cycle path. oh well.
Ferry awaits
Rounding Cardwell Bay, which for some reason the tide always seems out. I reached Gourock train station which has a no cycling rule, this is part of NCN 75 heading down to MacInroys Point. NCN starts at the opposite ferry terminal and heads north via the west side of the Holy Loch before heading up and over the B 836. The shared pavement on Ashton Esplanade was busy and I could see a ferry approaching the landing area so I pootled on hoping to catch it.
The river was flat calm and as I waited to board, I saw some movement just offshore and saw two dolphins sliding in and out of the water. A couple of weeks earlier as a pod of Orcas had been spotted in the area. I boarded the ferry and scanned the water in case.
A short 2.5 mile crossing and I cycled up on to the road heading west through Kirn then Dunoon, I had a look for OS benchmarks en-route but it wasn’t much of a day for that although I found a bolt and three cut benchmarks during my cycle. Dunoon was busy and I headed towards Innellan, I’d last been down this road over 40 years ago when I worked at Ardyne Point, a concrete oil rig building yard.
Toward Lighthouse
I made tracks for Toward and more specifically, the lighthouse, I took the side road down to the shore, taking in the views down the river towards the Cumbraes, Bute, Arran and across the river to Wemyss Bay, Largs and Hunterston in the distance.
The lighthouse built by Robert Stevenson in 1812 commissioned by the Cumbrae Lighthouse Trust, the foghorn building is on the opposite of the rough track on the shore side, an unusual design.
There was a slight haze but after a cold, snowy winter a spring day like today enjoyed, I’d a walk around then sat for a scran and water break.
Foghorn Building
I stopped at Toward Church, and found an OS cut mark, with its two tall Yew trees at its entrance.
Ardyne?
I headed west, I stopped to admire the ornate Castle Toward Court of Office building, across the road was the Toward Sailing Club, an ideal spot for sailing up the Kyles of Bute.
I took the single track tarmac road into the old now deserted Ardyne yard, then along a concrete road with some low-level structures still standing, I stopped to see where each rig had been when I worked circa 1975/76,
Looking to Loch Striven
I had been a ‘MacAlpine Fusilier’, a green hard hat, I mainly worked on the Elf TP1, a concrete gravity base structure headed eventually for the Frigg Field in the North Sea and it all slowly came flooding back, the busy yard with over 3,000 of a workforce, the wooden huts, the canteen, ordering your break rolls from the ‘nipper’, the shouting your works number to the timekeeper as you headed out on the floating walkway to the rig, the winter months I spent working outside in cold, biting north winds, cleaning out rubbish from the bottom of the cells, the trips up the ‘legs’ in a Skyclimber, clipping your harness on a wire (the Skyclimber!!) for safety, the day we had to tie it down the best we could to a support leg as the wind had got up and the couple of hours spent waiting on the wind speed to decrease so we could gingerly work our way back safely to ground level..the night shifts in a freezing cold winter and hoping we’d get an inside job which in many cases was using a scabbling gun up to your chest in manky water, the wages at the end of the week made it worthwhile, it was big money.
Looking to Kyles of Bute
The 7 day 12 hour shifts, 28+ day constant concrete ‘slips’ (pours), spent in the ‘cell’ hoping your replacement for the next shift would appear, scrambled egg rolls, hot coffee, aye, it really was fun, not. The daily trips back and forth across the Firth to Wemyss Bay on the Glen Sannox and occasionally across to Rothesay to spend the odd, riotous night, aye, that was fun. Trying to carry cans of beer to try avoid the ‘flat’ beer on the boat and the queue to get a pint. The ‘Monday’ club heading into Dunoon. It was an open-eyed adventure for a young Mhor into the world of big construction.
Quiet now
I finished up with offers to work at Portavadie which never came to fruition, another of work at the Howard Doris yard at Kishorn but I decided just to stay home.
It was back along to the ferry and I’d a slight tailwind behind me as I headed back, I reached the ferry terminal and popped in to a coffee shop and grabbed a bite to eat. I was peckish. The river was still flat calm and I was trying to work out my route home, I live around 500 ft above sea level and in a mile rise form the lower town the roads are steep.
I decided on a gradual route through Greenock working my way to the B788 road to Kilmacolm, with a gradual 5% average rise and my run along Auchentiber Road and my late decision to climb over the rough track over Port Glasgow Golf Club and a quick drop down to home. My legs enjoyed this bit.
Including the ferry trip, I logged just over 50 miles, the longest run of an up and down year. Enjoyable.
On further reading about the Toward area, I came across to what referred to as the ‘Dunoon Massacre’, a bloody tale of over 200 Clan Lamont members being put to the sword by Clan Campbell soldiers, further reading HERE
Further reading on Elf TP1 HERE (PDF)
Offshore Concrete Structures – TP1 (is no. 7) HERE
Four days later, I decided to return to the Peninsula but this time it was to take the Three Ferries route, the last time I’d taken the train to Wemyss Bay and started from there but I decided I’d cycle down up over the forest track to Loch Thom, down to and via Inverkip, a start of 15 miles via a mixture of hills, rough tracks and tarmac.
High Gryffe reservoir
Another ferry crossing with a near flat calm sea before setting off to Rhubodach eight miles away, I made good time and took the short ferry ride to Colintraive. I’d remembered how hilly in parts the route was but felt I’d enjoy it again. I mentally tried to remember the route and hadn’t realised how far it was to the B836 cutoff over into the top of the Holy Loch. I stopped for a drink and decide, Strachur at 17 mile or 15 to Dunoon, Dunoon won. The single track road was very busy and I met lorries, buses and other traffic. It was hard going as I’d overdressed and had worn my hi-vis winter jacket, I’d no where really to stuff it.
Rhubodach slip
I swept down into the head of Loch Striven with a steep ascent approaching but I knew this time I’d enjoy again the sweeping run down Glen Lean. I passed a sign for a footpath down the side of Loch Striven to the Jetty at Glen Striven. Must look more at this.
Looking to Tignabruaich
I was just about to join the main road on the Holy Loch and a red squirrel ran across the road in front of me.
I headed for Hunters Quay and the Sound of Soay which would take me across the river to Gourock (again). 9 miles later with the same hilly route home, on which I had to stop a couple of times. I must learn to pace myself and eat regular when out, tut.
62 miles logged, a good but tiring day.
The earlier Three Ferries trip HERE
aching legs and CQ 