Backpacking the Coastal Town of Largs – Scotland

Hanging out in Glasgow, Scotland, I needed something to lighten my mood and distract me from a few never-ending worries, so I took a train on the spur of the moment from Glasgow Central to the coastal town of Largs.

This is a backstory from April 2024.

With my new Merrell hiking shoes (Sports Direct), my trusty day pack, a not-so-waterproof jacket, my water bottle, and a croissant from Sainsbury’s, I take the 10:45 out of Glasgow Central to the coastal town of Largs.

Just 32 miles from Glasgow, the train takes 1 hour 3 minutes and costs me just £12 return.

Largs is known locally as Scotland’s Costa del Sol because of the many beach bars, ice cream parlours and amusement arcades.

But I wanted to see if there was anything more to Largs than kiss-me-quick hats, candy floss and donkey rides, or if I was confusing it with Blackpool?

How to get to Largs from Glasgow Central

The journey starts from Glasgow Central Station:

You can get your tickets at the machine or at the ticket office where you can indulge in a bit of human interaction:

The station has free Wi-Fi, free toilets, and drinking water fountains.

The 10:45 to Largs from platform 14:

Arrival in Largs:

Exploring Largs mostly in the rain

Making up for lost time spent dithering the morning away in Glasgow, upon arrival, I set out immediately for the Pencil Monument.

You can follow the path along the coast. In rough weather, part of the footpath might be underwater.

Despite the wind and the rain, it was worth the walk to see the Pencil Monument. It was erected in 1912 as a memorial to the Battle of Largs in 1263:

This particular one is a half-size replica of one built in Brechin in the 1100s.

Notice the oak door? Towers like these offered some sort of refuge, so access was by retractable ladders. A bit like the towers found in Svaneti in Georgia.

A bit of time to backpack the striking St Columba Parish Church:

Then I took the ferry to the Isle of Cumbrae, all of which is detailed in a dedicated blog post: Backpacking The Isle of Cumbrae in Scotland.

Two ferries were operating. I got to ride on both of them:

I was back on the mainland at just about 4:30 pm. Time for some grub at the World Famous Nardini Cafe.

I had the classic ‘Boneless Haddock’ with chips. And a great tea which I drank black

With an hour before a convenient train to take me back to Glasgow, I finished up my food and carried on backpacking Largs, this time in drier conditions.

Across from Nardini’s is a statue of Viking Magnus. The Vikings were defeated in the Battle of Largs in 1263:

There are no donkey rides here. But you could ride one of the amusement rides, in better weather, of course:

Or just hang out at the Wetherspoons.

One last thing that I wanted to see was the war memorial:

It was a day spent being chased by the rain. See the clouds on the right? Just a few minutes later, the sun was replaced by heavy rain/sleet:

An excellent day trip from Glasgow. The 18:07 back to Glasgow Central: