Rothesay – Wemyss Bay – Largs – Glasgow Central – Crewe

I woke earlier than I needed to, and from my bed could see the lovely view out to sea as I’d not closed the curtains overnight. I made a cup of tea, in no rush to start the day. I saw the 8am ferry pass and headed down to breakfast.

In such a lovely location and an otherwise super hotel, I was perhaps expecting too much, but breakfast really was quite uninspiring. I ended up with corn flakes, watery orange juice, then scrambled egg on toast, plus baked beans. Oh to be back in Inverness where I was spoiled with homemade pastries and treats to take away! Never mind, I was starting the day on my favourite island.

I was in no hurry to head away. Back in my room I checked my messages and dealt with a few small email requests before packing my bags and checking out.

I was at the ferry port in plenty of time to catch the 11am departure. The sea had small waves in the gusty winds, but there was very little movement on board. Back in Wemyss Bay I had a different plan today, a bus down the coast to Largs, rather than the train directly back to Glasgow. There was time to look around the community-run bookshop and I picked up a book about Scottish railway history.

I’ve driven this road quite a few times so it was nice to not have to concentrate on the road and look out to sea. The journey to Largs doesn’t take long, but hugs the coast all the way.

I’ve always liked Largs. Like most of the towns on this coast it has a ferry. This one goes to the small island of Great Cumbrae, which I’d visited a couple of years ago.

Largs is a bit of a seaside resort, with plenty of places to buy ice cream. One of these days I’ll visit the famous Nardini’s ice cream parlour, but I always seem to arrive in town at the wrong time to do it justice.

I do rather like an old-fashioned coffee shop in this town, which I discovered some years ago and have returned to more than once. The Bagel Basket has been around for over 30 years, apparently, and was once voted best cafe in Scotland, a fact of which they are very proud. I’m not surprised, it is friendly, well-priced and the surprisingly varied menu is very tasty.

It really was time to head for home now. I crossed the road to the station and my service back to Glasgow. The line heads south out of Largs before cutting inland and almost back on itself to the city. I rather liked what looked like an old station building in Saltcoats. It’s good that these places survive but it makes me sad to see so many of them in private hands with the station facilities in glorified bus shelters.

As we headed down the coast it started to rain a little. The sea was obviously getting up a bit now and I was glad I’d not left the ferry til later in the day. I have dreadful sea-legs, somewhat improbably for someone who lives on a boat!

I didn’t have long to wait for my train to Crewe, but there was sufficient time to honour a longstanding tradition to have a cheeseboard on the last day of a rail trip, something which started on a railtour a few years ago and has stuck.

After a week mostly pottering around, my trip on the 125mph Avanti service flew by. I always enjoy travelling through the hills south of Shap, and I do love Low Gill Viaduct where the old Ingleton branch ran until the 1950s.

At Crewe I left the express and took the local service back to Stone, arriving a little after 8pm.

The day still had one small surprise in store for me as I arrived back at the boat in Aston to find it listing quite alarmingly. The water level was down significantly and she was maybe 6″ lower on one side than the other, not really a comfortable way to spend the night. Being just a few days after midsummer it was still light so with the assistance of a passer-by I managed to refloat her and dropped down through Aston Lock, mooring a short distance beyond the marina.

The end of a really super adventure, showing you don’t need to leave the country to do a railtour. I just wish the passes to do the same sort of thing in England were a bit cheaper!