Millport | Clyde River and Firth

The island town of Millport commands a sheltered bay on the Island of Great Cumbrae off the Ayrshire coast. In the eighteenth century, the bay provided an anchorage for the revenue cutter and the town developed some importance. The coming of the steamboat provided a more ‘genteel’ location for the summer visitor than Largs, Dunoon or Rothesay and the town has maintained this position of understated popularity to this day. In Lumsden’s Steamboat Companion of 1820, the entry barely mentions Millport. “On the West side of the large Cumbray, is the village of Millport, the annual retreat of bathers; and opposite to it, the small Cumbray. Both these islands are remarkable for remains of antiquity; for some singular formation and arrangement of rocks; and for various excavations of curious and grotesque appearance. On the smaller island is a lighthouse of...

In June, 1906, the Clyde steamer ferry services to Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae were shared between the Glasgow and South Western Railway, operating out of Fairlie Pier and the Caledonian Steam Packet Company, operating out of Wemyss Bay. The Caledonian connected with Largs, Keppel, Millport and some services went on to Kilchattan Bay and Rothesay on Bute. The Fairlie connection from the Glasgow and South Western was similar providing the shortest ferry crossing but also with connections to the Bute Piers. The Piers at Keppel and Millport had recently been purchased by the Millport Town Council and a considerable improvement made at Millport. As a consequence, the Town Council increased the annual payments to be made by the steamer companies. The steamer companies’ responses were predictable and the resulting stand-off that took place at the end of June and the beginning...