Walk of the week: Castle Hill, Largs

Published on Monday 18 January 2010 14:30

LARGS is a great seaside resort, still going strong while others struggle. For decades it has been a place to head to and a stopping point on trips "doon the watter". This is one of several way-marked routes starting in the town, leading past an ancient burial tomb and up to a great viewpoint over the Firth of Clyde and its islands.

After leaving the town behind you walk up through Douglas Park, from where there is a detour to a 5,000-year-old chambered cairn. The Haylie Chambered Tomb was only discovered in 1772, with the remains of five people within. Before taking the hill path, keep going round to the right and follow a grass track until you reach the start of a path made of concrete slabs – the tomb is in a field on the left.

After this a pleasant, if steep, path takes you up the hill. Take plenty of breathers as the views behind this open up to Bute and Arran with the Isle of Cumbrae in the foreground and Little Cumbrae to the left – this is currently being turned into an international yoga camp.

Open country and mixed woodland is covered before you reach a final, very long flight of steps to the top of the hill. Once you have your breath back you can enjoy the view which includes Jura (on a clear day).

The return takes you round the top of the hill, once home to an Iron Age Fort, and back down through Douglas Park to the ferry terminal.

DISTANCE 3 miles. HEIGHT CLIMBED 600ft. TIME 2-3 hours. MAP OS Landranger 63. PARKING Head for the ferry terminal in Largs and use the car park next to it.

IN SUMMARY Follow the coast south from the ferry terminal, going over a bridge, past a putting green and a playground. The promenade then reaches a road where you go left, uphill on to May Street. At the top of the street go left and after about 100 yards cross the road to enter Douglas Park.

Follow an avenue up, and as it starts to go right follow a path on the left, through a metal kissing gate. It is signposted "Hillside Walk". (Keep on the main avenue to reach the chambered cairn mentioned above.)

Follow a series of steps and an obvious grass path that goes steeply up and bears right. After crossing a metal track you go right at a fork in the grass path, then up a very long, straight flight of steps. At the top of this carry on for a few yards and go right to reach a view indicator with a cairn on the left.

Return to the top of the very long flight of steps but instead of going down them, carry on straight ahead, along a grass path by a series of old benches. When the path has gone right drop down to the left, past another bench, to reach a fence and wall. Go left at the bottom, following a path that runs parallel to the metal track crossed earlier. On reaching the point at which you crossed it, go right to retrace your steps to the start.

REFRESHMENTS There are many places to choose from in Largs, as you would expect from a seaside resort, but it would be hard to resist a visit to the art deco institution that is Nardini's, on The Esplanade near the ferry terminal.

WHILE YOU ARE IN THE AREA Largs (www.largsonline.co.uk) is all about enjoying a traditional seaside resort and the attractions that go with it. Despite many places falling into varying degrees of disrepair, the town is holding its own very well.

Next month Vikingar! (01475 689777, www.largsonline.co.uk/vikingar.html) will reopen its Viking Experience for the year – weekends only until March but after that, every day. It has interactive exhibits with storytellers recounting Viking tales and myths. You'll find it at the north end of the Promenade.

Later in the year, as a complete antidote to all the sea air, ice-cream and fish suppers, you should head for the Skelmorlie Aisle, a burial tomb erected in 1636 using an ornate Renaissance style for Sir Robert Montgomerie of Skelmorlie, in memory of his wife. The aisle is only open from late May to September, when a key can be collected from the Largs Museum (01475 687081, www.historic-scotland.gov.uk) in Manse Court, off Main Street, next to the George public house.

&#149 This article was first published in Scotland on Sunday, January 17, 2010