The cycle

Great Cumbrae

Location: North Ayrshire Map: OS Landranger 63 Distance: 10 miles (16km) Time: 1.5 hours Terrain: Flat; quiet roads

MAKE the most of the summer days by heading to Great Cumbrae for a fun and easy cycle trip. Reached by a 10-minute boat trip from Largs, the coast road is perfectly flat and pleasantly quiet.

Calmac runs the service to Cumbrae slip on the north-east side of the island and, in common with all its routes, doesn’t charge for carrying bicycles, though numbers are restricted.

On arrival Great Cumbrae’s charm and tranquility is evident. Turn right for an anti-clockwise circuit. The road soon reaches the northern tip of Tomont End where King Haco of Norway based his army on the eve of the 1263 Battle of Largs.

As you continue there are views to the Cowal Peninsula and Bute, which lie to the north and west respectively. Scholars believe the island’s name may be derived from the Gaelic for shelter – a reference to its relatively protected position at the end of the Firth of Clyde. Certainly, when the winds are light it feels relatively cosseted.

Pedal on, down the scenic and rocky west coast where you may see seals. Further south there are stirring views of craggy Little Cumbrae and Arran’s jagged mountains before the road leads to bustling Millport. Treat yourself to a fish tea to rev up for the return leg to the ferry slip. En route, after speed limit signs, The Lion Rock – a geological dyke – appears ahead.