Shipbuilding Clyde Irvine Maritime Museum, Saltcoats, North Ayrshire, Scotland

Saltcoats Town Trail & North Ayrshire Museum

Saltcoats's history as a seaside holiday resort, particularly from the 1920s to the 1960s, when many from Glasgow came here on a boat trip 'doon the watter', is legendary. A little more sedate these days, Saltcoats is still a pretty seaside base with harbour, promenade and beach pavilion, and a choice of self catering Saltcoats caravan parks and accommodation. (for recollections of Saltcoats peak seaside holiday days and the popular huge Saltcoats bathing pool, see the Three Towners weblink right).

Saltcoats takes its name from early settler salt production. Originally Saltcottis, the town's past trades have included weaving, shipbuilding and fishing. The first of Scotland's commercial canals was opened here in Saltcoats in 1772, taking coal from Stevenston to Saltcoats. It's well worth taking the historic Saltcoats town trail (see the Three Towners weblink right for details). The walk takes in historic Saltcoats harbour sites, the beach pavilion and old Quay.

Within Saltcoats town on Manse Street, the North Ayrshire Museum explores the area's history further through displays on archaeology, costume, popular culture and transport.

North Ayrshire Museum, Manse Street, Saltcoats, KA21 5AA. Scotland. Tel. 01294 464174.

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Scottish Maritime Museum Irvine, Irvine Harbour & Clyde Shipbuilding

One of the three museums forming part of the Scottish Maritime Museum network is based on the North Ayrshire coast in Irvine. (the other two sites are at Braehead on south Clydeside west of Glasgow, and north Clydeside at Dumbarton).

The enormous Linthouse Engine Shop housing the Irvine Maritime Museum was an original engine shop for Alexander Stephen & Sons, Linthouse Govan. The building was amazingly moved bit by bit to this site here in the Irvine Harbour outskirts. The building is of great historic interest in itself, and photographs in the museum depict both the moving of the building, and its active life as a shipbuilding engine shop.

The site is a must for anyone wanting to find out more about Scotland and Clyde Shipbulding history. The Irvine Maritime site also caters well for children with a boat building workshop and small boating pond with radio controlled boats. The old engine shop is crammed with both photographs, and ship parts many of which are still working well. Also displayed are a selection of old boats, figureheads and look for carvings on the building's pillars made by shipbuilding workers in Govan.

A short walk down to the harbourside from the Linthouse Engine shop brings you to the Harbourside Wharf Area (where there's usually some ship renovation going on, specifically on the slipway and the Puffer boat Spartan built by J & J Hay based at Kirkintilloch in 1942. Originaly VIC 18, she's due for a re-launch sometime in 2007). Inside the Harbourside Wharf is a boat shop, plus a superb exhibition of photography depicting ship launches, holiday boat trips 'doon tha watter' from Glasgow and shipyard workers. Hearty Puffers Cafe/restaurant is to the rear. On Irvine's harbourside there's fine coastal strolling on the menu, taking in old harbour buildings and fine views of the Clyde. Irvine Harbour was once one of Glasgow's major trading ports. The Scottish Maritime Museum, Harbourside Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland. KA12 8QE. Tel. 01294 278283. (weblink right for details).

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Museum of Ayrshire Country Life & Costume at Dalgarven Mill

For historic water powered mill sites in Scotland, Dalgarven Mill half way between Kilwinning and Dalry is one of the best preserved. Now the Ayrshire Country Life Museum, the three storey grain store has been converted to house numerous exibitions on pre-industrial local life in this area of North Ayrshire.

There's been a mill here at Dalgarven since the 14th century, built originally by local monks at Kilwinning Abbey. The site you see today though dates from 1640, albeit it was considerably rebuilt after a fire in 1880. The power source for the water wheel making flour here came from the Garnock waters. Take a tour too of the reconstructed Mill Owner's House, and view the museum's huge archive of costumes and clothing dating from the 1920s.

To download a full history of the mill dating back to when the monks of Kilwinning Abbey first built it, check the Museum of Ayrshire Country Life's weblink right.

The Museum of Ayrshire Country Life, Dalgarven Mill, Dalgarven, Kilwinning, KA13 6PL. (website right for opening times, details and location).

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