Largs, Vikings and Pavlova
Day 5 In Search of Roots in Scotland
An overnight stay in a marina near Largs. Out on the shoreline, highlighted by the pastel colours of sunset, stands the monument known as the pencil. Mainly because it looks like a pencil, and is there to commemorate the Battle of Largs in 1263, the last time Vikings landed on UK soil. During the battle, the Scots defeated 160 long ships that had been caught in a storm.
All seemed peaceful and calm until the winds began running through the rigging in the early hours. Could I make the clanging sound peacefully, maybe even atmospherically? Suddenly, my brain was wide awake, downloading poetry. Reading the poetry in the cool light of day, it was filed away, never to be seen again.
On to Largs to find an Art Deco ice cream parlour. The iconic white building stands next to the great towering church of St Columba. Both watched over by the 30ft high metal structure of Magnus the Viking.
A ferry arrives to take passengers out to the islands, the aroma of fish and chips fills the air, and people sit and watch the world go by. Once a busy tourist destination, Largs still holds on to the atmosphere of many happy, bygone family holidays.
I'm being good today, and walk past the gourmet ice cream parlour. All those good intentions melt away at our next destination, a place of horses. Ingliston is the place to be for equine lovers. Currently 50 horses reside there, with space for many more. Rows of stables, fields of fresh grass and the neighing of happy horses fill the air.
The sound of a piper and a man in a kilt, the first one I've seen this trip, announce that this is also a wedding venue. Which probably means they make good cakes. And they do. Willpower flies out of the window as a large strawberry Pavlova arrives, who am I to say no!
Tomorrow we head to Alloa to meet up with family and friends.