The Cumbrae Blog

Active Scotland 2011

This autumn join, Robin McKelvie, as he put on his walking boots to Grab a Glen all over Scotland. It's the year of Active Scotland 2011 and he hopes to inspire you to get out there and get active. Robin visited Cumbrae, as part of his travels joining one of our sailing courses and has written about his time on the island

Maybe it is something about the local air,  but Ayrshire is a great place to learn world-class skills. This is where Scotland's national bard Robert Burns developed his poetic talents. Legendary Portuguese football manager José Mourinho also learned his trade here in Largs. Just offshore you too can learn the sporting ropes, as I discovered when I crossed over to the cosily compact island of Cumbrae, a remarkably attractive wee gem that hovers just ten minutes adrift from the Ayrshire coast.

My destination was the Sportscotland National Centre Cumbrae. They didn't promise to turn me into a Premiership-winning manager, but they did take me out dinghy sailing. If you book a weekend or midweek course they will educate you too in the aquatic arts of all types of sailing. Talented as they are they also offer windsurfing, kayaking and even powerboating. These courses are not just about having fun (but there is definitely that too!) as you can get proper qualifications. You can even train to become an instructor yourself at a centre whose friendliness and welcoming nature belies the serious work they do.

After a classroom session of theory it was time to hit the water. Literally. One of the drills involved capsizing our dinghy so it was time to get wet. Seriously wet in the autumnal waters of the Firth of Clyde. I was relieved that the man overboard drills then involved just chucking a buoy overboard rather than this warmth-loving man. In a wash of smiles, jokes and serious instruction our dinghy bonded as a group. Soon we were all taking turns at the helm like seasoned pros, well slightly more seasoned beginners anyway.

Leaving my Yachtmaster training for a return visit I hitched up with my young daughter to take on the mammoth cycle around the island. I say mammoth to sound impressive. You can actually circumnavigate Cumbrae in an hour as it is just a shade over ten miles around! With a trailer in tow I skipped around the flat roads showing my daughter the various neighbouring isles. Stopping off at little beaches we were often the only ones on the sands bar the oystercatchers and passing cormorants as we kept a lookout for our marine mammal cousins.

We ended up in Cumbrae's capital, Millport, an impossibly cute affair. The island's only bus service runs from the ferry here to 'The City'. This collage of charming old stone houses caters for the tourists who come to the isle to walk, cycle or just sit enjoying an ice cream. Some come just to savour the jaw-dropping views across to the Arran hills that rise improbably out of the water like hulking skyscrapers.

Millport's star attraction is its cathedral. Yes this wee island has a cathedral. The gothic revival Cathedral of the Isles in fact. Britain's smallest cathedral dates back to 1851 and comes complete with a 19th century tracker action organ. I was surprised, but then you were probably surprised that José Mourinho learned his footballing ropes in Ayrshire. This a corner of the country that not only looks great, but which also packs a serious outdoor punch and is a great place to learn about a plethora of active sports.

By David