Greenock

[vivienne]

Thanks to people who gave information about the free tours in Greenock. You just put your name down when you get off the ship for the ones you want to do. We did each one, starting at 9.15 with the tour to the Castle. It was a shame really because there were only six people on the bus on that one but a few more on the others but not full. They are all worth doing, but two overlap slightly by going to the same viewpoint but it really is a great viewpoint. We had time to dash back on board for a quick lunch. Greenock is not a particularly pretty town, but the visit to the church was interesting and we were met by the Provost (Mayor) of Greenock at the Town Hall and it was well worth seeing with its lovely ceilings.

[SugarFreeSheila]

I visited last month and thought Greenock was lovely, as I did some shopping around the Oak Mall area and even made a couple of friends there. The population is less than 60,000, the people are down to earth (accents were a bit more difficult to understand than Edinburgh's!), and I think you will like it there. ;)

[colonialinnkeeper]

We were on the transatlantic trip over to the Brit. Isles and, as I wrote earlier, really enjoyed what the Inverclyde tour group had to offer. Some of the best pics of that trip in Scotland were of the Newark Castle and the overlook to the River Clyde. The ones of the ceilings in the courthouse are spectacular mimicing ones taken of the mamoth doors in the summer palace in Russia. I hope more people take the tours and support the very friendly people of Greenock and Port Glasgow. Lauri

[gr8memories]

We were on the June 20 Jewel of the Seas British Isles/Norway cruise. We had an amazing private guide in Scotland, and I'd like to share the details in case anyone is interested in hiring a guide in Greenock. He picked us up at the cruise pier in Greenock and took us to the castles and sights that we wanted to tour. We really enjoyed touring with him, he is very personable and knowledgable. Scotland is absolutely gorgeous! Craig emailed me our itinerary for the day - here it is in his words:

 

"Leaving Greenock we firstly headed along the banks of the River Clyde

before crossing the river in the center of Glasgow. We drove north to

Stirling and stopped at Stirling Castle which you toured. We then headed

over to the National Wallace Monument.

 

Next we headed to Doune Castle of Monty Python fame before heading into

the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park at Callander. Stopped for

pictures of Hamish the Highland Cow then headed to the banks of Loch

Venachar. We took the Dukes Pass road through the Trossachs to Balmaha

then up to the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond. We then headed south and over

the Erskine Bridge and back to Greenock. Finally I took you to the Lyle

Hill for the views of the River Clyde and hills of Argyll before back to

the ship.

Many thanks for your custom. I hope you all enjoyed the day as much as I

did and the good weather certainly helped!

 

If you or any of you family, friends or colleagues are ever in Scotland I

would be delighted to do another Mini tour. I can also tour using other

vehicles if required for larger groups.

 

Kind Regards.

 

Craig

Craig McCall Flynn, BA(Hons)

Mini Tours Scotland

Guided tours of Scotland in a Mini Cooper.

Website: http://www.mini-tours.com

 

 

His price for the day was very reasonable (190 Pounds plus we added a tip) and we really enjoyed his services. He also did not require a deposit up front like some of the other tour companies. We were a family of 4 so we did not tour in his Mini Cooper - he had a very nice sedan for us. He has a great website also with lots if information about him and his tours at www.mini-tours.com.

 

Sue

[trick37]

I haven't been on a "cruise" that went into Greenock or the Inverclyde region, but my mom's from nearby Gourock, and I've visited there numerous times. I can tell you that there's a lot to see in the area.

 

Here are some suggestions for if you make a cruise, or otherwise go to, the Inverclyde area (including Greenock):

 

1). Greenock itself isn't a bad place to visit. There's some good shopping and things to see. However, this is (and was) a blue collar and industrial town. If you're interested, go to the Greenock fire station (across the street from the Holiday Inn Express hotel), and check out the 9/11 memorial that's erected outside the station. The firemen there (one of which is a friend of mine) will be happy to give you some insight on it, as well as a tour of the station. Also, if you happen to be there on a Saturday, why not see if the local soccer team (Greenock Morton) is in,a nd maybe go see a game. I would suggest sitting in the main stand as the "Cowshed" is quite rowdy at times. Also, before or after the game, go into the nearby Norsemen bar and have a drink with the fans. Tell them that Trick37 sent you. :) You can also to up and see the memorial at the top of a hill (you can't miss the big anchor up there), and there's a small (well hidden) castle along the Clyse river.

 

2). Gourock is also a nice town, and it has a lot of history. Also, at the end of April/beginning of May they have the local Highland Games there.

 

3). Down the road there's Largs. It has a place called Vikingar, and it's a nice museum/memorial to the Viking settlements there (and eventual Scottish victory over them). You'll also nitice that the temperate temperatures in the area allows palm trees to thrive there.

 

4). On the other side of the Clyde, there's also a lot to see. As you're standing in Greenock or Gourock, look across and to the left towards the town of Dunoon. There's a small, but very nice, castle there, and it has a museum comemorating the history of the town, including the stationing of the U.S. Navy base (Sub Squadron 14) from 1963 to 1993/94. (My dad was on the first submarine dender that was there in 1963, and that's when he met my mom.) There's also a nice church next to the castle. If you drive along the coast towards the Holy Loch (to Sandbank, where the base was), and drive along the road to the other side of the Loch, you'll enjoy a beautiful drive and scenery. (The town on the other side is called Strone.) The ferry leaves from Gourock, and there are two of them. One takes you directly to Dunoon, and the other takes you to Hunter's Quay, which is nearer to Sandbank.

 

5). Take another ferry from Gourock/Greenock to the town of Helensburough. The scenery there is beautiful, and you cand rive up the road towards the town of Shannon, which is next to the Faslane (British) naval base. The roads north of there are VERY narrow, but it's a beautiful drive.

 

6). On the Helensburough side, drive towards the town of Dumbarton. This was a big shipping and seafarer town "back in the day," and it's still nice to see. You'll also see a big rock in the river from the Greenock side of the river as you drive towards Glasgow. That is a volcanic rock that actually holds Dumbarton Castle. This is a beautiful castle, and it holds a lot of history. Well worth the trip. You may also find a game with the Dumbarton soccer team to be a nice day (although the Morton team and fans are better....okay, I'm biased, but it's true). ;)

 

7). Just north of Dumbarton is Loch Lomond. This is a beautiful Loch, and the scenery is beautiful! Many famous people have stayed in carious locations along the Loch, including President Carter.

 

In closing, there's a lot to see there besides Glasgow (which is also nice---I'm not knocking it). I'll be glad to answer any questions that anyone would have.

[Teenie]

Think the person who said 'the best thing to do is get out of Greenock' is totally wrong. There is a local tourist group who meet and greet the passengers and offer information about the local area and also information on surrounding area including Glasgow. they are very professional and are a voluntary group. They also offer tours of their local area (complimentary) but they do ask for donations to cover their costs i.e.coach hire. On 'large' ship days they offer 6 tours - they are passionate about their local area and well worth a try. The have a web site and if you use the e mail address you can pre book tours - all very efficient! Give them a try!

[colonialinnkeeper]

It's good to know that this very welcoming group is still offering this wonderful service. We took a tour in the morning and it was so good that we signed up for one in the afternoon.

It was a fun day and look forward to visiting again.

[SixOneTwo]

I see someone mentioned here Doune Castle. Just how far away is that from the port of Greenock and is it possible to visit that castle without booking some sort of major tour? I assume we would not be in danger of encountering any killer rabbits nearby. :)

[Alan2504]

I see someone mentioned here Doune Castle. Just how far away is that from the port of Greenock and is it possible to visit that castle without booking some sort of major tour? I assume we would not be in danger of encountering any killer rabbits nearby. :)

 

It's approx 60 miles, see the attached route.

 

Here's a link that'll give you some more details on the castle:

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/propertyoverview.htm?PropID=PL_092

 

You could arrange a rental car and have fun exploring :)

[SixOneTwo]

Alan, thanks for the info on Doune Castle. It looks like a possibility and we'll definitely do more checking around.

[chellie]

We engaged Gordon Ross, of Great Scot Tours, to take us on a day trip of Loch Lomond, The Trossachs, and Stirling Castle. Gordon and his driver, Robert, arrived to collect us from the pier at the agreed-upon time. Gordon’s sartorial choices of kilt and tweed jacket did not disappoint. His broad knowledge of Scotland history and politics, accompanied by his quick wit, made for an interesting tour narrative. He and Robert exchanged repartee, which also was fun to listen to. I daresay that all on the tour learned lot about Scotland’s history, and the influence of her people on American technology and culture. Enroute back to our ship, we ended an interesting and entertaining day, by sampling a few scotch and Drambuie shots while standing on the banks of a beautiful body of water. We anticipate seeing Gordon again, as we intend to engage him when next we are in Scotland. Many thanks and kudos, Gordon!

[melody hounddog]

We engaged Gordon Ross, of Great Scot Tours, to take us on a day trip of Loch Lomond, The Trossachs, and Stirling Castle.

 

Thanks for the recommendation. I will look into this. Sounds like a perfect day.