Great Cumbrae Island

The island has been inhabited since the end of the last ice age. Legend has it that St Mirin, on his return to Scotland from Ireland around AD 710, arrived in Cumbrae and, following the example of St Patrick, rid the island of snakes. The Cathedral of the Isles is reputed to have been built on the site where St Mirin preached. Cumbrae to this day remains snake-free. St Mirin then founded a community in Paisley. In 1263, Haakon IV, King of Norway, may have used the eastern coast of the island as an anchorage for his fleet, before the inconclusive Battle of Largs. Ballochmartin Bay and Portrye (derived from Gaelic elements meaning "king's harbour") are suggested locations for the…

During the summer, the population grows by several thousand every weekend. Hiring a bike and cycling around the island's 11 mi encircling coastal road is a popular activity for visitors, as the roads are quiet compared to the mainland. There are informal walks all over the island. Fintry Bay, around 3 mi from Millport on the west coast, has a small cafe. Millport Bay, with visitor moorings, is a popular destination for sailors in the summer. The most dived site on the Clyde is just south of the ferry slip; a Second World War Catalina flying boat. There is a curling pond near the highest point on the island, in January 2010 it hosted the Dumfries Cup for the first time in 14 years, and in…