River Clyde Photography: Fairlie Castle

Tuesday 17 March 2009

Fairlie Castle

This old post card dates from 1906,not much has changed.

Fairlie castle is a tower dating back to the 15th century,it was built by the Fairlies who apparently descended from the Rosses of Tarbet.
The last Fairlie sold the tower to John Boyle of Kelburn in 1650.

Fairlie castle is situated in a glen which looks out to the Firth of Clyde,it is quite difficult to photograph as there is not much open ground.
The castle although roofless still looks to be well preserved,you can still see the roundels at all four corners.

Fairlie village is a pleasant little place,railway station,a small church and villas,it still has a busy boat repair company.The sea front is quiet as most people are heading for Largs a few miles up the road,well worth a visit.

1 comment:

Jane said...: This is so interesting - I didn't even know there was a castle there!; 20 June 2008 at 09:19

River Clyde Photography

Over half of Scotland’s population lives within a short distance of the River Clyde, from its humble beginnings in South Lanarkshire where it is created by two streams the Patrail Water and the Daer Water, the two streams meet at Watermeetings where the River Clyde starts.

It’s not long before it reaches picturesque Lanark and its famous waterfalls. It eventually finds its way to Glasgow who’s citizens in the 18^th century narrowed and deepened and ultimately industrialised the river making it one of the most famous shipbuilding rivers in the world, Glasgow did indeed make the Clyde and of course the Clyde made Glasgow, at its peak the Clyde shipyards built a fifth of the worlds ships.

During the 2^nd world war Winston Churchill said that “Liverpool and Glasgow were the lungs in which the country breathed through”. Ship building along with heavy industry is all but dead on the Clyde, the majority of our industrial heritage was swept away in the 70s and 80s leaving few traces of the rivers famous past.

Leaving Glasgow, the Clyde broadens as you pass the towns of Dumbarton, Port Glasgow and Greenock, who all played a part in making the Clyde famous through shipbuilding.

At the Tail of the Bank the river broadens once more and becomes the firth with its many sea lochs coastal towns and villages.

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