THIS is part of a series of travel blogs on Scotland. Largs is a small seafront town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland.
SuperBaby’s first visit to the beach was so much fun mA! We visited a small seaside town called Largs in Scotland. We actually stopped at a strip of beach before we reached Largs and SuperBaby dipped her little toes into sand for the first time – truly a memorable and sweet experience for each of us.
The town is like many in Scotland and had a small high street with some unremarkable shops. Most people in Scotland are very friendly and we exchanged some pleasant hellos and smiles from some kind strangers as we wandered down the high street.
We stopped for lunch at a fish and chip chain that is well known in Scotland called the Blue Lagoon. Bizarrely, there is a man-sized ape in a spacesuit outside. I have yet to discover the relevance of the space monkey vis-a-vis “faesh n chayps” but in any event the latter were yummy and fresh and the service was pleasant. A few seagulls overhead alerted us to being in a seaside town but so far everything looked fairly non-descript. As we walked down from the Blue Lagoon, however, we soon saw more touristy shops selling inflatables and beach-themed fridge magnets.
The road forked at the bottom of the hill and eastward, along the promenade, locals and a few tourists were enjoying a skate park and golfing green. It was only a short walk along its length that took us from a couple of dozen locals and very few tourists, to almost no people and a beautiful serene view. Doubling back in the other direction, we passed beautiful views of the sea and a Caledonian McBrayne ferry docked at the waters edge. This section of the promenade had a few fairground rides and children were giggling as they spun round and round on the rides while parents watched them and cooed.
We walked along the beachfront and came across – a giant viking. That’s right: a viking. In the 13th century Largs was the site of the last Viking attack in Scotland and now there is a museum commemorating the viking-related history.
Across from the viking I saw this gorgeous art deco style building.
Nardinis cafe had me as soon as I saw it. The first thing I thought of was 1950s Americana. I had to go in and immediately felt a sense of nostalgia as the interior and the menu reinforced the atmosphere of U.S. ice cream parlours of yesteryear.
Nardinis was opened in 1935 by an Italian immigrant family called the Nardinis. I wasn’t aware of this before, but there’s a large Italian-Scots community in Scotland, (which must make for an attractive mix – Italian looks and Scottish accents)! Although the parlour was sold a few years back it still carries the Nardini name and is known for selling the best ice cream in Scotland.
My companion had the “British Strawberry Delight” and I had a “Swedish Hot Fudge Sundae” (Strawberries = British I get, but Swedish sundaes? That’s a new one on me). There were so many tempting choices on the menu but I picked the hot fudge sundae as I usually do if its available partly because (and this is silly) I grew up with the likes of SBTB, Cali Dreams & SVH* so I have a bad case of sehnsucht for a time and place I didn’t actually live in and this also makes me feel nostalgic for that era.
My little girl slept in her stroller as we tucked in but I can’t wait to come back when she’s old enough to eat ice cream. (That’s the point of kids right – a rationale for indulgence?)
Largs is a great little town and makes for a fun day out with family. Be sure to stop at one of the many eateries for a classic “fish tea” (a piece of battered fish served with chips, bread and butter and a cup of tea), take a snap with both the viking and the space monkey and visit the gorgeous Nardinis for the yummiest ice-cream in Ayrshire.
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