Glasgow, Greenock then to Oban

day19 Saturday 5 June

Glasgow to Oban

Our day to explore the Clyde. We headed off about 9 am on the motorway past Paisley toward Saltcoats and turned off, in rain and wind, out to Largs to 'take the sea air'. It was drizzly, but not unpleasant. Then up the estuary to Gourock and Greenock, where we left the car in a shopping centre carpark and looked for the Inverkip cemetery.

The grave of John Steel was at lair 71 in the north wall just as his son had described it in 1829. I did have a more recent transcription from a book, but a lot of other stones had fallen and it was still in good condition.

Lair 71 in the north wall.

We also found the Pritchard monument – the family of Eliza who married James’ cousin John Macfarlane, with whom he grew up.

 

No 17 on the base
JOHN PRITCHARD
SACRED
TO THE MEMORY OF JOHN PRITCHARD
OF THE ISLAND OF DOMINICA, MERCHANT
WHO DIED ON HIS PASSAGE
FROM THAT ISLAND TO BRITAIN, IN 1797
AGED 40 YEARS.

AND TO JANE MOODY, HIS SPOUSE,
DIED IN GREENOCK, 13 SEPTEMBER, 1857,
AGED 89 YEARS.
AND TO THEIR CHILDREN, VIZ.,JANE, SPINSTER, DIED 20^TH SEPTEMBER 1841,
AGED 51 YEARS.ELIZA, SPOUSE OF JOHN MACFARLANE,
DIED 30^TH MAY, 1840, AGED 45 YEARS.
ALSO TO JANE, THE BELOVED DAUGHTER 
OF JOHN PRITCHARD THE YOUNGER
DIED 19^TH NOVEMBER, 1839, AGED 29 YEARS.

 Then on up the Clyde with lunch by the river, across the Erskine toll bridge to Helensburgh and up the sea lochs and around to Oban. A long afternoon of driving. It was cold and a bit wet?

looking down the Clyde to Greenock

Looking across the Clyde above Greenock

It was cold and drizzly when we got to Oban by the sea – the YH is an impressive building overlooking the bay, but the standard of the YH was disappointing. Another large hostel with tourists - a bit like Ambleside. We walked through the town (in jackets) then prepared a meal – some inconsiderate Asians in a group making the kitchen not very pleasant. We had a nice walk around the waterfront in the evening. The ferries leave there for the outer Hebrides. We slept in separate dormitories after the luxury of a shared room in Glasgow and New Lanark. This hostel does have better accommodation out the back but we had not booked ahead for it.

Oban Youth Hostel