Living in a house overlooking the Firth of Clyde in Dunoon for the past two decades, it would be hard to not take notice of the Waverley - the world's last seagoing paddle steamer - as she sails past in the summer time. Living in such a location may sound like paradise to some people, but unfortunately it's quite hard for me to say anything positive about Dunoon having lived here for so long.
Whatever your opinion is on Dunoon, undoutedly the best way to get there is by travelling all the way from Glasgow on the Waverley. Not only that, you can travel from Glasgow to locations all over the place - Helensburgh, Tarbert, the Isles of Mull, Bute and Arran to name but a few, taking you through some beautiful scenery along the west coast of Scotland.
The excursions naturally run only in the summer months, with the odd exception. I cannot emphasise strongly enough how enjoyable a trip it is though, especially in warm and sunny weather. It was especially enjoyable for me when I sailed to Rothesay, where you get to see the Firth of Clyde from a totally different view than you would just driving along the coast.
Being on a paddle steamer - a working one at that - is a truly unique experience. Sitting out on deck on the Waverley is completely different to that on one of the local ferries. For many people, a real highlight is being able to pop downstairs to the engine room - it really is a sight to behold to watch these huge, powerful pistons in action, driving the ship along - even the smell is very evocative.
The Waverley is a big ship and includes a lounge, bar and tearoom as well as a large amount of space on deck. It runs just about very day of the summer season as well and is relatively inexpensive, so there's no excuse for not checking it out.
All in all, travelling on the Waverley is a truly unique experience and the fact that you can travel on it the whole way up the Clyde right out of Glasgow makes it even more ideal. Superb. read more