Irvine, North Ayrshire
★★★
Scotland’s “cathedral of engineering” forms the centrepiece to Irvine’s attractive Harbourside, within easy walking distance of the town centre. This vast (unheated) building, the glass-roofed Linthouse Engine Shop, was salvaged from a Govan shipyard in 1991. Today it’s home to an extensive array of boats, historic exhibits and modern displays about Scotland’s maritime history. There’s even more to the site however: the museum owns several vessels afloat on the nearby River Irvine, adjacent to its shop and café, and a restored shipyard worker’s tenement flat. The whole area is extensive and impressive, even before you add in the museum’s sister site at Dumbarton.
Location
O.S. Grid Reference: NS 314383
GPS coordinates: 55.609436,-4.676612
Train / bus to Irvine
Car park
Key info
Daily – check official website for tour times
£9 adult / free for accompanied children – small surcharge for tours
