natural wonder
Loch Lomond
Britain's largest freshwater lake by surface area, where Highland mountains meet Lowland shores in a landscape immortalised in song.
29 km · about 35 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomScotland
Skelmorlie
Scotland, United Kingdom · Europe
About Skelmorlie
Skelmorlie is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Inverkip, 29km from Loch Lomond.
Skelmorlie is in Scotland, United Kingdom, with about 2,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Inverkip, about 4 km away.
Skelmorlie is a village in North Ayrshire in the southwest of Scotland. Although it is the northernmost settlement in the council area of North Ayrshire it is contiguous with Wemyss Bay, which is in Inverclyde, and has a PA zone postcode unlike the rest of Ayrshire which is in the KA zone. The dividing line is theRead more
Kelly Burn, which flows into the Firth of Clyde just south of the Rothesay ferry terminal and Wemyss Bay train station. Despite their proximity, the two villages have historically been divided, Skelmorlie in Ayrshire and Wemyss Bay in Renfrewshire.
Skelmorlie itself is divided into two sections, Lower and Upper Skelmorlie. There is one primary school in the village, with secondary age pupils going to Largs Academy in North Ayrshire. In common with this part of the Clyde foreshore, the rich red sandstone is a prominent feature of the landscape and housing in Skelmorlie.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Skelmorlie?
Within an hour or so of Skelmorlie: Loch Lomond (29 km), The Oak Tree Inn (32 km), Goatfell (33 km), Brodick Castle (35 km).
Are there any good drives near Skelmorlie?
The nearest famous roads are Rest and Be Thankful (A83), Arran Coast Road (A841) and Electric Brae.
Where is Skelmorlie?
Skelmorlie is in Scotland, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Inverkip.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 1,990
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Scotland
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 55.8695, -4.8848
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Skelmorlie
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
cafe
The Oak Tree Inn
A popular stopping point on the A82 beside Loch Lomond, where road trippers heading to the Scottish Highlands pause to take in one of Scotland's most beautiful lochs.
32 km · about 35 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Goatfell
Arran's highest peak at 874m, climbed from Brodick, with views over the Firth of Clyde and to Ireland on clear days.
33 km · about 40 min drive
castle
Brodick Castle
A red sandstone castle and country park above Brodick Bay on Arran, with woodland gardens and a rhododendron collection.
35 km · about 40 min drive
museum
Riverside Museum
Glasgow's Zaha Hadid-designed transport museum on the Clyde, packed with classic cars, a recreated cobbled street of vintage vehicles, and the tall ship Glenlee moored outside.
36 km · about 40 min drive
famous road
Rest and Be Thankful (A83)
The famous climb out of Glen Croe in Argyll with the old military road beside it; landslide-prone but a spectacular gateway to the west coast.
38 km · about 45 min drive
coastal drive
Arran Coast Road (A841)
The 90km loop around Arran, taking in the Boguillie and the Ross road climbs — a classic day's drive or ride from the Brodick ferry.
39 km · about 45 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Rest and Be Thankful
A famous viewpoint at the top of Glen Croe where 18th-century soldiers carved the name into a stone after completing the military road.
40 km · about 45 min drive
Driving roads near Skelmorlie
- 33 kmGoatfellArran's highest peak at 874m, climbed from Brodick, with views over the Firth of Clyde and to Ireland on clear days.
- 38 kmRest and Be Thankful (A83)The famous climb out of Glen Croe in Argyll with the old military road beside it; landslide-prone but a spectacular gateway to the west coast.
- 39 kmArran Coast Road (A841)The 90km loop around Arran, taking in the Boguillie and the Ross road climbs — a classic day's drive or ride from the Brodick ferry.
- 40 kmRest and Be ThankfulA famous viewpoint at the top of Glen Croe where 18th-century soldiers carved the name into a stone after completing the military road.
- 55 kmElectric BraeFamous optical-illusion stretch of the A719 on the Ayrshire coast where cars appear to roll uphill. Drivers have pulled over to test the gravity-defying slope since the 1930s.
- 67 kmGlen OrchyA single-track alternative to the A82 between Bridge of Orchy and Dalmally, following the tumbling River Orchy through birch woods.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
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