Travel to Inverkip Map
Inverkip tourist guide map of landmarks & destinations by Walkfo
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When travelling to Inverkip, Walkfo’s has created a travel guide & Inverkip overview of Inverkip’s hotels & accommodation, Inverkip’s weather through the seasons & travel destinations / landmarks in Inverkip. Experience a unique Inverkip when you travel with Walkfo as your tour guide to Inverkip map.
Inverkip history
Origins
In 1170 Baldwin de Bigres granted a stretch of land to the monks of Paisley Abbey . This land was described as “The pennyland between the rivulets Kip and Daff”
Inverkip Church
By 1188, the monks had built a church on the site of the present old graveyard . This small church (known as Auld Kirk) served the entire Christian population between Kilmacolm and Largs for around 400 years . The Christians of Greenock presented a petition to the Crown for a Church of their own . This resulted in the opening of the Old West Kirk in Greenock in 1859 .
Ardgowan
By the 13th century, a castle had been built at what is now Ardgowan House . This early castle changed hands between the Scots and the English during the Wars of Independence . The land was acquired by the Stewarts in 1390 and they built the existing castle during the 15th century . The main entrance is at first floor level and is accessed by an external stairway .
Witchcraft & Witch Hunts
Inverkip was a hotbed of witchcraft activity for half a century from 1640 to 1690 . The Ministers of the parish at the time, the Rev John Hamilton (1626 to 1664) and Rev Alexander Leslie (1665 to 1684) were noted as being ‘zealous persecutors of witches’ Marie Lamont was found guilty of witchcraft and burned at the stake .
Shaws Water Scheme
The Greenock Cut was commissioned by Sir Michael Shaw Stewart, 5th Baronet and designed by industrialist Robert Thom of Rothesay . It entailed the damming of Shaws Water (a small stream on the other side of the hills from Greenock) to create what is now known as Loch Thom .
Cholera Outbreak
One third of the population died due to an outbreak of cholera in 1849 . 1849 was a disastrous year for the village .
Smuggling
During the late 18th century and early 19th century, the village was noted for smuggling activities involving the illicit transfer of alcohol, tea and tobacco from vessels heading up the Firth of Clyde to ports of Greenock and Port Glasgow .
The Railway
The Port Glasgow to Wemyss Bay line was opened by the Caledonian Railway Company in 1865 . A station was opened at Inverkip in 1867 and this resulted in the transformation of the village to a seaside resort . A jetty near the present day War Memorial served ferry boats which tendered to the passing Paddle Steamers .
Energy Supplies
By 1900 a gas supply was piped to the village from Bankfoot, which was the home farm of Ardgowan Estate . The 1913 OS 25 inch map shows a gasometer at the farm .
World War II
The mouth of Kip Water was excavated in 1940 by the Army Royal Engineers Unit to enable the storage of barges . After the war it became a popular bathing and boating area with locals and day-trippers alike .
Housing
From 1951-1957 Renfrewshire County Council built the Crawford Lane and Glebe Road housing scheme . This development lies on the high ground at Langhouse Road, behind the present church building .
Road Transport
The village stands on the A78 coast road which runs from Greenock to Monkton, near Prestwick Airport . Main Street was the main road until the bypass opened in the early 1970s .
Inverkip Power Station (demolished)
Power generation stopped in 1988 and the station was kept in reserve in the late 1990s . It was decommissioned in 2006 and some of the equipment was sold and transferred to other power stations around the country .
Population
Since its origins, the village population has grown from around 200 to around 3300 (2016 projection) The population of the village has doubled since the 1980s housing boom .
Murder of Margaret Fleming
Avril Jones and Edward Cairney of Inverkip were convicted of the murder of Margaret Fleming . Their bungalow, “Seacroft”, stands on the coast, beside the A78 road about 500 metres (550 yd) to the south of the village . Fleming was killed between December 1999 and January 2000 .
Inverkip map & travel guide with history & landmarks to explore
Visit Inverkip Walkfo Stats
With 9 travel places to explore on our Inverkip travel map, Walkfo is a personalised tour guide to tell you about the places in Inverkip as you travel by foot, bike, car or bus. No need for a physical travel guide book or distractions by phone screens, as our geo-cached travel content is automatically triggered on our Inverkip map when you get close to a travel location (or for more detailed Inverkip history from Walkfo).
| Travel Location: Travel Area: | Inverkip [zonearea] | Audio spots: Physical plaques: | 9 0 | Population: | [zonesize] |
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Tourist Guide to Inverkip Map
Inverkip map historic spot | Inverkip map tourist destination | Inverkip map plaque | Inverkip map geographic feature |
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