Waypoints: WP22 Beacon Arts Centre, WP21 Galt Family home, WP20 Inverkip St Cemetery, WP19 Ardgowan Distillery, WP18 Kip Marina, WP17 Wemyss Bay Station
Distance: X m, Y km; Time: Z hrs;
Terrain: footpaths and country lane
Public transport: Rail services Wemyss Bay-Inverkip-Branchton-Port Glasgow
and McGill's bus services 576 & 578 Largs to Greenock
Toilets: Beacon Arts Centre, cafes etc for customers, Inverkip car park
Download pdf (draft version) of this section
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An optional extra before you start the John Galt Way: the Galt Memorial Fountain (westwards on the Esplanade)
What3Words ///constrain.improvise.loafer
This memorial, appropriately beside the River Clyde which was so important to seafaring families like that of Galt, was restored in 2015; the John Galt Society was at the time recently established and its president, Prof. Gerard Carruthers, said “It is a real privilege to have someone like John Galt associated with Greenock".
photo Dave Souza
photo I J Dickson
Waypoint 22: Custom House Quay, with the Beacon Arts Centre and the Custom House, with parking & cafe.
What3Words ///only.holds.daily
It is from Custom House Quay that the Pringle family would have taken a steam boat to Glasgow as part of their long journey to London.
The Greenock Burns Club Exhibition and Archive Room is in the Custom House - it features a history of the 'Mother Club' (founded in 1801), links with Highland Mary, who died and is buried in Greenock, Burns' career as an excise officer, and books of Burns' work dating back to the 19th century.
map (c) OpenStreetMap contributors
Follow the riverside path to the Wyllieum and Waterfront Cinema. Artworks along the route are described in the Greenock Waterfront Walk.
The Wyllieum is home to the art, ideas and scul?tures of George Wyllie (1921-2012)
Cross Container Way to Tesco.
If, before crossing, you walk about 50 yards along the car-park hedge to the west for a moment, you will be at the place, marked with a pavement roundel, where Highland Mary had been buried, before being re-interred at Greenock cemetery when Harland and Wolff bought the ground.
Follow the path passing Tesco entrance.
Take the pedestrian crossing at Dalrymple Street and turn west to Westburn Street.
map (c) OpenStreetMap contributors
Take the path inland to Rue End Street.
Cross to Heritage Highlight: Ginger the Horse
Follow Cathcart Street - you will pass the James Watt Bar - this was the site of the Tontine Hotel where the Pringle family ended their journey from Irvine.
Cross Cathcart Square and Clyde Square.
Take the path at the west side of Municipal Buildings to Greenock Central Library, and walk under the main road.
Follow the path at Hunters Place passing the entrance to Oak Mall to Westburn Street.
Follow Westburn Street - the memorial plaque will be on your right just before West Blackhall St.
Aulds, 52A Hamilton Way - PA15 1RH (Oak Mall Shopping Centre)
Greggs, 44 Hamilton Way - PA15 1RH
Beacon Arts Centre PA15 1HJ
The Greenock Waterfront Walk is a self-guided walk, lasting about an hour, and highlighting many interesting buildings and the many waterfront sculptures which reflect Greenock's history, such as the Greenock Yardmen. The walk can be viewed here, where you will an interactive map and a link to a downloadable pdf.
photo I J Dickson
Waypoint 21 – Galt family home (c.58 West Burn St)
What3Words: ///magna.mint.transit
When it was built by Galt's sea-captain father, their house here, on the town outskirts at the time, had a large garden and a view to the river. John Galt retired here in 1834 and died here in 1839, aged 60.
map (c) OpenStreetMap contributors
Walk along Westburn St to the underpass.
Take the underpass and path.
Enjoy the underpass murals with the oak leaf celebrating Green Oak folklore, and continue through Oak Mall, with its murals of Greenock history.
Cross Kilblain Street to Kilblain Street Bus Station.
Cross to the opposite side of Inverkip Street at the pedestrian crossing near the Green Oak Bar.
Continue south and cross Roxburgh Street to Old Inverkip Road.
Continue to the Cemetery.
One Bruce Street - bar and kitchen - PA15 4LL
photo I J Dickson
Waypoint 20 – (Inverkip Street Cemetery - John Galt's grave):
What3Words ///matter.media.bleat
A plaque at the gateway records this cemetery as the resting-place of John Galt. The grave itself is in the middle left of the graveyard. Recorded on the left are his parents and John Galt himself; in the middle his brother-in-law and family; and on the right, his sister. - Read more . . .
The photo shows Inverclyde Provost Drew McKenzie laying a wreath at Galt's resting place in 2026 on the anniversary date of his 1839 death, 11th April. The wreath-laying was also attended by members of Greenock and Irvine Burns Clubs and Inverclyde Historical Society.
Our 1821 travellers followed the Spango Valley, now the main A78 road (dual carriageway), so the John Galt Way will deviate by a country lane with pleasant views. There is also regular public transport from Inverkip to Inverkip St Cemetery in Greenock (see Public Transport below)
Leaving the cemetery, turn left (westwards).
After crossing the railway, go left onto the side road Orangefield.
This will become Brachelston Street - follow it to where Old Inverkip Road branches left.
Follow Old Inverkip Road to the main A78.
Cross, going slightly right, and take the continuation of Old Inverkip Road.
Follow it to the main A78 at Clyde Auto Sales.
Follow the A78 past Branchton Station and Inverclyde Academy until you have open ground on your left.
Take Flatterton Road going to the right uphill through Braeside.
At the top, follow the country lane with its superb views over the valley - the valley was once the home to IBM – read about it here.
When you meet the dual carriageway, cross carefully using the median island.
Continue on the east pavement to Ardgowan Distillery.
For those wishing neither to take the John Galt Way country lane nor the Pringle family's Spango Valley road, options include the train service between Branchton and Inverkip stations (Port Glasgow to Wemyss Bay line) or the McGill's 906 bus service between these two points, the latter coming from the centre of Greenock. The services are both half-hourly and both take 8 to 9 minutes.
Albany Theatre ('The Albany') on Orangefield Place - "Greenock’s leading restaurant and events venue, proudly reviewed as the number one restaurant in Greenock and Inverclyde" - PA15 1YX
One Bruce Street - bar and kitchen - PA15 4LL
photo ...
Waypoint 19 Ardgowan Distillery
What3Words ///football.subjects.confident
This is the third Ardgowan distillery, opened in 2025. For JGW walkers, the location offers a pleasant break while next to a main road. The distillery offers tours (except August).
The original Ardgowan distillery was founded in 1896 at Baker Street in Greenock; in 1903 the distillery caught fire and a "river of flaming whisky" washed down Baker Street. Before World War II the distillery was converted to make industrial alcohol for use as fuel for RAF fighter planes. The distillery was almost totally destroyed in the Greenock Blitz of 7 May 1941. It was rebuilt and continued to work until It ceased production in 1952.
Cross the A78 and follow the path to the junction with A770.
Cross the A770 and continue on the path to the west of the A78.
At the end of the path cross to Bridgend Cottages.
Continue into Inverkip village.
Cross the A78 at the pedestrian crossing towards Kip Marina
Inverkip Hotel - a family run hotel & restaurant in the heart of Inverkip - PA16 0AS.
Millstone Coffee House, 64 Main St., Inverkip - PA16 0AS
In 'The Ayrshire Legatees', Miss Rachel Pringle writes to Miss Isabella Todd:
"We entered the pretty village of Inverkip. A slight snow-shower had given the landscape a sort of copperplate effect, but still the forms of things, though but sketched, as it were, with China ink, were calculated to produce interesting impressions." (Chapter 1, Letter 2)
photo I J Dickson
Waypoint 18 Kip Marina
What3Words ///chum.image.nitrate
Scotland’s Premier Marina has 600 protected pontoon berths, all facing the prevailing wind, available 24 hours a day seven days a week for vessels up to 24m. Kip Marina is a 5-Gold-Anchor marina.
For more about Inverkip, see Liz Smith's article in 'The Greenockian'.
John Galt commented on Inverkip in "The Literary Life and Miscellanies of John Galt":
"One Sunday, happening to take a walk to the neighbouring village to Greenock, Inverkip, I observed that, from the time I had been there, some progress had been made by Sir John Shaw Stewart in turning it inside out. While looking at the various improvements around, my intention of writing a minister's sedate adventures returned upon me, as if the mantle of inspiration had suddenly dropped upon my shoulders, and I resolved to make the schoolmaster of the village the recorder of a register. A specimen of what I then designed is introduced into 'Eben Erskine'; but I did not proceed with that intention, and it was not till after my marriage that I altered my plan into the 'Annals of the Parish', nor did I then quite complete it, as I was informed that Scottish novels would not succeed ('Waverley' was not then published)." (Vol. 2, p. 153)
Follow the roadside path (on the seaward side).
The path descends to a roundabout at the Hill Farm junction - the gated road on the right once led to the now-gone Inverkip Power Station - the path then rises as it goes south.
Toilets: Wemyss Bay station, Inverkip car park
photo Liz Smith
Waypoint 17 (Wemyss Bay station):
What3Words ///glue.wounds.laughs
Take time to explore the wonderful award winning Wemyss Bay Station. As well as the terminus of trains from Glasgow, the station also boasts a café, bar and second hand book shop. Ferries to Rothesay (on Bute) arrive here and there is a frequent #901 bus service north to Glasgow or south to Largs.
In 'The Ayrshire Legatees', Miss Pringle describes the scene to her friend Miss Isabella Todd:
"When we crossed the stream that divides the counties of Ayr and Renfrew, we beheld, in all the apart and consequentiality of pride, the house of Kelly overlooking the social villas of Wemyss Bay. My brother compared it to a sugar hogshead, and them to cotton-bags, - for the lofty thane of Kelly is but a West India planter, and the inhabitants of the villas on the shore are Glasgow manufacturers.” (Chapter 1, Letter 2)
The Wemyss Bay Caravan Park now takes the place of Kelly House which was destroyed by fire in 1913. The "West India planter" who owned the property was John Wallace and it was inherited by his son Robert Wallace in 1803. Robert Wallace later became Greenock's first MP in 1832.
Email: info@irvineburnsclub.org
Museum: Wellwood Burns Centre, 28 Eglinton Street, Irvine, KA12 8AS
© Irvine Burns Club
Custom House Quay to the Galt family home via the Wyllieum
