A prolific Ayrshire writer has just gone coastal- and just released ‘A Look Back at Ayrshire Harbours.’
Dane Love, a former Irvine Royal Academy teacher, charts all the harbours, ports and piers along the Ayrshire coast.
This latest piece of work forms part of the publisher’s ‘Look Back’ series.
Starting at Skelmorlie in the north, where there used to be a pier, Love takes us south along the shore, stopping at each harbour on the way.
Each port is illustrated with at least one old photograph, or up to three in the case of the larger ports.
Each of these old postcard images, or period photographs, some of which haven’t appeared in print before, are accompanied by detailed historical captions.
From Skelmorlie south, we read about Largs, Fairlie, Portencross, Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenston, Irvine, Troon, Ayr, Dunure, Maidens, Girvan and Ballantrae.
The history of each harbour and pier is included, informing the reader of when it was established, a bit about the trade carried out at each place, some accounts of shipbuilding, fishing, smuggling, and pleasure cruises ‘doon the watter’.
Dane Love has written numerous books on Scottish subjects, with many on his native Ayrshire.
‘A Look Back at Ayrshire Harbours’ is his 40th book. Previous works include the recently re-issued ‘Scottish Covenanter Stories’, ‘Ayrshire’s Lost Villages’, ‘Ayrshire Coast’ and ‘The Mountains of Great Britain.’
‘A Look Back at Ayrshire Harbours’ is available form numerous outlets across Ayrshire, or directly from the publisher at www.carnpublishing.com
The ISBN is 978 1 911043 24 9 and the book retails at £10.