Largs back in time: Old photos of Largs telling the history of the Seaside town

Largs is one of our favourite places on the West Coast of Scotland. It’s a beautiful town full of friendly people - but it’s much more than just a tourist destination, it’s a town with a storied and vast history.

The heritage of Largs really can’t be disputed, they’ve contributed so much to Scottish history, especially in the last 100 years.

The history of Largs dates all the way back to 3000b.c at the earliest - with a tomb from the Neolithic era found in Douglas Park. Largs as we know it today however came to be around the 17th century, rising from the estates of North Cunninghame.

It all rose from a small church, before drawing in more and more people as a tourist destination thanks to its beautiful seaside scenery. By the nineteenth century it was a fully fledged tourist resort with hotels, a pier, and all kinds of entertainment.

Many people began to move to Largs thanks to its popularity, particularly after the railway was built at the very end of the 19th century. Many of the mansions built in this time remain to this day, the prominent of them being ‘Netherall’ - a holiday home of none other than Lord Kelvin himself.

Largs is very proud of its history, you can find out all about it just by walking along the seaside path, with monuments and plaques commemorating events like the Battle of Largs in 1263, the First World War memorial, and of course, the famous ‘Pencil’.

Want to know more about Largs in the modern day? Make sure to check out our article: Seaside Guide: 11 of the best things to do and see in Largs.

Many of the images below are courtesy of North Ayrshire heritage trails - for more old pictures from the archive, history, and more of North Ayrshire, make sure to check out their website.