Difference between revisions of "Portencross"

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{{Place
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| name          = Portencross
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| gaelic        = Port na Crois
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| location      = West Kilbride
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| country      = Scotland
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| county        = [[North Ayrshire]]
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{{#display_map: 55.723528352243655,-4.878787994384766|mappingservice=leaflet|zoom=12}}
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}}
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{{dab|the hamlet| for other places nearby |North Ayrshire}}
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 +
 
[[Image:Portencross from the pier.jpg|thumb|300px|Portencross viewed from its pier]]
 
[[Image:Portencross from the pier.jpg|thumb|300px|Portencross viewed from its pier]]
  
'''Portencross''' ({{lang-gd|Port na Crois}}) is a [[hamlet (place)|hamlet]] near Farland Head in [[North Ayrshire]], [[Scotland]]. Situated about 3 km west of [[Seamill]] and about 2 km south of [[Hunterston B nuclear power station]], it is noted for [[Portencross Castle]].
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'''Portencross''' is a hamlet near the village of West KilbrideFarland in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Situated about 2 miles west of [[Seamill]] and about 2 miles south of [[Hunterston B Nuclear Power Station]], it is most famous for the 13th century [[Portencross Castle]].
  
It has two harbours and a pier. The "Old Harbour" is actually a small tidal inlet next to the castle, and is part of the castle property. The larger harbour, "North Harbour", owned by the Portencross Harbour Trust, lies about 100&nbsp;m north of the castle and was the main access point for fishing activity.<ref>WKAS, p.75</ref>
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It has two harbours and a pier. The "Old Harbour" is actually a small tidal inlet next to the castle, and is part of the castle property. The larger harbour, "North Harbour", owned by the Portencross Harbour Trust, lies about 100 metres north of the castle and was the main access point for fishing activity.
  
The Portencross Pier was built in the era of Clyde steamer cruising but was never used as much as other locations such as [[Largs]], [[Fairlie, North Ayrshire|Fairlie]] or [[Wemyss Bay]]
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The Portencross Pier was built in the era of Clyde steamer cruising but was never used as much as other locations such as [[Largs]], [[Fairlie]] or [[Wemyss Bay]].
  
 
==Natural History==
 
==Natural History==
In 2014 the North Ayrshire Ranger Service carried out a survey of the plants growing on the rocky shore, whinstone dyke, saltmarsh and '[[machair]]-like' seaside vegetation. Species recorded included sea arrowgrass (''Triglochin maritima''); sea sandwort (''Honkenya peploides''); scurvy-grass (''Cochlearia officinalis''); common orache (''Atriplex patula''); sea club-rush (''Scirpus maritimus''); sea milkwort (''Glaux maritima''); salt mud-rush (''Juncus gerardii''); lesser sea spurrey (''Spergularia marina''); cliff sand spurrey (''Spergularia rupicola''); sea aster (''Aster tripolium''); red bartsia (''Odonitites verna''); silverweed (''Potentilla anserina''); bird's foot trefoil (''Lotus geniculatus''); sea pink/thrift (''Armeria maritima''); eyebright (''Euphrasia nemorosa''); yellow rattle (''Rhinanthus minor''); sea plantain (''Plantago maritima''); meadow cranesbill (''Geranium pratense''); purple loosetrife (''Lythrum salicalia''); pineapple weed (''Matricaria matricariodes''); curled dock (''Rumex crispus''); scentless mayweed (''Matricaria maritima''); corn sowthistle (''Sonchus arvensis''); marsh thistle (''Cirsium palustre''); lady's bedstraw (''Galium verum''); mugwort (''Artemisia vulgaris''); celery-leaved crowfoot (''Ranunculus scleratus''); ragged robin (''Lychnis flos-cuculi''); yellow flag iris (''Iris pseudacorus''); parsley water-dropwort (''Oenanthe lachenalii''); greater woodrush (''Luzula sylvatica''); amphibious bistort (''Polygonum amphibian''); crow garlic (''Allium vineale var. compactum''); Japanese rose (''Rosa rugosa''); alder (''Alnus glutinosa''); sea buckthorn (''Hippophae rhamnoides''); wood sage (''Teucreum scorodonia''); hemlock water-dropwort (''Oenanthe crocata''); sticky groundsel (''Senecio viscosus''); bloody cranesbill (''Geranium sanguineum''); bracken/brake (''Pteridium aquilinium''); yellow splash lichen (''Xanthoria parietina''); crab's eye lichen (''Ochrolechia parella''); sea ivory (''Ramalina siliquosa'').
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In 2014 the North Ayrshire Ranger Service carried out a survey of the plants growing on the rocky shore, whinstone dyke, saltmarsh and 'machair-like' seaside vegetation. Species recorded included sea arrowgrass; sea sandwort; scurvy-grass; common orache; sea club-rush; sea milkwort; salt mud-rush; lesser sea spurrey; cliff sand spurrey; sea aster; red bartsia; silverweed; bird's foot trefoil; sea pink/thrift; eyebright; yellow rattle; sea plantain; meadow cranesbill; purple loosetrife; pineapple weed; curled dock; scentless mayweed ; corn sowthistle; marsh thistle; lady's bedstraw; mugwort; celery-leaved crowfoot; ragged robin; yellow flag iris; parsley water-dropwort; greater woodrush; amphibious bistort; crow garlic; Japanese rose; alder; sea buckthorn; wood sage; hemlock water-dropwort ; sticky groundsel; bloody cranesbill; bracken/brake; yellow splash lichen; crab's eye lichen; sea ivory.
 
 
== Notes ==
 
{{Reflist}}
 
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
Line 18: Line 26:
 
* [[Murder of Mary Speir Gunn]]
 
* [[Murder of Mary Speir Gunn]]
  
== References ==
 
*{{cite book
 
| others = foreword by Peter McNab
 
| author = WKAS
 
| title = West Kilbride, Seamill, Portencross & thereabouts
 
| year = 2002
 
| publisher = West Kilbride Amenity Society 
 
| location = Largs
 
| isbn = 0-9516831-1-X
 
}}
 
  
==External links==
 
{{commons category}}
 
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT7N6kZogq0 YouTube video of Portencross, Castle, Harbours and Pier]
 
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cheXIu1TUPo YouTube video of the Murder of Mary Gunn at Northbank Farm, Portencross]
 
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI-9_V6Er0Y The Portencross 'machair']
 
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6HvmmPnHHc YouTube aerial video using SNAPS of the Portencross machair and rocky shore]
 
 
{{North Ayrshire}}
 
{{North Ayrshire}}
  

Revision as of 05:48, 25 October 2015


Portencross
Port na Crois
{{{image}}}
Country

Scotland

County

North Ayrshire

Loading map...
This article is about the hamlet


Portencross viewed from its pier

Portencross is a hamlet near the village of West KilbrideFarland in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Situated about 2 miles west of Seamill and about 2 miles south of Hunterston B Nuclear Power Station, it is most famous for the 13th century Portencross Castle.

It has two harbours and a pier. The "Old Harbour" is actually a small tidal inlet next to the castle, and is part of the castle property. The larger harbour, "North Harbour", owned by the Portencross Harbour Trust, lies about 100 metres north of the castle and was the main access point for fishing activity.

The Portencross Pier was built in the era of Clyde steamer cruising but was never used as much as other locations such as Largs, Fairlie or Wemyss Bay.

Natural History

In 2014 the North Ayrshire Ranger Service carried out a survey of the plants growing on the rocky shore, whinstone dyke, saltmarsh and 'machair-like' seaside vegetation. Species recorded included sea arrowgrass; sea sandwort; scurvy-grass; common orache; sea club-rush; sea milkwort; salt mud-rush; lesser sea spurrey; cliff sand spurrey; sea aster; red bartsia; silverweed; bird's foot trefoil; sea pink/thrift; eyebright; yellow rattle; sea plantain; meadow cranesbill; purple loosetrife; pineapple weed; curled dock; scentless mayweed ; corn sowthistle; marsh thistle; lady's bedstraw; mugwort; celery-leaved crowfoot; ragged robin; yellow flag iris; parsley water-dropwort; greater woodrush; amphibious bistort; crow garlic; Japanese rose; alder; sea buckthorn; wood sage; hemlock water-dropwort ; sticky groundsel; bloody cranesbill; bracken/brake; yellow splash lichen; crab's eye lichen; sea ivory.

See also


North Ayrshire

Towns

Ardrossan
Beith
Dalry
Irvine
Kilbirnie
Kilwinning
Largs
Saltcoats
Stevenston
West Kilbride

Villages

Ardeer
Auchentiber
Barrmill
Benslie
Dreghorn
Drybridge
Fairlie
Gateside
Girdle Toll
Glengarnock
Longbar
Skelmorlie
Springside
Stanecastle

Hamlets

Barkip
Broomlands
Bourtreehill
Burnhouse
Castlepark
Crosbie
Chapeltoun
Cunninghamhead
Dalgarven
Drakemyre
Eglinton
Fergushill
Fullarton
Giffordland
Greenhills
Hessilhead
Highfield
Hunterston
Kelburn
Lawthorn
Lylestone
Meigle
Meikle Auchengree
Montgreenan
Nettlehirst
Perceton
Portencross
Routenburn
Seamill
Sevenacres
Shewalton
Torranyard

Island settlements

Brodick
Lamlash
Lochranza
Whiting Bay
Birchburn
Blackwaterfoot
Catacol
Cladach
Corrie
Dippen
Kildonan
Kilmory
Lagg
Machrie
Pirnmill
Sannox
Shiskine
Sliddery
Whitefarland
Millport

Neighbouring council areas

Argyll and Bute
East Ayrshire
Inverclyde
Renfrewshire
South Ayrshire
Coordinates: 55°42′N 4°54′W / 55.700°N 4.900°W / 55.700; -4.900
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