The Pier

Having a few days on holiday this week.

As it was such a sunny morning I drove down to Portencross this morning. Portencoss is such a magical spot with the castle, but there is very little shelter down here, so you are at the mercy of the elements. It was windy and cold this morning.

I liked the idea of taking an atmospheric shot under the pier, as the light was fabulous. During my photo exploits amongst the rocks I managed to lose my reading glasses. Might pop back tomorrow to see if can find them.

The pier at Portencross was built in the Victorian era and has been described as the second concrete pier to be built in the world. The first was said to have been built further up the north west coast of Scotland, but has not been identified. (From Secret Scotland)

The pier was built to facilitate the transport of locally harvested potatoes, which were carried to Glasgow by paddle steamer. This was still the preferred method, as the railways were yet to become established. The pier also brought day trippers to the area, and collected them at the end of the day for the return journey to Glasgow. However, the pier's exposed location, open to the sea with no sort of breakwater or harbour, meant that its operation was limited by the weather, and the steamers would head for more favourable destination such as Largs, Fairlie, or Wemyss Bay instead.

The pier is still standing, but a number of the wooden boards have disappeared.