Home Report Kilmacolm

Kilmacolm, Inverclyde, is a lovely leafy village of roughly 4000 residents. It lies on the northern slope of the Gryffe Valley, about 7.5 miles southeast of Greenock and around 15 miles west of the city of Glasgow.

The area of and surrounding Kilmacolm has always had some form of habitation, but the village as we know it today really emerged in the Victorian era, especially with the arrival of the railway in 1869, when many Victorian buildings both commercial and residential began to spring up. The location of the village, surrounding countryside, and railway saw it become an attractive commuter town for the merchants and well-off employees working in the larger urban centre of Glasgow at the time. A hydro hotel was also built in 1880, and it saw the village develop into somewhat of a quiet holiday resort in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

While the railway line and station closed in 1983 the town continues to be a very attractive dormitory settlement today mostly for higher-than-average income earners working in Glasgow, though, many in the village are also retired. As such the local economy has adapted to primarily focus on providing retail and services to the local community. The Victorian village centre has a number of local shops and there are a variety of places to eat and drink.

Local attractions and things to do include ‘Windyhill’, one of only two residential houses wholly designed by none other than Charles Rennie Mackintosh. ‘Rowantreehill’, a property designed by Mackintosh’s contemporary James Salmon, sits in the adjacent plot. Other examples of their architecture can be found around the village, most notably at St Columba’s Church. A notable attraction in nearby Langbank is Finlaystone House, owned by the Chief of Clan MacMillan and a category A-listed building. The house is privately-owned today, but its estate is open to the public all year round with a variety of facilities and activities for all ages. Another notable attraction that must be mentioned is Quarrier’s Village – originally constructed for the Orphans Home of Scotland – now a lovely residential village with some local businesses, a craft centre and a coffee shop. The nearby Glen Moss Wildlife Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and Birkmyre Park offer lovely walking and nature spotting opportunities as well as children’s playpark, cafe and sports facilities. Finally, for golfers, Kilmacolm Golf Club is in the village is revered in Scotland as one of its finest Clubs and currently holds a spot in Scotland’s Top 100 Golf Courses.

As for transport links, while the train station was closed in 1983, transport links remain sufficient around the village by road. The A761 is nearby and offers relatively quick travel to Greenock and Paisley, with further connections to the M8 motorway which offers fast travel directly into Glasgow City Centre. Kilmacolm is also about 15-20 minutes away by road from Glasgow Airport. The nearest railway station is in Port Glasgow, while Kilmacolm’s former railway track has been converted into a cycle path and is now part of the Clyde to Forth cycle route.

In terms of local education then, there are currently only two schools in Kilmacolm: Kilmacolm Primary School, a state primary school, and St Columba’s School, an independent school offering both primary and secondary education. The nearest state secondary school in Inverclyde is Port Glasgow High School, which is a five to ten-minute drive away.