Wemyss Bay
from Renfrewshire V.NW revised 1912: Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland
Situated at Inverclyde’s south western edge, Wemyss Bay is bordered by the Firth of Clyde and the Kelly Burn on the edge of North Ayrshire. Trains run from the Category A-listed station to Glasgow and link with ferries sailing to Rothesay, Isle of Bute. The Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway line opened in May 1865 with its stone-built station at a new pier near the Kelly Burn.
One explanation of the village's name is given in an 1879 guidebook that it was named after an old 18th century fisherman and bay inhabitant, Robert Wemyss. However, Wemyss derives from the Scottish Gaelic 'uaimh' meaning cave. The full Gaelic name is 'Bagh na h-Uaime' meaning Bay of the Cave.
In the late 15th century King James lll granted the lands of Kelly, to the north of the burn, to the Bannatyne family where they built their cliff-top Kelly Castle.
Land to the north of the bay belonged to the Shaw Stewart family and, in the late 1700s, four identical villas were built and let to Glasgow merchants - the area becoming known as New Glasgow.
Glasgow merchant John Wallace bought the Kelly estate in 1792 and built Kelly House. His son Robert, Greenock’s first MP, inherited the estate and built the row of houses called Forbes Place. Robert Wallace aimed to expand Wemyss Bay into a "Marine Village" of 200 villas, with luxury amenities.
Gatehouse of Kelly Estate
Having lost his wealth in 1846, Robert resigned as MP, and sold the Kelly Estate to an Australian merchant James Alexander, who went bankrupt after a few years. The estate was then sold in two parts - the Kelly Estate to James Scott of Glasgow and Wemyss Bay to Charles Wilsone Brown who built 36 villas and Castle Wemyss. In 1860 Brown sold the estate to George Burns.
Wemyss Castle
The Kelly Estate was sold to James Young, inventor of paraffin and wealthy industrialist. His new 1890s mansion, Kelly House, was destroyed by fire in 1913 and remained a burnt out ruin until Wemyss Bay Caravan Park took over the estate.
Dunloe
Development continued on the Weymss Bay Estate. Two of the original villas were demolished to build one larger house. A third villa was replaced by a new house called Dunloe. Mansfield House remains as the last New Glasgow villa.
Wemyss Bay Pier and Station
The village began to grow to its present size from the 1960s. A primary school was opened in March 1980 followed by a few local shops, a pharmacy and GPs’ surgery. The station has a bar and café; opposite are some small shops, café, and garage.
Image: Wemyss Bay Station
Copyright images: McLean Museum and Art Gallery: Wemyss Castle