Largs Yacht Haven means a lot of things to a lot of people.
Whether it's your starting point for adventures afloat, a stopping point on a longer voyage, a favourite destination for food or a favourite place to watch the world go by.
But, before it began creating memories for boaters and visitors alike, the area to the south of Largs was a sandy beach originally owned by Lord Glasgow.
The Beginnings
The area to the south of Largs was a natural sandy beach which lent itself to dredging and land reclamation, ultimately creating a new marina for the Firth of Clyde. With the expertise of the Kalis family (of Lymington Yacht Haven, Hampshire) the vision of a new marina village began to take shape the early 1980s.
Photo: Largs Yacht Haven architect plans
Under Construction
The main concept of the construction was to do a “cut and fill” exercise, using the dredged sand to reclaim the land area and simultaneously provide sheltered deep water behind breakwaters.
Fast forward a few years and Largs Yacht Haven opened its first bridgehead in 1984, providing a new style of marina operation in Scotland. In contrast to many other marinas in the region, Largs permitted marine businesses to freely operate from the site, sub-let refunds were introduced to encourage visitors, and Largs Yacht Haven quickly became a thriving marina village, openly welcoming the public and creating a tourist attraction in its own right.
Photo: Largs Yacht Haven under construction in the early 1980s.
A First For Scotland
In 1996, Saturn Sails moved their business operations to Largs Yacht Haven, taking occupancy of their new, state-of-the-art sail loft.
The sail loft, which was the first purpose-built loft in Scotland, was uniquely designed to include sunken pits in the floor to allow sail cloth to stay flat during the machines, allowing for a high quality manufacturing.
Photo: Saturn Sails sail loft
Major Investments
Little-by-little, with continual investment and new facilities being added, Largs as we know it today began to take shape. Largs Sailing Club and the RYA Centre of Excellence opened in 1999 following the second highest lottery grant of the time. Shortly after, a new championship slipway was built allowing the Club to host national and international dinghy events, followed by Scotland’s first purpose-built indoor heated marine showroom occupied by Euroyachts.
Photo: Laser Radial World Championships, 2010 in front of the Largs Sailing Club
A Royal Connection
The Royal Family has a longstanding connection with sailing and the marine industry. The Family are known for enjoying spending time on the water with many Royals also being boatowners.
Through her connections to the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), we are proud to have welcomed The Princess Royal to Largs Yacht Haven on several occasions. Her visits, many with her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, have often coincided with yacht and dinghy regattas hosted by Largs Sailing Club allowing The Princess Royal to view the facilities ashore as well as going afloat to watch the racing.
Photo: HRH The Princess Royal in Largs, 2009
A Trusted Base
In 2014, the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust opened their Largs Yacht Haven base to allow the Trust to support more young people around the UK.
More than 400 young people have been supported in rebuilding their confidence after cancer and the Trust have two uniquely adapted vessels in Largs to accommodate young people who suffer from physical needs.
Photo: Ellen MacArthur (centre) opening the Trust's Scottish base, 2014
“Largs Yacht Haven is a true water sports centre; a nautical village in its own right."
"Largs Yacht Haven and Largs Sailing Club have helped put Largs on the map as a water sports destination with international allure. Largs Yacht Haven breathes respect for nature… it is green in both the literal and figurative sense. Environmental awareness is obvious throughout the marina, while the marina manager and marina team lead by example.”
– TYHA Assessor, 2019
Present Day
Fast forward to present day and Largs Yacht Haven is now the largest and most popular marina in Scotland with over 700 berths, boatyard space for over 300 boats and dry berthing for a further 100. With restaurants, cafes, shops and a variety of marine services on-site, the marina has become a unique destination for landlubbers and boaters alike. The marina was Scotland's first to receive the highly acclaimed Five Gold Anchor award in 2007 and now supports employment for over 100 full time jobs for the community.
The vast cross-section of watersports activities on-site put Largs on the map internationally, becoming a highly renowned destination across yachting, dinghy sailing and racing communities.
