Discover Scotland’s largest and most popular marina…
Today’s boaters have many non-negotiables when it comes to choosing a marina: accessible WiFi, good showers, security, protection from the elements, car parking and more. But there are some marina features that visitors and boaters may not appreciate until they arrive on-site, for example the way a purpose-built marina village can make your boating experience so simple and hassle-free.
This is what sets Largs Yacht Haven apart. In addition to ‘ticking the boxes’ in providing every possible service a boater would need, the marina is a destination in its own right. And, what is more, Largs Yacht Haven is a completely purpose-built marina, thus ensuring the layout, environment and facilities are perfect for every generation of boater.
From modern pontoons to a dry berthing slipway, an active yacht club, coastal rowing, dinghies, racing and sea swimming, Largs is much more than just a marina. As quoted by an independent marina assessor, Largs is a “true watersport centre; a nautical village in its own right, putting Largs on the map as a watersports destination with international allure”.
And it does not stop there. Landlubbers can stroll along the breakwater to enjoy the views, dine at the on-site restaurant or café, visit by motorhome or peruse the chandlery. Largs Yacht Haven is as much a tourist destination for those visiting by land, as it is by boat!
FACILITIES & BERTHING
– 730 full tide berths
– Free WiFi, plus water and electricity on every berth
– Space ashore for 330 boats
– Slipway and dry berthing for RIBs/motorboats up to 8m LOA
– 70 ton and 75 ton boat hoists
– On-site chandlery, Volvo Penta engineers, riggers and sail makers
– Popular racing and social programme through Largs Sailing Club and Fairlie Yacht Club
– On-water fuel, gas and sewage pump out open 24/7
– Award-winning Scotts restaurant and Bosun’s coffee shop
40 YEARS: 1984 to 2024
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 in the early 1980s.
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.
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.
Fast forward to the present day and Largs Yacht Haven is now the largest and most popular marina in Scotland with more than 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 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.
LARGS REGATTA FESTIVAL
One of the biggest regattas in the Scottish sailing calendar is held in late-August each year. Hosted by Largs Sailing Club, Fairlie Yacht Club and Largs Yacht Haven, Largs Regatta Festival (see our events guide on page 26) is the only event in Scotland where dinghies and keelboats share the racing waters, supported by a busy music programme ashore.
The event kicks off with racing in Largs Channel and the Firth of Clyde with a mix of courses for each class. The following day is the iconic ‘Round The Islands’ race with dinghies circumnavigating Great Cumbrae and keelboats rounding both Cumbrae islands. Regatta racing is rounded off with the iconic Scottish Two Handed Race round the Isle of Arran.
New for 2024, the event will be supporting the RNLI Lifeboats’ 200th anniversary, as well as an on-the-water treasure hunt to support the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust who are based at Largs Yacht Haven.
Largs Yacht Haven
Irvine Road, Largs, Ayrshire KA30 8EZ
Tel: 01475 675333
VHF Channel 37 or 80
www.yachthavens.com
Largs@yachthavens.com
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