Portencross ( gd, Port na Crois) is a

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

near Farland Head in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Situated about west of

Seamill Seamill is a village in North Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland, about 5 miles north of Ardrossan and 8 miles south of Largs, on the east coast of the Firth of Clyde. It is sometimes considered part of West Kilbride, and sometimes conside ...

and about south of

Hunterston B nuclear power station Hunterston B nuclear power station is a shut down AGR nuclear power station in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Located about south of Largs and about north-west of West Kilbride on the Firth of Clyde coast. It is currently operated by EDF Energy, and ...

, it is noted for

Portencross Castle Portencross Castle, also known historically as Portincross Castle, is situated in Portencross, on the west coast of Scotland, about 3 km from West Kilbride. The site has been fortified since the 11th Century. The present Tower houses in Bri ...

. It has two harbours and a pier. The "Old Harbour" is actually a small tidal inlet next to the castle, and is part of the castle property. The larger harbour, "North Harbour", owned by the Portencross Harbour Trust, lies about north of the castle and was the main access point for fishing activity.WKAS, p.75 The Portencross Pier was built in the era of Clyde steamer cruising but was never used as much as other locations such as

Largs Largs ( gd, An Leargaidh Ghallda) is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" (''An Leargaidh'') in Scottish Gaelic. A popular seaside resort with a pier, the town mark ...

, Fairlie or

Wemyss Bay Wemyss Bay (; ) is a town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in Inverclyde in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is in the traditional county of Renfrewshire. It is adjacent to Skelmorlie, North Ayrshire. The town and villages have alway ...

Natural History

In 2014 the North Ayrshire Ranger Service carried out a survey of the plants growing on the rocky shore, whinstone dyke, saltmarsh and "

machair A machair (; sometimes machar in English) is a fertile low-lying grassy plain found on part of the northwest coastlines of Ireland and Scotland, in particular the Outer Hebrides. The best examples are found on North and South Uist, Harri ...

-like" seaside vegetation. Species recorded included sea arrowgrass (''Triglochin maritima''); sea sandwort (''Honkenya peploides''); scurvy-grass (''Cochlearia officinalis''); common orache (''Atriplex patula''); sea club-rush (''Scirpus maritimus''); sea milkwort (''Glaux maritima''); salt mud-rush (''Juncus gerardii''); lesser sea spurrey (''Spergularia marina''); cliff sand spurrey (''Spergularia rupicola''); sea aster (''Aster tripolium''); red bartsia (''Odonitites verna''); silverweed (''Potentilla anserina''); bird's foot trefoil (''Lotus geniculatus''); sea pink/thrift (''Armeria maritima''); eyebright (''Euphrasia nemorosa''); yellow rattle (''Rhinanthus minor''); sea plantain (''Plantago maritima''); meadow cranesbill (''Geranium pratense''); purple loosetrife (''Lythrum salicalia''); pineapple weed (''Matricaria matricariodes''); curled dock (''Rumex crispus''); scentless mayweed (''Matricaria maritima''); corn sowthistle (''Sonchus arvensis''); marsh thistle (''Cirsium palustre''); lady's bedstraw (''Galium verum''); mugwort (''Artemisia vulgaris''); celery-leaved crowfoot (''Ranunculus scleratus''); ragged robin (''Lychnis flos-cuculi''); yellow flag iris (''Iris pseudacorus''); parsley water-dropwort (''Oenanthe lachenalii''); greater woodrush (''Luzula sylvatica''); amphibious bistort (''Polygonum amphibian''); crow garlic (''Allium vineale var. compactum''); Japanese rose (''Rosa rugosa''); alder (''Alnus glutinosa''); sea buckthorn (''Hippophae rhamnoides''); wood sage (''Teucreum scorodonia''); hemlock water-dropwort (''Oenanthe crocata''); sticky groundsel (''Senecio viscosus''); bloody cranesbill (''Geranium sanguineum''); bracken/brake (''Pteridium aquilinium''); yellow splash lichen (''Xanthoria parietina''); crab's eye lichen (''Ochrolechia parella''); sea ivory (''Ramalina siliquosa'').

Notes

References

External links

Portencross castle

Portencross Jetty video

YouTube video of Portencross, Castle, Harbours and Pier

YouTube video of the Murder of Mary Gunn at Northbank Farm, Portencross

The Portencross 'machair'

YouTube aerial video using SNAPS of the Portencross machair and rocky shore
Ports and harbours of Scotland Villages in North Ayrshire {{NorthAyrshire-geo-stub

Natural History

Notes

See also

References

External links