Three of the best - Newhaven, Stornoway and Cobh

There were three, standout destinations on our recent cruise around the British Isles. Two of them I've already written about, albeit quite briefly in the case of the second, but they all stand out well. Those destinations were Newhaven, Stornoway and Cobh. The first two ports of call were in Scotland, whilst the third was in the Republic of Ireland, and it was the latter, and final destination that, for me, was the outstanding of the three. So, let’s take a brief look back at the two Scottish settlements, before taking a more detailed examination of Cobh, a town remembered for all the wrong reasons. This is due to it being the final port of call for the Titanic before setting off on its ill-fated voyage across the Atlantic, and that collision with the iceberg.

First up is Newhaven, a district of Edinburgh which borders the much better-known port of Leith. The only downside of our visit to the town, was having to be transferred across from Queen Anne’s anchorage in the Firth of Forth, by “tender,” which in this instance was the ship’s fleet of lifeboats. The journey across was fine, but what wasn’t so good was the lengthy wait in order to board one of the tenders. After a pleasant, and calm trip across to the pint-sized harbour, I stepped ashore and set off to explore Newhaven. The town has an attractive sea front, overlooking the Firth of Forth in a delightful setting, and if that wasn’t enough has a number of excellent pubs.

Next up is Stornoway, capital of the Hebridean island of Lewis and Harris and by far the largest town in the Outer Hebrides. Our ship docked mid-afternoon, but Mrs PBT’s and I left our trip into the town until the following morning.  Our berth for the duration of our stay was Stornoway’s new, deep-water cruise terminal, a construction so recent that the surrounding rocks still bear scars from having been blasted from the surrounding hillside. The Scottish Government has invested wisely in this new terminal, in the belief that it will allow cruise ships to visit this outlying Hebridean settlement, and I’m sure their speculation will pay off.

A free bus shuttle, running every 20 minutes, transported visitors into the heart of Stornoway or, if you were feeling adventurous, there was an off-road footpath, with a walking time of 50-60 minutes into town. Stornoway was a pleasant, and quite substantial, self-contained community, with many of the retail outlets that grace towns in other parts of the UK. Mrs PBT’s was happy with the presence of a Boots, plus a Peacocks, and I confess to making a purchase at the latter establishment as well. We partook of some liquid refreshment at the Star Inn, a cracking little pub looking out across the harbour. No cask, of course, but only to be expected in this part of the world, with the Guinness proving a worthwhile substitute.

We then come to Cobh, which was the real highlight of the Around the British Isles cruise. From 1849 until 1920, Cobh was known as Queenstown, but following the creation of the Irish Free State, the newly independent nation, quite understandably, wanted to drop all references to the British crown, and the royal connections were dropped. 

The town reverted to its original name, and today this town of 14,000 inhabitants, acts as the port for the nearby city of Cork. With its island setting, overlooking a large natural harbour, Cobh’s deep-water facilities mean ships can dock right in the heart of the town.  One such ship, of course, was the aforementioned Titanic, a vessel that is remembered for all the wrong reasons, but for those interested in tragic events from more than a century ago, the Titanic Experience Cobh is a themed attraction, housed in the former ticket office of the White Star Line.

Our day in Cobh was characterised by perfect weather conditions, with spells of bright, warm and welcoming summer sunshine. All this contributed to a holiday-like atmosphere, with flags flying in the breeze, and a band of local guardsmen entertaining the crowds from the bandstand, sited along the promenade.  The town’s setting was gorgeous, with some fine properties set up on the hillside overlooking the expanse of water contained by the arms of the surrounding hills. 

For those feeling slightly more adventurous, there is a regular train service into Cork, which departs from Cobh station, sited just a few 100 yards away from stepping off of the ship. With a journey time of just 20 minutes, it would have been worth making the journey into the Republic’s second largest city. However, with plenty to occupy visitors in Cobh itself, and a holiday atmosphere about the place, Mrs PBT's and I were quite content to remain where we were.

It was time for a beer, and time too for experiencing some true Irish hospitality. There were several pubs, stretched out along the road that runs along the seafront, but most were bursting at the seams, as they attempted to cater for the dozens of thirsty visitors who, like us, had come straight off the cruise ship. 

Fortunately, we found a seat at the Mauretania, a traditional and quite basic pub of the sort that was once quite, common in Britain, but which now is increasingly rare. It was a proper Irish boozer, with a warm welcome, plus a good selection of beers, including some excellent Murphy's.

Back in the late 1980’s, a pint of Cork-based, Murphy’s Irish stout, was a common sight in UK pubs, alongside stout from rival brewery Beamish & Crawford, who are also from Cork. It’s a long time since I last had a pint of Murphy’s, as whilst the beer is still available in canned form in Britain, I can’t recall seeing it on draught for many a long year. It was really good though, dark, smooth, creamy and delicious, and to my mind far superior to the much vaunted, and much more widely available Guinness. Apart from packets of Tato crisps, there was no food, but the nice atmosphere more than made up for it. The only downside, according to Mrs PBT’s, was the steep, and narrow staircase up to the equally cramped “Ladies.”  I had to laugh, although Eileen didn't find it quite so amusing!  After leaving the Mauretania, we took a stroll back to where our ship was moored, but before going back onboard, had a look around the Titanic Visitor Experience.  

Cobh was definitely one of the highlights of the cruise, if not the main one, and as the last port of call, before heading for home, we went up onto Queen Anne’s top deck, where we soaked up the nautical setting, as the ship slipped its anchor, and majestically sailed out of Cork Harbour. We passed the former fortress, and prison of Spike Island, before heading back out into the Irish Sea, and a journey, through the most tranquil of seas, back to Southampton.