Beacon, Lyle Hill, above Gourock

Having left Lanashire in glorious sunshine we hit fairly dense cloud at Carlisle on our journey to Glasgow on Saturday morning. The purpose of the visit was a slightly belated celebration of my father-in-law's 86th birthday, and it was a delight to find him in good health and spirits. We picked him up fro his home south of the city and drove out to Gourock. Above the town is a viewpoint marked by a beacon which was constructed to mark the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth in 1977 and is lit on special occasions. There is also a view indicator on Craigs' Top, the highest point of the hill above the beacon and marked by a trigpoint. You can see IWC in this shot.

A war memorial to the Free French forces who fought in the Second World War stands on the western brow of the hill. It was built in the shape of the Cross of Lorraine, the emblem of the Free French, combined with an anchor. The sailors who sailed out of Greenoch in the second world war gave their lives in the battle of the Atlantic IWC's blip for today.