Largs Channel
LARGS CHANNEL: Seaplane Alighting Area and advanced base
Note: The first two pictures were obtained from Google Earth ©. The local area and area views are from my Google Earth © derived database.
Military user: WW2: RAF Flying Boat Advanced Base
Operated by: Scottish Aviation
Location: On shore west side of Largs town, about 11nm SSW of Greenock and roughly 25nm WSW of Glasgow city centre
Period of operation: WW2 only?
Alighting area: In channel running north and south approx 3nm long and 1nm wide. To the north landing area unlimited
NOTES: Sometimes mis-spelt as LAARGS CHANNEL
A bit more research appears to offer a very interesting history for this site. In effect, basically an over-flow site for the flying boat base at GREENOCK on the River Clyde, it appears it was mostly used by Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina flying-boats being ferried across the Atlantic, but the facility was being operated by Scottish Aviation. Many flying boats, mainly Catalinas, were moored on the west side of the channel which also had two slipways. See GREAT CUMBRAE SLIPWAYS.
In 1945, Iceland Airways, now Icelandair, made its first international flight from LARGS to Denmark using a Catalina.
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