Guide to Helensburgh

Helensburgh is small town on Scotland's west coast with a population of 14,626 people. In many ways, thetown is the stereotypical Scottish country village tourists envision. The natural beauty surrounding the city is always the first thing to be noticed. But digging deeper, visitors find Helensburgh is filled with history and interesting tourist attractions.

Helensburgh History

Sir James Colquhan founded the city in 1776 and built the first houses surrounding Ardencaple Castle. He named the area after his wife Helen. The village quickly grew as Sir James arranged a ferry service from the city to nearby Greenock. In 1903, Charles Rennie Mackintosh built the Hill House for Walter Blackie. The Hill House continues to be one of Mackintosh's most famous works of architecture. The Hill House continues to be the best known attraction in Helensburgh and brings Mackintosh fans from around the world. It was also the birthplace of John Logie Baird, the famed inventor of television.

Helensburgh Hotels

The town boasts several major hotels and dozens of bed and breakfasts. The Knockderry House Hotel is the town's largest hotel and also it's most popular. The hotel boasts 80 rooms, lounge area, and a beautiful grounds to roam about. Knockderry specializes in wedding parties and offers fantastic group rates when booked in advance.

The Kilcreggan Hotel is the second largest hotel in the area. It offers over 50 rooms for visitors to book. They offer single room (sleeps 2) , double deluxe (Sleeps 2-3), and family room (sleeps 4). Like the Knockderry and most hotels in town, Kilcreggan serves a traditional Scottish breakfast every morning for free. The hotel sits a few minutes away from top-notch golf courses. What's a trip to the Scottish countryside with a game of golf?


Bed and Breakfasts

The Sinclair House B&B continues to be the most popular bed and breakfast in the area. The establishment is ranked 4 stars and offers some of the finest service in Scotland. Guests can choose from double rooms, family suites, and kingsize rooms. Each room comes with a laptop, LCD TV, refridgerator, and iPod stereo dock. Complimentary breakfast and lunch are served everyday.

Balmillig B&B also charms visitors year after year. The bed and breakfast sits on the shores of Loch Lomond and offers for fantastic view for all guests. Balmillig offers free WiFi internet access, DVD players, and TV's in each room.
The highlight of Balmillig is it's gardens and conservatory. Guests spend many hours strolling through the gardens, enjoying the ocean breeze. The B&B is a short walk from local buses that take guests into downtown.
Book far in advance to get a room at Balmillig as the building only offers 3 rooms to select.

Helensburgh Pubs

As one would expect, there are a number of fantastic pubs in the village. In fact, heading down to the local pub for a pint is the best way to hang out with the village locals. Argyll Bar is one of the city's most popular spots. They serve a variety of locally brewed ales, domestic beers and wines. Other pubs of note include The Clyde Restaurant and Bar. The Clyde also serves as the city's major music venue. Pop in to check out some traditional Scottish music or the next up and coming rock band.

Places of Intrest

The Waverly Paddle Steamer visitson its boat tour of Helensburgh and Scottish Isles. It's one of the most popular tours in all of Scotland for the beautiful scenery it covers. Tourists love the old-time look of a steam-powered ship. While aboard, passengers will enjoy lunch, live Scottish music, and plenty of amazing views. The ship sometimes stops at small port towns and lets visitors off to explore the isle. Tours run  for the The Waverly Paddle Steamer.

Clyde Marine company owners of Waverly Paddle Steamer. Their focus is on the sea ports of Largs, Millport, Rothesay, and Dunoon. Guides discuss the history of the Scottish lochs while tourists snap pictures of the scenery.

As mentioned before, The Hill House continues to be the town's biggest places of intrest. Most architects agree that Hill House is Mackintosh's finest work. Mackintosh designed both the house and almost every piece of furniture within the people. The result is a perfect blend between the exterior and interior. The Hill House museum gives tours daily.


Helensburgh Shopping

One of the best parts about shopping downtown is that almost every item you purchase helps local shopkeepers. Most shop owners have fantastic range the goods in their shop. They take great pride in their because it's their livelihood. You can expect almost any item you purchase to be both unique and well made. Some places of intrest include TG Allan (cookware and kithchenware), Cat's Pyjamas (swim-wear and lingerie), and Bookworms (bookshop). Check the tourism site for more shopping info.