Take a walk in the Inverclyde glen that could almost pass for a tropical rainforest

Yahoo

02-08-2025

When describing Inverclyde's countryside, 'rainforest' and 'wilderness' are not words that usually spring to mind.
Yes, we are fortunate to have an attractive coastline, fine woodlands and expansive heather moors which are all very familiar. But there are some places which can transport us - in our minds at least - to lesser known environments.
This occurred to me last Sunday when July was up to its old tricks by pretending to be November.
Despite the rain and gloom, I took a walk up the path through Kelly Glen from Wemyss Bay.
The Kelly Glen waterfall in full flow after heavy rain. (Image: David Carnduff) On entering the path it becomes apparent that this is a woodland that has been left to its own devices for a long time.
On either side of the fast flowing Kelly Burn, which divides [[Inverclyde]] from North Ayrshire, the vegetation is rank and dense, making access to the burn difficult. Only in a few places is it possible to scramble down from the path to the river.
The wood still bears the scars of many a winter's storm, with fallen trees lying across the burn, while others which failed to fall completely are supported in a state of suspended animation by neighbouring trees.
The wood is shaded by the leaf canopy and, this, together with the damp, cool climate, allows moss, fungus and lichens to proliferate on the fallen trunks which are slowly being recycled into the woodland floor.
Gales have blown down many trees in the glen. (Image: David Carnduff) By contrast, saplings are growing to replace the fallen trees in a continuing process of decay and renewal.
So on that gloomy Sunday, with heavy rain drumming on leaves and the ground squelching underfoot, it was easy to describe the scene as being like a rain forest, especially with thick stands of rhododendron blocking the light.
The path also passes close to a waterfall which swells impressively in heavy rain, adding drama to the forest environment.
The path soon takes a left turn away from the burnside and continues along a rocky section before joining a road which runs to a cluster of buildings at the top of the glen where the open moorland beckons.
Moss, lichen and fungi grow abundantly on the woodland floor. (Image: David Carnduff) Years ago, before rhododendron thickets blocked the way, it was possible to continue along the burn to the ruins of a watermill that operated during the heydays of Kelly estate which was home to a succession of wealthy industrialists until the early 20th century.
Beyond the old mill, the glen becomes virtually impenetrable - a least for the casual walker - with steep slopes to the burn which tumbles over dramatic waterfalls and fills deep pools with peaty water.
The watermill pictured in the heyday of the Kelly estate. (Image: Supplied by Robert Cathcart) My guess is that few people venture into this corner of the glen, which could well be described as a forgotten wilderness. By contrast, the recognised track rises above the glen to the open moors, offering stunning views across the Clyde.
In case you think my references to rain forest and wilderness are a bit fanciful, it's worthwhile mentioning that Kelly has an historical link with tropical Africa.
A drawing of the hut built in the Kelly estate by Dr Livingstone's manservants. (Image: Supplied by Robert Cathcart) One of the estate's notable residents in the 19th century was James Young, the Glasgow scientist, who invented a method of distilling paraffin. Young was a lifelong friend and admirer of Dr David Livingstone, and after the missionary's death in Zambia in 1873, two of his servants came to Kelly, where they built a replica of the hut they had made for Livingstone in Africa.
The hut was said to be partially standing in Kelly in the 1930s, but I imagine all traces must now be gone, brought down over time by the same storms that sent trees crashing to the woodland floor.
Many more pictures of the Kelly estate can be seen on the the Facebook page "Old pictures from Skelmorlie and Wemyss Bay.