Buckley my friend’s dog was taken on his first outing to the beach during our bank holiday. The sun was cracking the slabs so we headed coastal to Largs. My sister was doing a recon trip on the distance between the train station and the visitor centre where she had a job interview the following week and we tagged along.
Naturally, as there was a bit of sun out the entire population of the west of Scotland seemed to have descended upon the seaside town. Although the promenade was packed with buggies, cyclists and old couples, the beach was near empty.

Largs beach is famous for its gritty dirt and stones. It doesn’t make for an ideal sunbathing spot but perfect for digging about and discovering unusual flotsam and jetsam. And a real adventure for Buckley with new smells and sensations. My sister Beth thought it was funny to see his confused reaction to the disappearing waves as the tide lapped in.

The sea air was taking its toll and we agreed to head to the lawns that stretch the length of the promenade for a sit down and a drink. But we were lured into a chip shop on our journey and I was forced to eat a sausage supper, which Buckley was kind enough to help me with.

Along the beach we came across some pretty stones and the remnants of a few crabs. We passed by the promenade and out to the point where the beach looks across to the Isle of Millport. Stopping to skim some stones we dared Beth to wade into what she had pointed out to be a hot pocket of sea. She was wrong- and came out complaining of a weird cramping in her ankles.

At this point we had been in the direct glare of the sun for a couple of hours without any sun screen and tiring of kicking about in the shingle we decided it was time to call Buckley, head back and get some ice-cream. However what we were too late to notice was that he was bringing a memento of our trip back with us- rubbing the scent of the coast all over his coat. Imagine if you will- that mixed with the smell of a car parked in the afternoon heat. A delightful journey home.

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