Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
HRH The Princess Royal was cheered by hundreds of locals from Largs and the Isle of Cumbrae as she arrived to perform the opening ceremony on the pier which was originally built in 1834.
As Largs Boys Brigade Pipe Band played alongside, five year old Chloe Smith from Cumbrae Primary School presented HRH The Princess Royal with a small bouquet of flowers.
Children from all the local schools; Brisbane Primary School, Cumbrae Primary School, St Mary’s Primary School and Kelburn Primary School, were invited as special guests to mark the occasion following community involvement throughout the project which started on site last October.
The new pier will provide shelter to the slipway, and overnight berthing for both the MV Loch Shira and MV Loch Riddon, the ferries operating on the route to the Isle of Cumbrae, as well as provide improved facilities for local fishermen and other pier users.
CMAL Chairman, Grenville Johnston, said:”We are grateful to the Princess Royal for joining us to mark this special occasion; the first major infrastructure project completed by CMAL since its creation. We are also thankful to the people of Largs and Cumbrae who now have a pier fit for the future, safeguarding the vital contribution it makes to the local economy.“
Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said: "The Scottish Government has invested £4 million in this project, demonstrating our commitment to improving lifeline ferry services. This is a pier for the future, which will deliver a real economic boost for the local community, providing shelter to the slipway, berthing for local services and provide improved facilities for local fishermen and other pier users.”
