Lyle Hill & the Free French Memorial

Time: 2 hours

Route: 

Start at the east end of Greenock Esplanade, make the short walk inland along Campbell Street to Brougham Street. Take a right turn, and after about half a mile, turn left into Madeira Street following the sign for Lyle Hill. Continue past Glenpark Early Learning Centre and at the top of Madeira Street turn right. Then continue up the hill you will arrive at Lyle Hill. To make the most of the view, take a further short walk through the adjacent golf course following the signpost to Craig’s Top. From here, the view extends east beyond Port Glasgow as far as the Erskine Bridge. From the summit of Lyle Hill, either retrace your route back to the Esplanade, or continue over the hill and, after a quarter of a mile, take a right turn downhill to Battery Park and then eastwards to the Esplanade.

Abraham Lyle was Provost of Greenock in the 1880s and developed this public viewpoint as a means of creating work for the unemployed people of the town..

Terrain: Tarmac, with a steep hill. 

What to Bring: Take a camera as this vantage point is one of Inverclyde’s most breathtaking views.

Look out for: 

• To the north, the views of the Holy Loch, Loch Long and the Gareloch extend to the majestic mountains of Argyll.
• The most notable structure on Lyle Hill is the anchor-shaped Cross of Lorraine, erected in 1946 in honour of the Free French sailors who were stationed in Greenock during the occupation of Europe.
• The island of Arran can be seen on a clear day 45 miles to the south.

Parking available along the Esplanade.