Largs is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire in Scotland. It lies around 33 miles (53 kilometres) from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" (An Leargaidh) in Scottish Gaelic. The town markets itself on its historical connections with the Vikings and an annual event is held in early September. According to the 2011 Census, the town has a permanent population of around 11241. Largs grew from the estates of North Cunninghame over which the Montgomeries of Skelmorlie emerged as temporal lords in the 17th century. Sir Robert Montgomerie created Skelmorlie Aisle in the ancient kirk of Largs in 1636 as a family mausoleum. Today, the monument is all that remains of the old kirk. From its beginnings as a small village around its kirk, Largs turned into a busy and popular seaside resort in the 19th century. Large hotels were developed and the pier was finished in 1834. It was not up until 1895, however, that the railway made the connection to Largs, which cemented the town's attraction. It additionally transformed into a popular place to live, and a number of impressive estates were constructed. The most considerable of which includes 'Netherhall', the residence of William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, the physicist and engineer. Despite its lowered status as a holiday resort, much of Largs is still focused towards tourism. There is the award winning Vikingar Centre at Barrfields, an interactive look into the history of Viking life; Kelburn Country Centre, Barrfields Pavilion Theatre, Largs Pool, Douglas Park and Inverclyde National Sports Training Centre. It is best known for 'Nardinis', the famed ice cream parlour, cafe and eatery, that dominates the Esplanade and which reopened in late 2008. For all of your home renovations, make sure to identify dependable professionals in Largs to make certain of quality.