Friends of Wemyss Bay railway station revive blooms of the past
On the harbourside overlooking the River Clyde in Western Scotland sits Wemyss Bay railway station – an architectural gem often cited as one of the most beautiful stations in the world.
Opened in 1865 by the Caledonian Railway Company to connect passengers with the ferry terminal, the building we see today was rebuilt in the early 1900s and has since undergone major repairs.
Part of the station’s charm lies in its sweeping glass canopied roof where sunlight pours onto the wide-open concourse, a 60-foot clocktower, and the beautiful towering floral displays that welcome arriving visitors.
The flowers and foliage that now adorn Wemyss Bay Station are a stunning showcase of Amberol self-watering planters at their best – and a testament to the vision of the people inspired to revive their local railway station.
We caught up with Brenda, a member of the Friends of Wemyss Bay Station group, about their community gardening work, Railway 200 celebration plans, and how their Amberol planters have held up over ten years on.
Brenda reflects on how the group began:
Plants and flowers are what started the formation of Friends of Wemyss Bay Station and are a frequent talking point with the public. Many reminisce about ‘the old days’ and just as many take delight in seeing the flowers appearing again in the station.
In its prime, Wemyss Bay was a bustling railway station decorated with towering floral displays connecting holidaying passengers with nearby islands such as the Isle of Bute via ferry. Think summer holidays, fresh seaside air, and ice cream. Fast forward to the early 2000s and the station was, despite its repairs, lacking its original spark. Most notably, there were no longer any flowers.
A community gardening effort
Dissatisfied with the extent to which the station had fallen into disrepair, keen gardeners in the local community decided to revive the well-loved station that held so many cherished memories – starting with the floral displays.
And so, in 2009, the Friends of Wemyss Bay Station group was formed, originally with the aim to restore the planters and hanging baskets that once bloomed with flowers and were originally a feature for which the station had been so well known.
What remains is a railway station not just for the busy traveller but built foremost to be used by the local community.
Amberol Big Flower Pot Planters & Beehive Planter
The group’s work did not stop at the planting - they have since continued to find other ways to restore Wemyss Bay to its former glory.
Their enhancements include transforming the original Edwardian style first class waiting room into a quaint second-hand book shop (from the which the proceeds help raise funds for their work to enhance the station), and repurposing unused land near the car park into a Station Garden.
Octagonal Planter (left) & Big Flower Pot Planters (middle)
The planters chosen by the Friends of Wemyss Bay station group are primarily Amberol self-watering planters. Reflecting on this choice, Brenda says:
We chose Amberol planters because they are very durable and are showing no signs of wear over at least ten years.
They also offered the best solution for our large semi-indoors space. We found the planter colours matched our unique traditional Caledonian Railway theme of brown and cream throughout this Grade One listed building that forms our concourse canopy and ferry walkway.
A perfect modern take on the original pre-war wooden structures.
The self-watering planters include tiered towers such as the Beehive Planter and Large Floor Standing Planters - and the effect is a vibrant display of thriving flowers and foliage to greet rail travellers all year round.
Gardening remains a creative outlet for Brenda and her community. She says:
We plant seasonal bedding plants in the towers that need plenty of room for growth, especially trailing plants such as Nepita, Lobelia, Trailing Begonia and Busy Lizzy to add a splash of colour to the railway station.
For the large planters, we plant Photenia Red Robin, Acer, Prunus Carolina, and Box shrubs and seasonal planting in smaller tubs, such as Begonia, Busy Lizzy.
Amberol self-watering planters save time, water and money
Although planting and maintaining floral displays in public spaces can take a lot of community effort and organisation, Brenda reflects on how their Amberol planters only need to be watered ‘weekly in the summer, less often in winter’.
This is due to the Aquafeed™ self-watering system which uses capillary matting to ensure the soil always stays moist.
Thinking ahead to the future of Wemyss Bay railway station, the Friends group have plenty on the horizon.
Brenda says:
Friends of Wemyss Bay station will be celebrating 200 years of rail travel in Britain and 160 years since the first train to Wemyss Bay at fair at the station on 24 May 2025. There will be stalls, food and drinks, arts and crafts – all are welcome.
Beyond this, the café and bookshop will continue to serve passengers, and the flowers will keep on greeting arrivals or seeing off holiday goers.
Since beginning their journey of enhancing the railway station, The Friends of Wemyss Bay station have gone on to win several awards to celebrate their ongoing work, including the Small Station of the Year: National Rail Awards (2024), and the World Cup of Stations (2023).
Celebrating 200 years of rail travel in 2025
2025 is a significant year to celebrate railway stations across Britain, since it marks the 200th anniversary of the modern railway. You can find out more about the Railway 200 celebrations, how you can get involved, and grant funding available to railway station volunteer groups in our recent blog.
Our spring/summer photo competition opens for entries on 1 May 2025 and runs until 30 September 2025.
Entering is very easy - just submit your photo of Amberol’s self-watering planters with your wonderful displays via the online form on the Amberol website. Your photos will then be entered into the public vote and results will be announced in October 2025.
Submit your photo
How can we help?
Call 01773 830 930 or email sales@amberol.co.uk for more information on Amberol’s products, or to arrange a personalised no-obligation virtual demo to see our products up close and personal.
Cover image credit: Tom Willet
