The Wee Kelpie fish and chip shop in Helensburgh, Scotland

Are fish and chips better by the seaside? We head down the Costa del Clyde to find out
If there is one take-away meal that can be enhanced by location, it is a fish supper. This Clydeside chippy in the suitably seaside resort of Helensburgh offers exceptionally good suppers that are perfect for eating on a waterfront bench with the widening river and its salty air as a backdrop. The Wee Kelpie’s chips are as magical as the mythical Celtic waterhorse of the establishment’s name. Hand-cut and huge, they are wonderfully tasty, big as butchers’ fingers, crisp on the outside and fluffy inside – the sort of chip that releases unintentionally audible murmurs of pleasure. Haddock is thickly filleted and flaky, without skin or bones, wrapped in a super-crispy, shell-like batter, while homemade mushy peas are a cut above, vibrantly coloured and fresh-tasting. Monkfish tails, halibut and calamari also feature on the menu, as do popular haggis bites – or try the surf and turf of scallops and black pudding. Plenty of offers, gluten-free suppers and friendly banter keep locals and not-so-locals coming back for more.