Family In:sight into Ayr CC site

The Meek Family

As we travel around the country, we have stayed in many different Caravan Club sites and all of our stays have varied between a few days to about a week. This has usually satisfied us since the feet begin to itch and we feel the need to move on. It made a pleasant change to spend longer at a site, two weeks in fact. Arriving in mid April, we were greeted by daffodils in full bloom but as the days went on they soon shrivelled into insignificance, over shadowed by blossom hanging heavy in the trees dotted around the site. People came and went - we even saw the site at full capacity (for The Scottish Grand National at the nearby racecourse).

 

Our main purpose for stationing ourselves at the Ayr Craigie Gardens site was to complete the 100 mile Ayrshire coastal path. The long-distance walk begins in Glennapp (south of Ayr) and runs along the coast up to Skelmorie (north of Ayr), on the border between Ayrshire and Inverclyde  Walking along the route, not only ticked off some of the 500 Fresh Air Miles that we are trying to complete (http://www.dotrythisathome.com/journey-16-100-miles-walking-the-ayrshire-coastal-path/) but gave us a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the wonderful landscape, luckily in glorious sunshine. The central location of the Caravan Club site was ideal because it provided a welcome returning base each evening.

 

Things to do and see in Ayr and the surrounding area:

Ayrshire coastal path

If you are considering doing the Ayrshire coastal path, or even some of it, there are many websites that provide a wealth of information. There is an official guide book (http://www.ayrshirecoastalpath.org/guide/) which not only contains a map of the route but the history and geology about the area.

 

Ayr Seafront

The beach or seafront is easily accessible by foot from the Caravan Club site but if you choose to drive, parking along the seafront is free. Once by the beach, you'll spot the promenade, part of which is dedicated to the 'Scot's Mile', used before standardised measures and technically longer than the modern mile. Parallel to the promenade is Low Green, a large expanse of lawn where families can play games and fly kites. If they haven't already, the kids will soon spot the gigantic playground, one of many dotted around the area, but definitely the biggest! And, of course, to top off the fun, there are plenty of ice-cream / snack shops close at hand!

 

Burn's museum and cottage

Robbie Burns is an iconic figure in Scotland and even more so in Ayrshire since this was his birthplace. The cottage where he was born and lived belongs to the Scottish National Trust; the three rooms contain artefacts which recreate how it would have looked in his time and sound effects add to the atmosphere. Poet's walk, decorated with weather vanes depicting pictures from his famous Tam O'Shanta poem, takes you in the direction of the museum and gardens. The museum building, a modern attraction containing a cafe and shop as well as a wonderful display about his life and work is fascinating. The eclectic mix of interactive displays alongside artefacts provide visitors with a thorough insight into Robbie Burns and the large screens that hang above your head, display dramatised versions of his more well-known poems.

 

Heads of Ayr Farm Park

If the kids want a day out then this is a great location to visit. The Heads of Ayr Farm Park can be located, overlooking the sea, beside the A719 coastal road. It offers a wonderful mix of adventure play and animals. There is a wide selection of playground equipment, trampolines, jumping pillows (much larger than they sound!), quad bikes and miniature boats outside and easily visible from the road. Inside, there is also a wide variety of play equipment such as air canons, soft play areas and slides.

Unlike many farm parks, Heads of Ayr houses a wide variety of animals, not just those associated with a farm. As well as very entertaining goats, horses, donkeys and farm birds, there are llamas, alpacas and camels. Smaller animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, rats and talking birds and kept indoors. There are also some more exotic animals such as squirrel monkeys, lemurs and a wide selection of reptiles.

The entrance to the farm is reasonably priced, although you do need to pay extra for quad bikes, boats and of course refreshments. It is very well maintained and staff are extremely friendly and helpful. You could easily spend a full day there.

 

Boat trips

As you look across the Firth of Clyde, on a clear day you can spot different land masses: 

Ailsa Craig, the small but distinctive granite island, once part of a volcano, that sits south of Ayr. Although there are no inhabitants on the island, there are boat trips to see that vast numbers of sea birds that nest on the cliffs.

Arran, often referred to as miniature Scotland, lies directly across the water from Ayr. It is a large island, with a circumference of 55 miles. There is plenty to see and do on the island so a ferry trip from Ardrossan (north of Ayr) to Arran is well worth considering.

Great Cumbrae is the larger of two small islands off the coast Largs. It has a circumference a little over 10 miles and the flat conditions are ideal for keen cyclists. It is easily accessible by regular ferry trips that take less than 10 minutes. 

Northern Ireland, sometimes faintly visible from the Scottish coastline, is also an option. Ferries run from Stranraer to Belfast.