Days out in Ayr , Scotland

The_One_Who

I'm assuming you'll be in a car? In July I would recommend moving along the beach towards Troon. It's just as nice (if not nicer) and usually much, much quieter than Ayr beach which is packed out on a nice day. Or you could move along the other way (sorry, can't remember the name of the place) which is usually a bit quieter as well. These places don't have as much to do, but should give you a bit more space to spread out and run around.

Culzean Castle is good for all ages, as is the Craft Daft mentioned above. I'm sure Culzean used to (not sure if they still do) hide little Lego characters through the rooms. It was to encourage the little ones to look around rather than just being bored.

Moving out of Ayr towards Largs can be nice too. The beach isn't sand though, it's pebbles. But Largs is always a nice day out on a good day, and the option is always there to take the ferry over to Cumbrae and take a trip to Millport. Millport will be busy on a nice day, but then so will everywhere.

In Irvine there is Eglinton Castle. It's a ruin now, but there is a small visitor centre that has a lot of information about the old Tournament. The centre has (or used to anyway) some old knight uniforms and lances and such like, if they're into that sort of thing. It's also quite a bit of open space where they could run around.

These sorts of places (and Culzean as well) usually have events and activities on during the summer. There is loads to do around Ayr, really.

deedee71

I think Pirate Pete's has an upper height limit, if not age limit and I think you're kids are a little old for there.

Loudoun Castle and Culzean Castle are great.

You could also vist Kelburn Castle if you were going up to Largs. It has an outdoor maze type of thing built on a forest covered hill - great for burning off energy!.

If the weather is bad there is a ten pin bowling alley and laser quest (indoor) area in Millar Street in Ayr - can't remember the name at the moment.

joanne_d_3

Thanks to all who are taking the time to help me out , it is appreciated !

joanne

sandiep

OK, I live here!! I know the answer to this one!!

Loudoun castle is an essential, book online for a discount. Kids love it, and even on it's busiest days it's still a plesant place to be. Much lower key than the parks downsouth, and they've got a high diving show this year which is very good. Also, they have lots of seats etc if you want to take your own picnic.

Heads of Ayr is good, very very good on a fine day, not quite so good on a wet day as soooo much of it is outdoors.

Pirate petes is OK, good if you just need a couple of hours break on a wet day. Outside of pirate petes is the beach park which is free, and my kids will happily play in it for 2 hours.

Culzean is good, but the food is expensive, so it's a whole day, picnic type of a place.

A good daytrip is taking the ferry over to Arran from Ardossen, it's about a 30minute drive from Ayr. Arran is wonderful, it's like the whole of scotland in minature, and if you go up to the North of Arran there are seals, mountains, lochs and a distillery. Very good also for Arran aromatics.

Dean castle in Kilmarnock is a good free trip. As is Eglington park in Irvine.

The trains are very very good. A family day tripper ticket from ayr is about £15, and lets you use all buses/trains etc in Strathclyde all day, and Glasgows subway.

Definitely a trip up to Glasgow, the kelvingrove, the science museum, all really good. Tons and tons and the shopping is excellent too.

sandiep

There is also all of the Robert Burns stuff in Alloway.
There is xscape in Glasgow for you really do need an indoor day.
There is ice Skating at the Magnum in Irvine.
The Harbour Arts Centre in Irvine is doing free family films during the school holidays.
South Ayrshire Council ran a beach club last year, that was quite good.
Troon is a nice trip out, good beach and a popular park, lots of little nicknac shops.
Largs has Nardinis - say no more - its the only reason you need to go to Largs.
New Lanark is an hour or so's drive, but it's well worth it.
Going the other way, Portpatrick makes a nice daytrip, seaside holidays the way that they used to be - clifftop walks, buckets and spades, icecream and pubs. And if you go on a wee bit further down to Port Logan, then there's the gardens (which are really good explorey places for children) and the fish pool which is a quirky entertaining little trip. Then you've also go Wigtown which is full of book shops, and Kirkcudbright/Rockliffe which is just lovely. If you go further south, then it's all about space, countryside, outdoorsy stuff. Countryside is lovely.
Lots of good fishing in the galloway forest (loch braden).
The Rennie Macintosh stuff at Glasgow is well worth checking out.

smitchy73

joanne_d wrote: »

Smitchy.

Hey , thanks ever so much for taking the time to post all of that , it was very detailed and im certainly going to spend some tim looking into all the places you mention.

No need to ask what part of the world you are from then lol.

Once again , thank you , your help is appreciated.

joanne

No bother at all Joanne,
Yeah I live in Ardrossan(where you get the ferry for Arran) I used to work in a hotel in Largs(ferry for cumbrae/millport) and we used to have coach tours in all year round and folk from all over the world too so was used to giving them helpful hints and places to go.

All the other posters are correct with their places too. It is a superb are a to come to on holiday. I once got offered a couple of jobs in hotels in Miami but couldn't live without the scenery here, it truly is amazing, at the moment it's nice and sunny, and the sunsets and colours when it's going down behing them, no place like it.

Send us a postcard and a stick of rock, lol

ailuro2

Pirate Pete's is mostly full of under 5s, but our DD appreciated it last year when we were staying close by and the rain wouldn't stop....

I second Louden Castle, you can use Tesco vouchers for this, also M&D's is up in Strathclyde country park, near Motherwell the vouchers are the same number as the Louden ones so you can change your mind of you fancy more of a drive.

Dean Castle is great, the petting farm bit is nice, there's loads of space for a game of football with jumpers for goalposts (if it's dry)

Heads of Ayr is mostly animals to look at with a bit of a play barn, benefits greatly from being right next door to Haven Craig Tara.

Again in Kilmarnock there's a bowling alley, go karting and swimming pool.
Might be an idea to drop Dad off with the kids while Mum has a wander round the shops (just the usual High street in Kilmarnock I'm afraid.)

Electric Brae if you have a car, find it on Google maps, the tween and teen will think it's cool, I'd say!

The Frankie and Benny's on the outskirts of Ayr has great staff if you're after a bite to eat and like the chain already.