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These can be many and various but some of my favourites are:
Culzean Castle, Ayr - if you can, take the scenic route via the coast
road and the Heads of Ayr. The Castle itself is spectacular and the grounds beautiful
with the Country Park complete with palm trees, tea rooms, shop and children's
play area.
Burrell Collection, Glasgow - An impressively diverse art collection
by one of Glasgow's famous industrialists. A bit of a drive but worth it.
Arran - A beautiful island which is reached by ferries leaving from
Ardrossan (Caledonian Macbrayne Tel No. 01294 463470).
Ailsa Craig - A spectacular boat trip leaves Girvan to this bird sanctuary.
Mackerell fishing - I must confess I haven't done this since I was
a boy. You used to leave in a trawler from Ayr's docks (Ayr Sea Angling Centre
Tel No.01292 285297).
Burns Monument in Mauchline and Burns Cottage in Alloway - Ayrshire
is Burns country and Mauchline and Alloway are Scotland's National Poet's home
towns (Tourist Information Tel No. 01292 288688).
Ayr Races - For racehorse followers (Tel No. 01292 264179).
Turnberry Health Spa - if you want to be pampered and the weather is
truly awful (Tel No. 01655 331000).
For more information about tourist activities in Ayrshire and Scotland, please
visit the following sites:
· www.ayrshire-arran.com
· www.visitscotland.com
There are many world class golf courses comparatively nearby, namely:
Prestwick (Tel No.01292 671020)
Royal Troon (Tel No.01292 311555)
Turnberry (Tel No. 01655 331000)
Western Gailes (Tel No.01294 311649)
For a less exalted and closer round, you can try:
Ballochmyle, Mauchline (18 holes - Tel No.01290 550469)
Muirkirk (9 holes - Tickets can be obtained from the Black Bull Hotel on Main
Street).
Shopping facilities
For basics, the Co-Op in Muirkirk stocks quite a wide range of the "staples"
and the Toll Garage has a SPAR attached which is open for slightly longer hours
and has the main newspapers. There is also a chemist, butchers and Post Office.
For a wider range of the "staples", the SPAR in Mauchline is also good.
The nearest supermarkets are in Ayr, which has most of them, although I always
go to the Tesco on the main road into the town centre as it is the most convenient.
The town centre itself has a wide range of shops and restaurants.
Pubs and restaurants
Locally, The Sorn Inn Hotel is good having recently been renovated. Another good
pub is the Failford Inn in Failford overlooking the River Ayr on the way to Ayr.
Belhaven is the local brew. There are also a number of great fish restaurants
in Troon and Prestwick. You can, of course, have an exceptional dinner at the
Turnberry Hotel, although it is quite a drive.
Emergency services
Fire Service - Muirkirk (Tel No. 01290 661612)
Police - Cumnock (Tel No. 01290 420755)
Health/Hospital - Health Information Service (Tel No. 0800 665544), Cumnock
Health Centre (Tel No. 01290 422220), Ballochmyle Hospital, Mauchline (Tel No.
01290 551281), Ayr Hospital (Tel No. 01292 610555), Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock
(Tel No. 01563 521133)
Council Offices
East Ayrshire Council
Council Offices
Lugar
Cumnock
KA18 3JQ
Tel No. 01563 555320
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