Ayrshire Blog July – The smARt explorer

Ayrshire is often overlooked as many people travel up north into The Highlands, all I can say is in my eyes they are without doubt missing a trick. The people, the hotels, the activities and last but by no means least the views are spectacular and unforgettable.

The place is full of interesting and exciting activities and adventures and hopefully we can provide you with just enough information as a wee sneaky taster and get you to put on your travelling boots and take a trip down the beautiful Ayrshire Coast.

Whether you are seeking inspiration in history, nature, literature or the work and ambition of men, the National Trust for Scotland’s properties in Ayrshire and on the Isle of Arran have something for everyone.

National Trust for Scotland

"Save our Scotland"

From coastlines to castles, art to architecture, wildlife to wilderness, we encourage people to connect with the things that make Scotland unique while protecting them for future generations.

Tarbolton

A few years before his first collection of poems was published, Robert Burns co-founded the Tarbolton Bachelors’ Club in this curious red-shuttered, thatched 17th-century house. It was here that he learned to dance, became a freemason and created a men-only debating society.

Isle of Arran

• Visit this grand baronial castle and estate for the perfect family day out on the Isle of Arran.

• Enjoy a new, interactive visitor experience in the castle, including a Victorian arcade, mood lighting, costumed interpreters and sounds, as you discover a brilliant collection of period furniture, silverware, porcelain, paintings and sporting trophies.

• Wander through the formal gardens on the Silver Garden Trail and Plant Hunters’ Walk, or venture further to discover ponds, waterfalls and woodland trails, where you can spot red squirrels.

• Run, climb and swing through our Isle Be Wild adventure play area or look for fairies on our new Fairies and Legends Trail.

• Explore Britain’s only island country park, from the seashore to the mountain top.

Maybole

• Discover 40 buildings and secret follies in this country park, including the magnificent cliff-top castle.

• Don’t miss Robert Adam’s Oval Staircase – the dramatic centrepiece of the castle.

• Explore the woods, beaches, parkland, Swan Pond, deer park and cliffs.

• Admire the enormous collection of flintlock pistols and military swords.

• Run wild in the Adventure Cove and Wild Woodland play areas.

Isle of Arran

• At 874m (2,867ft), Goat Fell is a favourite destination for hill walkers and climbers.

• Venture into this dramatic and challenging upland landscape for panoramic vistas.

• Look out for buzzards and golden eagles soaring high in the sky.

• Discover the abundance of flora and fauna here – from dwarf juniper and sweet-scented heather to tiger beetles and emperor moths.

Alloway

• Visit the humble cottage where Robert Burns was born and spent the first years of his life.

• Explore the museum which houses more than 5,000 Burns artefacts including his handwritten manuscripts.

• Follow in Tam o’ Shanter’s footsteps to atmospheric Alloway Auld Kirk and over the Brig o’ Doon.

• Visit the Monument where Burns tourism began back in 1823.

• Celebrate the legacy of Burns with haggis, neeps and tatties in the museum café.

Maybole

• Step inside the home and workshop of an 18th-century shoemaker.

• Head out into the garden to see the thatched model tavern.

• Enjoy the displays of arts and crafts.

• See fascinating artefacts relating to the life and work of the village souter.

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"Five Routes"

"One great adventure"

Explore 5 great adventures and discover an authentic experience of Scotland travelling around the Clyde Coast and Islands; an unexplored melting pot of secret places, fresh discoveries and breath-taking journeys. Delve into a fusion of contrasting landscapes, charming locals and colourful communities. The Coig tells plenty of stories with provenance and style in 5 new enchanting Scottish touring routes.

Explore the towns and villages of The Shire, situated in the south-west of Scotland. There is a clear legacy upon these lands of traditional industries such as fishing, mining, and farming, but perhaps unexpectedly The Shire also boasts an explosive, romantic and ancient cultural heritage.

The Sheil is where the west coast’s seaside towns and maritime heritage meet the wild and romantic landscape of Clyde Muirsheil. It is also often known as the gateway to the islands of Bute, Arran and Cumbrae.

Once the beach resort of choice of fashionable mainland Glaswegians, the Isle of Bute remains a popular seaside destination, enhanced by the preservation of its authentic Victorian promenade. As Bute’s main town, Rothesay presents a well-manicured waterfront with glorious gardens and grand architecture – epitomised in the architectural masterpiece of Mount Stuart House and Gardens.

Great Cumbrae is a tiny island which is enormously memorable! Merely four miles in length and two miles wide, the island is reached by ferry crossing from Largs, with Great Cumbrae as a whole often conflated with Millport, its only town.

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Lunch recommendations

"Fantastic food all down the coast"

Apart from its beautiful countryside and stunning beaches Ayrshire is also renowned for its hospitality and wonderful selection of local hotels offering a variety of fare to satisfy the most discerning of palates. Click on the button below to find top recommended hotels and restaurants to choose from.

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Local activities

"Looking for a fantastic day out"

Ayrshire is absolutely crammed full of amazing family activities from historical ruins to some of the most incredible views and beach walks right down the entire 84miles of the Ayrshire coast.

Largs

Primal is fundamentally the first and last stop for all your luxury adventuring needs. When it comes to delivering bespoke Scottish adventures, the Team at Primal have got you covered. From stunning golden beaches to spotting golden eagles, from secluded wilderness glamping to 5 Star Hotels in the stunning west coast. Experience everything Scotland has to offer, from the local traditions, delicious homemade delicacies, fine drink and friendly culture, to the breathtaking scenery in a land steeped in history, magic and mystery.

Ayr

The Gardens were beautifully constructed on the banks of the River Doon between 1820 and 1823 and houses a magnificent monument dedicated to “the Bard”. Robert Burns was and still is one of Scotlands most famous poets even though he died a very young man (37) back in 1796. The gardens are situated only half a mile away from the famous white thatched cottage where he was born on 25th January 1759. “Auld Lang Syne” is probably one of Rabbie Burns’ most famous pieces of work and is sung practically all around the world. Meaning “old Long since” it signifies bidding farewell to the old and bringing in the new, written away back in 1788 it is still going just as strong as ever.

Maybole

The Crossraguel Abbey built in the 13th Century now stands as a magnificent ruin looked after by Historic Scotland. Although the abbey is a ruin it still holds many clues as to how it looked 100’s of year ago, the abbey is one of the few ruins which shows practically the entire layout of the original monastery. What is remarkable is the abbey was unbelievably used as a so called “quarry” for stone to build many of the house in the local village of Maybole. Certainly one of the most interesting ruins in the area and definitely worth a wee visit.

Stranraer

The ruins of Castle Kennedy are surrounded by 75 acres of beautifully looked after historical gardens which have been sculpted, manicured and pruned for nearly 300 years. These magnificent gardens have something for everyone from the 14th Century castle overlooking the gardens to a stunning 2 acre pond filled with rare Victorian Waterlilies. To make sure you make the most of your visit 5 interesting garden tours have been designed to showcase the architecture, trees, shrubs and flowers at their best. It’s a beautiful part of the country and it is no surprise that the gardens are described as ‘one of the showpieces of Galloway” and is one of Scotland’s most important historical landscaped gardens due to the collection of championship Rhododendrons.

Cumnock

Dumfries House is a majestic 18th century stately home set in stunning 2,000 acres of manicured gardens, farmland and forest. The estate was bought by Prince Charles in 2007 and has been renovated back to its former glory. The estate is free to explore and open every day of the year. There is something for everyone on the estate from marvelling at the original 18th century Chippendale furniture to experiencing their educational farm, there is also a fantastic adventure playground for the kids situated nicely next to the cafe so the grown ups can relax for 10 minutes.

Stranraer

Glenwhan gardens have an amazing unique sea view looking across to the Isle of Man. There is plenty of activities to do with a wonderful 20 acre moorland walk. There is also a tree trail with over 120 trees as well as a beautiful 12 acre ornamental garden. If you are looking for a quick pit stop there is a wonderful tearoom looking over the gardens.

Girvan

As legends go this has got to be one of the best. The cave way back in the 15th century housed Alexander “Sawney” Bean who was responsible for murdering over a 1000 people for food and also to get rid of the evidence ATE them, he obviously had to go on the run and with his “better half” found this coastal hideaway where they stayed in the cave for more than 25 years. Believe it or not they incredibly produced a clan of 48 family members who would go out at night and kill locals for food. Finally, after being caught trying to dismember a villager, the clan were transferred to a jail up in the capital where they were all executed without trial.

Girvan

The Ailsa Craig is an uninhabited island sitting proudly just off the coast and is unbelievably a volcanic plug of an extinct volcano. The rock is incredibly hard and is made from blue hone granite which has been used to make curling stones for centuries. The wildlife on the island is also extremely interesting with gannets, puffins, otters and if you are very lucky you will see some porpoise or dolphins. The Ailsa Craig Boat Trips sail on a daily basis all the year round from Girvan Harbour and are fully licensed to carry up to 12 passengers. If you have a spare couple of hours this is a tour you definitely shouldn't miss.

Dunure

Dunure Castle dating as far back as the 1200’s is a ruin sitting proudly on the coast overlooking the River Clyde. Probably its most famous resident would have been Mary Queen of Scots who stayed there for 3 days. You may have also seen this historical gem on TV as it was in the "Outlander" series. The castle was believed to have been set on fire in 1570 and was finally evacuated in 1696, it was at this point it slowly started to crumble to the ruin as it stands today. The castle is believed to be haunted and cries have allegedly been heard from the chamber in which Allan Stewart was killed in the fire of 1570.

Alloway

This is one for the family and the kids, as you know the weather on the west coast isn’t always the driest and the farm park have plenty of exciting activities even on a wet and blustery day. The park has activity zones with tunnels, dungeons and rope bridges with 3 giant slides at the park as well as aerial slides and quad biking suitable for kids and adults.

The parks also has an extensive range of indoor and outdoor exotic and interesting animals where you can get up close and personal. From alpacas to monkeys or wallabys to Ralph the camel you are guaranteed to have an excellent adventure.

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Alba Experiences

"VIP Travel Tours"

Why not book a V.I.P day out in style with one of the finest tour guides in Ayrshire.

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Our tour of the area is just a small taster of what the beautiful Ayrshire Coast has to offer, all the way down this picturesque coast you will discover warm and welcoming villages with their own individual characters. There are dozens of interesting beaches and bays all telling their own stories and showing off their best bits, my advice is to get out there and explore as much of Ayrshire as you can.

You will not be disappointed

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Tourist Routes

"Other beautiful routes to explore"

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From as little as £36 a month "the smARt concierge" is designed to help your guests make the best use of your in-house facilities and services whilst providing them with an abundance of local information to enhance their visit and make the most of their valuable time.

To find out more and receive a free, no obligation quote please complete the form below.

#Your business in their pockets 24/7

#Always in the Palm of your Hands

"the smARt concierge" for accommodation providers is designed to help their guests make the best use of their in-house facilities and services whilst providing them with an abundance of local information to enhance their visit and make the most of their valuable time.

Please find below a quick overview, information, benefits and reasons why you should install your very own

"smARt concierge"

"Always in the palm of your hand"

✓ Instant access to all the important infomation

✓ Local emergency numbers instantly on their phone

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✓ Introduction videos, images and messages

✓ Personally welcome your guests, even if you're not there

✓ See promotions, events and offers

✓ Browse menu's, book direct

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✓ Promote your local community (all activities added to the explrer)

✓ Instant, easy access to all your social media networks

✓ Create the experience YOU would want to have

✓ Promote TRUST - introduce your preferred taxi numbers

✓ Introduce RELAXATION - everything your guest will need with them 24/7

✓ Spark IMAGINATION - 1000's of activities, attractions and events at their fingertips

It's all about "Your Business"

✓ Promote your business even when your closed.

✓ We can introduce and promote you even if you don’t have a website.

✓ Become part of a larger community.

✓ Introduce a new demographic as we promote “your local area” and other local businesses and amenities.

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✓ Create both an offline and online presence.

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✓ Save you and your staff time.

✓ Promote any of your/local live events, sales, offers.

✓ Analytics - Know your numbers.

It's all about "The Experience"

Give visitors, guests and even passers by the opportunity to see all you have to offer, when you are too busy or even closed

✓ Instant access to all the important information.

✓ Info - Transport, Bins, Central Heating, Numbers, etc.

✓ Saving your visitors and guests valuable time.

✓ Your business now in their hands 24/7 on their phone.

✓ Introduction videos, images, messages.

✓ Book Direct, browse menu’s.

✓ See Promotions, Events, Offers.

✓ Promote your local favourite Hidden Gems, walks, views, wildlife.

✓ Promote your local area ( all activities added to the explorer).

✓ No need for long URL’s or remembering Web addresses.

✓ Easy access to all your social media networks.

✓ Instant connection with EVERYTHING you have to offer.

✓ Create the experience you would want to have.

✓ Trust, relaxation, spark imagination.

"Bringing it all together"

“The smARt explorer” is designed to give your customers or guests a more unique personalised service built around your activities needs and requirements giving the visitors the complete WOW factor, while showcasing your amenities to the max.

✓ Environmentally friendly.

✓ No Covid-19 touch points.

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✓ Promote your business 24/7.

✓ Create an online & offline presence.

✓ Promote the local community & amenities.

✓ Multi level engagement and promotion.

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✓ Provides relevant, reliable and trusted recommended services.

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✓ New NFC scan technology.

✓ No long term contracts.

✓ No large investments.

“Integrating and bringing together local amenities, businesses, activities and events allows your exposure to increase as your visitors experiences increases.

“AS WE GROW YOU GROW"

"Installation"

Simply place the unique “logo image” in a place for your visitors and guests to scan

✓ Turnkey solution.

✓ Complete stand alone system.

✓ Infrastructure is already there.

✓ Instant installation.

✓ No personal details required.

✓ No 3rd parties required.

✓ No on-site installations.

✓ We do all the design, work.

✓ GDPR compliant.

✓ No mess, no stress.

It's incredibly difficult but increasingly important to get recognised and to get to a point where you are seen by potential customers online as well as promoting and creating physical awareness.

Marketing Individually

? Where do you advertise?

? Who do you target?

? You need to create all your own content

? You need to build up all your own numbers

With our unique integrated system and collaboration we will be promoting from multiple channels with many different groups, areas, subjects and events as well as indivudual pushes.

This introduces a strong virtual foundation and increases your awareness in many different areas attracting new visitors you may have missed working alone.

Marketing Together

✓ Virtual Awareness

✓ Create a wider reach

✓ Seen by a new demographic

✓ Get tagged onto a large platform

✓ Much more for your budget

✓ More exposure

More importantly we can see where and what the visitors are looking at and we can built up and picture with the analytics and find out important information of where the visitors are coming and going.

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