Christmas is Coming…

It’s that time of year again – hasn’t it come round fast? We’ve got a full house at Doonside over Christmas and New Year, so we’re looking forward to getting the tree decorated and turning the place into a festive haven for our guests.

While the weather might make you want to hide indoors, there’s plenty going on in Ayrshire. So get wrapped up and get out there!

A pantomime is the perfect Christmas treat for all ages. Cinderella at the Palace Theatre, Kilmarnock, runs from until 30th December, starring local lad Liam Dolan and Still Game’s Jane McCarry. If one panto isn’t enough, get to The Park Hotel on Sunday 18th December for The Wizard of Oz.

The Christmas Festival at Seamill Hydro includes an outdoor ice rink, fairground rides and of course Santa himself. It runs from 2nd December until 8th January.

There’s lots on at Ayr Town Hall and Ayr Citadel, including the Red Hot Chilli Pipers on Saturday 10th December at the Citadel, and Ayrshire Fiddle Orchestra on Saturday 17th December at Ayr Town Hall.

Whatever you get up to this Christmas, have a good one!

Possibly the biggest leeks in the world…at Ayr Flower Show

Not just leeks...a work of art!

Ayr Flower Show

Amazing begonias. The photograph doesn't do them justice!

What a busy summer!

We’ve been so busy with our summer guests at Doonside that we haven’t had much time for blogging! It’s been a really busy time and we’ve been delighted with the response we’ve had from our visitors. We really do try to make sure all our guests have a wonderful time here. There have been lots of great local events on too, such as Ayr Flower Show in early August and Live@Troon in September. It’s great to see people coming to South Ayrshire to enjoy these events, which just get better year after year.

Mars Bar Cheesecake…to die for!

Forget haggis, shortbread and whisky, we think Scotland should be known for Mars Bar Cheesecake! Delicious!

Mars Bar Cheesecake at Treehouse, Ayr

We discovered this amaaaaaaazing dessert during our Father’s Day meal at Treehouse, Ayr. It was also our first visit to this town centre bar and restaurant, and we weren’t disappointed. The menu was great, the food lived up to our expectations and the staff were brilliant with our party, which included a very lively 3-year old boy!

We will definitely be recommending Treehouse to our visitors to Doonside. It’s less than 2 miles from the house, so if you do indulge in the Mars Bar Cheesecake, you can walk it off on the way home!

 
Treehouse Bar, Grill & Terrace
67—69 Sandgate,
Ayr, Scotland KA7 1BZ
Telephone +44 (0) 1292 288 500

http://www.treehouseayr.co.uk

Heads of Ayr Farm Park

Only a couple of miles from Doonside is Heads of Ayr Farm Park (home of our old friend Boris the Wandering Capybara). This is a brilliant day out for the family. Open 10am-5pm, 7 days a week from Easter to October, it’s a wonderful collection of animals, activities and enormous multi-coloured trampolines!

thanks to Fiona McDonald for the pic!

Animal favourites include the llamas, wallabies, lemurs and two of the latest arrivals for 2011 – the giant poitou (mammoth) donkeys and cute miniature donkeys, probably the biggest and smallest donkeys in Scotland! If you don’t find this cute there’s something wrong with you…

The Heads of Ayr cafe is pretty cold with a selection of hot and cold meals that you can eat indoors or take away. It’s a good idea to take your own picnic; there are lots of picnic tables and you can always finish it off with a nice big ice cream…

Admission to Heads of Ayr Farm Park is £10 per adult, £8.50 per child (under 2s go free) and a family ticket (up to 5 people, maximum of 2 adults) is £40. Our advice is to get there early and stay for the whole day, this way you really get your money’s worth! The Park may offer a discount for large groups – phone them on 01292 441210 for details.

Prestwick Promenade…101 years and counting

Prestwick promenade was invaded (in the most welcome sense of the word) by visitors from all over Ayrshire and beyond on Saturday 4th June for the official celebrations of its 101st anniversary. The entertainers and stall holders included a group of enthusiastic pirates…

and a magnificent owl…

Fairground rides, a bouncy castle, beat the goalie and bungee trampolines kept kids (and some adults) entertained for hours. According to one 3-year old Prestwick resident, the highlights of the day were riding in a London bus…

and story time with the pirates (they read “Tiddler” by Julia Donaldson).

Looking forward to Prestwick 102 already!

We love our logo!

A heron, two swans, a few ducks and a….capybara?!

Visitors to Doonside often comment on the wonderful wildlife in the area and enjoy looking out for rabbits, squirrels, pheasants, partridges, quails, owls and ducks. Our resident heron (the inspiration for our logo) never strays too far from the stretch of the river immediately beside the house.

A rather more unexpected four-legged friend arrived in late 2009. The house guests were puzzled to spot a large, unfamiliar creature at the bottom of the garden and by the banks of the river. As large as a sheep, but with a bear-like face, the animal became a frequent visitor, often venturing close to the house itself as its confidence grew. Finally it was established that this strange creature was in fact a capybara, had escaped from Heads of Ayr Farm Park, and had a name — Boris. He also had a family, including a wife Bolivia and three mini Borises who had been born in his absence!

As much as the riverside residents of Doonfoot had grown to love Boris, it was time for him to return to the Farm Park (and resume his role as head of the family). Catching him was no mean feat — he was surprisingly fast, and a good swimmer — and it took a few months before he was successfully seized. In January 2010 Boris was taken back to his home to face up to his responsibilities as a father of four!

Who knows what you will see when you visit Doonside? Why not visit Boris at the Heads of Ayr Farm Park and say hello? The Park is open from Easter to October, 7 days a week from 10am to 5pm. Check out what else the Farm Park has to offer at www.headsofayrfarmpark.co.uk 

We’re live!

Our website is now live and can be found at www.selfcateringayrshire.com. Check it out and let us know what you think!