Troon

The pretty coastal town of Troon is located in Ayrshire, around eight miles to the north of the city of Ayr. The town lies on the Firth of Clyde and from the seashore you can clearly see the beautiful Isle of Arran in the distance. There are regular ferry links from Troon across to Northern Ireland and the harbour port and yacht marina are some of the most active parts of town. Despite its tranquillity Troon is in fact only a few miles away from the Glasgow Prestwick Airport and the vibrant city of Glasgow with all of its sights and attractions is only a forty minute train ride away. If you play golf you will recognise the name of Troon immediately, and to be honest the golfer is more than adequately catered for here. The Royal Troon Golf Course has brought fame to the town and in fact the 145^th Open Golf Championship will be held here once more in 2016.

More than Golf

Troon is very much a bustling harbour town, and offers everything that you could want from a seaside resort location. The harbour is home to the popular fish market and the yacht marina is regarded as being one of the best sailing centres anywhere along the length of the Clyde. The town esplanade has all of the facilities and amenities that you would expect to find, but unlike any other seaside resort town there are a staggering seven golf courses including the championship course on which you can try and improve your game. For those looking for more than golf from a visit here, the beaches are covered in soft sand and offer beautiful view across the water to Arran. Should the weather outside be inclement there is an indoor swimming pool plus lots of other leisure facilities available including tennis, squash and bowling. Food is important here too and there are some truly unique bars and restaurants which offer a real taste of this part of Scotland.

Things to See and Do

Aside from being able to escape the hustle and bustle of life for a while, Troon offers a number of attractions. Much of the surrounding area is natural woodland filled with native trees and of course native wildlife. In early spring the woods are filled with snowdrops, to be followed by bluebells and daffodils and later rhododendrons. This is a place to get back to nature and enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds you. There are plenty of places for family picnics and parks and open spaces for the children to run off their excess energy. There are a number of walks and cycle paths that will allow you to make the most of the natural surroundings, plus a number of bridle paths should you wish to take to horseback. Crosbie Kirkyard is a church which has lain in ruin since the 18^th century; local lore tells how the roof of the church blew off on January 25^th 1759, the day that Scotland’s own Robert Burns was born. The church is located on the Fullarton Estate and is free to visit.