A brand new tourist centre could be coming to Girvan — to help visitors understand the history, wildlife and the geology of the Ailsa Craig.
Tourist information resource group, Go Girvan, has announced that they’ve been awarded money to fund a feasibility study into the possibility of developing an Ailsa Craig Interpretation Centre in the town.
The interpretation centre could potentially sit on an elevated position near the shoreline, overlooking the giant chuck of granite rock, which attracts tourists from far and wide.
And it could be used in a similar way to the Scottish Seabird Centre, in North Berwick, East Lothian, which overlooks the Bass Rock, home to the world’s largest colony of Northern gannets- and other seabirds.
Go Girvan issued an announcement on social media, saying: “It’s a good news day! We were awarded funding from the Ayrshire Rural and Islands Ambition (ARIA) Fund to conduct a feasibility study towards developing an Ailsa Craig Interpretation Centre here in Girvan!
“We’ll be working with ARPL Architects who were awarded the contract.
“Thanks to all of you who showed support for this project - we are so excited to start the process! More details including how the community can get involved coming soon. Watch this space!”
A previous attempt to establish an Ailsa Craig Interpretation Centre in Girvan was first mooted as far back as June 2007, but the project never came to life.
This time, however, it is hoped that scheme can finally get off the ground.
And it seems the idea of the Ailsa Craig Interpretation Centre is already gaining traction, with a positive response to the funding announcement.
Amanda Dee said on Facebook: “Fantastic news. The entire area is incredible, geologically speaking.”
Chris MacNeill posted: “This is tremendous news and a huge well done to everyone.”
Ann Berry added: “Great news, would be such an asset to Girvan.”
Ailsa Craig is the stump of an extinct volcano and understood to be around 500 million years old.
It is home to black guillemots, fulmars, lesser black-backed gulls, kittiwakes and razorbills, all of which could be studied, and explained, at the centre.
Granite from the Ailsa Craig is also quarried to make professional curling stones.
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