CARRAIG
Ailsa Craig and Rocks
AILSA CRAIG
Visit Carraig for our island ...
Ailsa Craig is our much loved island whose name is thought to derive from the Scottish Gaelic 'Fairy Rock'. It is visible from much of the coast, making for some amazing photographs, and with snow on top it looks as cute as a Christmas pudding! Ailsa Craig is home to one of Europe's largest gannet colonies as well as some puffins. Another claim to fame is that almost all of the world's curling stones are made from this volcanic plug from an extinct volcano. There are various boat trips and fishing trips around Ailsa that can be found online or by contacting Girvan Tourist Information Point. Alongside Ailsa's neighbour Arran in North Ayrshire our island outlook is pretty special!
Ailsa Craig
WORLD CLASS FOR PEOPLE AND NATURE
Carraig is part of the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere and therefore part of Scotland's UNESCO Trail - the first of its kind in the world. The GSA Biosphere is recognised as a world class environment for people and nature and has been a place of inspiration and discovery for some of Scotland's best known thinkers and creatives including Robert Burns, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Scotland's first saint St Ninian, who have all spent time here sitting beside rivers and gazing across landscapes. The coastline from Girvan to Ballantrae is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) due to its unique geology. You can walk The Ayrshire Coastal Path to really enjoy our coastline landscape and you can read more about some of our Biosphere Communities Ballantrae, Barrhill, Colmonell and Pinwherry & Pinmore too.
CARRAIG NATURE ECO-MUSEUM EXHIBITS
Experience Nature with our Carraig Eco-Museum exhibits including :
ISLANDS : Ailsa Craig (gannets, curling stones and more!)
BEACHES | COAST : Croy Beach (family friendly, great views) Dunure Beach (rocks and shingle with picnic park, harbour, labyrinth and castle) Maidens Beach (long sandy beach near Culzean), Girvan Beach (wide sandy beach with promenade, boating pond, bike hire, amusements and fish & chips!) and Ballantrae Beach (sand and shingle. SSSI).
PARKS AND GARDENS : Culzean Country Park (woods, beaches, parkland, Swan Pond, deer park and cliff walks) Bargany Gardens Girvan (with pond, flowerbeds and borders) and Girvan Community Garden (pond, wildlife area, fruit trees)
HARBOURS : Dunure Harbour (Outlander film location) Maidens Harbour (grew around a small fishing community) and Girvan Harbour - this harbour springs into life each summer with an RNLI Weekend where activities have included raft races and soak the crew!
WILDLIFE : Explore the Galloway and South Ayrshire Biosphere.
HILLS : Craigenreoch Hill, Haggis Hill, Rowantree Hill, Polmaddie Hill, Pinbreck Hill, Beneraird, Glenalla Fell - Fore Fell, Brown Carrick Hill, Knockdolian, Grey Hill Grasslands, Saugh Hill and the Ayrshire Alps. NB - Always follow safety advice before climbing hills and mountains in Scotland. See Mountaineering Scotland for details. All routes taken are at entirely own risk.
RIVERS AND LOCHS : River Girvan, River Stinchar and Lochspouts
