Community Spirit in Ayrshire and Arran

Client

Aria

Services

Community Tourism Research

ARIA—Ayrshire Rural and Islands Ambition Fund, which administers Community Local Development funding—commissioned SCOTO ( Scottish Community Tourism) in Autumn 2023 to undertake focused work on community-led tourism across the region.

Copyright Darvel Music

SCOTO defines a clear definition of community-led tourism as

“a visitor-facing service, facility, or experience delivered by the local community via a social or other enterprise model that is not for profit and delivers social, economic, and environmental benefits back into the community. The visitor-facing activity may not be 100% of what is on offer, and equally, tourism may not be the primary driver of the facility, service, and experience. However, visitors can enjoy and use what is on offer, enhancing their visitor experience at the destination.”

The project included working with three East, North, and South Ayrshire valleys. Press Pause workshops were held, and a plan was written for each.  The three valleys were Stinchar, Garnock, and Upper Irvine.

My part of the project was researching and creating a list of all the community tourism projects across Ayrshire and Arran. There were 97 projects in eight categories.

  • STAY- accommodation
  • EAT – eateries, including cafes and pop-up spaces
  • BUY – shops and other retail outlets
  • DO – activities and experiences
  • ENJOY – events and festivals
  • FIND – services including toilets and visitor information
  • GIVE – opportunities for visitors to give something back either through payback schemes or donating their time
  • GO – travel and transport, including bike hire.

I also researched and wrote six case studies, two in each area. They cover an estate, pub, community destination, music, ski slope, and toilets, all of which make their town or destination a better place to live, work, and visit. These community heroes make where we live a better place to live and work.  For visitors, a unique insight into why this is your home.

As Chair of the CBC, Ballantrae resident Daniel Cunningham, said: “We decided we could not let our last pub disappear.  With the results of a very positive community consultation behind us, we were in the middle of discussions with potential funders when the pandemic struck.  Despite that, the Trust was able to purchase the pub and took ownership in September 2020. This project has shown the importance of community spirit and of having a place where people can meet, share news and generally look out for one another.” 

 

Copyright Kings Arms Ballantrae