WORK to transform the derelict stables at Ayr’s Belleisle Estate into a vibrant visitor hub is now underway.

Once completed, the new project will provide the tens of thousands of people using the park every year with a central base from which to explore the estate.

The £1.4million project will create a brand new ‘Arrival hub’ that will include a flexible community space, a café, facilities for Park Rangers, and visitor toilets. 

The building will use reclaimed stone and glass to provide a visual transition between Belleisle House, Belleisle Golf Course, and the outstanding environment of the wider estate.

The facility will be powered by a biomass boiler, one of the cleanest, greenest renewable energy sources and an example of the Council’s commitment to help protect the environment.

Prestwick based contractor Ashleigh Construction has been appointed to construct the facility which is expected to complete by November 2018.

The work is part of a wider programme at Belleisle Estate, which has benefited from investment of around £5 million in the last three years, which has seen visitor numbers double to 200,000 as a result.

Councillor Ian Cochrane, South Ayrshire Council’s Portfolio Holder for Sustainability and the Environment said: “We’ve seen fantastic improvements at Belleisle in recent years and the new visitor centre will create a focal point for the huge number of people that are already coming to enjoy the estate.

“With major projects already completed including the conservatory, walled garden, play area, and major improvements to the footpaths and wildlife and fauna within the park we’re looking forward to seeing the stables rise to become a much loved community asset.

“In the next few months we’ll see the visitor centre take shape, with people able to enjoy the new facility by the end of the year.

“After that the last major piece of work involves restoration to the entrance after which we’ll be left with an estate which is well and truly back to its best.”