I have travelled to Craig Tara Holiday Park in Ayr on a yearly basis for the last four years and…read morewatched it go down hill faster than an avalanche. I can honestly say the first year I went (2004) I loved it, came home with lots of good things to say about the place but since then I have been a lot less enthusiastic about it. After a poor holiday last year I had to give returning some serious thought but as they have done every year before my fiancées mum and dad went ahead and booked for the following year. As our holiday approached this year we tried to put last year out of our minds and be optimistic about this years holiday, all telling each other that it would be as good as we made it and that last year hadn't really been that bad but we were kidding ourselves and really we should have prepared ourselves for what lay ahead rather than try to look forward to it. Arrival: ~~~~~ On arrival the first thing we noticed was the lack of people waiting to check in and this left us worried straight away. The first year we went we were all ushered through to one of the show bars to line up in massive cues waiting to check in, the second year we checked in at the front lounge but still had to cue for ages, last year although the cues were no where near as bad we still had around a quarter of an hours wait, this year we just strolled in, went straight to the desk and picked up our keys. This by the way has nothing to do with the time of the year we travelled because give or take a couple of days it has been the same time each year. On arrival you get a map and your keys to the caravan or chalet you will be staying in and enough passes for everyone in your party to get them entrance to the bars at night and the swimming pool, this is all they cover and you have to pay and pay dearly for everything else! Our caravan: ~~~~~~~~~ Our caravan this year was the one saviour of the holiday. Last years caravan although supposedly of a higher calibre was an absolute disgrace where as this years was fairly new and quite clean well with the exception of the condom wrapper under the mattress of the bed I intended to put my son in. The kitchen was clean and all the utensils were there, the table and stools in the living area were at least stable unlike the wobbly legged ones we had last year and the caravan was slightly warmer although the weather was very similar, I guess this must have been because it was newer and maybe not as many draughts got in. Our caravan was situated in Carrick village which for me is one of the better parts of the park, quite central but away from the noisiest parts although this year there weren't enough people at the park for it to be noisy anyway. Things to do for the kids: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My four year old son is very easy to please as a lot of kids his age are so for him it was still a great holiday despite the lack of things to do. We knew from previous years that the variety of things for the kids to do was not great but this was saved by the daytime shows and activities in one of the show bars however this year the shows and activities were few and far between the reason for which we were told was the fact that the park wasn't busy! Like that's our fault. We have paid our money and expect to get treated the same as others would at busier times otherwise they should just stay closed until peak season. Besides the shows or lack of them as the case may be there is a small area sectioned off with a few kiddies rides and the worst kept crazy golf park I have ever seen, a couple of bouncy castles and go karts which this year were no good to my son as they had taken away the two seater kart so I wasn't able to take him on and you have to be eight or over to drive them yourself. Outside of this area there is a fairly decent play park although it is unattended so the older kids tend to run riot through it making it difficult for the younger ones to play peacefully. Then there is the dreaded amusements which I will go into in greater depth later, apart from that unless you get good enough weather for the beach or want to spend your entire holiday at the pool then you have had it. I will also go into more detail about the pool later. Things to do for the adults: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I have always seen holiday parks as fun for the kids through the day and good entertainment for the adults at night, which this park used to provide I might add. Now however the entertainment or lack of it is a thorough disgrace. Two years ago we were treated to showaddywaddy and paper lace as well as an entertaining circus which provided balancing acts, fire eating and comedy of a high standard, as well as great music and dancing from the on park entertainers known as the funstars. This year however we were forced to play prize bingo or listen to an endless rabble of local singers who couldn't actually sing. Worse still there were shows advertised which never took place and sometimes the show bar you expected to be

Plenty of family fun. This park has loads to do, play parks amusement arcades and pubs and clubs…read more Can be expensive. It has issues with cleanliness but this has to be expected with such a busy place. Loads of family entertainment. Private caravan hire is an option and can work out cheaper, discounted vouchers can be collected in local press.

In my years of school and even in my years studying Scottish related subjects at university I had…read morenot experienced Burns cottage until today. How can this be?! I'm glad I came here with a German friend - you always appreciate Scotland with new eyes when you're day tripping with a visitor! We had a fantastic time - the staff were friendly and helpful, it was perfectly preserved and although they are working in a confined space and can't do much to change their utilities, their modest displays were fashioned expertly. The rooms were kept in as accurate conditions as possible and there were sound effects and displays to transport you back to the time of Burns. The cottage itself was breathtaking - a lot of money looks like it's been spent on it to keep it in the condition it's in. It's informative and simple so anyone can enjoy it. For four pounds (and £2 for children), this is fantastic value for experiencing a slice of Scottish history. Great for the Burns enthusiast but accessible for all, it's remarkable that the Burns cottage is kept pristine like this after all these years. Wonderful.

This is a lovely little museum that marks the birth place of Robert Burns - which is celebrating…read more250 years this year! The museum wouldn't take up much of your time to explore if you were in the area with some time on your hands. As such the entry price is reasonable or free to Nation Trust members. Theres a lovely little shop opposite and a fantastic cafe too with fabulous cakes! Theres a free car parking less than 100ms away from the cottage. Theres a lovely pub about 5/10minutes walk down the road and a visitor centre thats expanding which also has a gift shop, cafe and facilities. The sites are all on one level so accessible for all.

The ideal family retreat!…read more Arnsheen is an old famhouse available to rent on the Drumlamford country estate, it sleeps up to nine in a double room (en suite), family (double + single) and two twin rooms. We have stayed here several times over the last few years and it is always magnificent. The famrhouse itself is well maintained and always really welcoming. The estate is pretty much in the middle of nowhere so there is little to do expect relax and walk! There is fishing available in the estates Lochs and shooting can be arranged through the gamekeeper on the estate. They also offer a few other smaller properties to rent.

Casa Caravans is a fantasticly ran caravan rental company! They offer luxury caravans which…read moreoverlook the sea! If your in the area and wish to stay awhile then Casa caravans is the perfect way to go! Relax with the sea views and peaceful surrounds the retreat back to you caravan and enjoy a night alone, with your partner or with the family!

Perfect! Hillhouse was a fabulous place to stay and have as a base for our group of 8 friends…read moretaking a week long golf trip to play the renowned courses of Troon, Prestwik, Dundonald, Western Gailes and Turnbury. The accommodations were ideal, service was superb and setting was magical. The grounds of the estate were perfectly manicured and the Scottish Garden was breathtaking. A walk around the house and grounds was like taking a step back in time. We all loved the morning cook to order breakfast, chef prepared dinners and the very relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Andrea and the staff went out of their way to make us feel welcome as they took care of every little thing and detail. Sad to say that I am not sure if I will ever come back to Hillhouse, but I feel very fortunate that I was able to stay there and experience such a special place with my friends.