This little hut has been converted into a lovely little cafe, which has been redecorated in recent…read moremonths, and provides excellent hospitality. Hot food and drinks are always available, the baked goods and treats are scrumptious and they serve high tea on Tuesdays. Our group meets here for a private function every Saturday afternoon, and it is a very comfortable and welcoming venue where we are treated with kindness and generosity at all times. I would highly recommend this little place for a local outing to Kilmarnock as it is off the beaten path, and located in a back lane away from the busy cafes in the High Street. The prices are very affordable, and this is a great option for anyone with a small budget.

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.

This was my 2nd time at a Cook School Dine and Demo evening the first time being more years ago…read morethan I care to remember! The Dine and Demo evenings are like taster courses--you don't actually do any cooking but you learn how to make food, come away with recipes and do a LOT of eating (and drinking!) You're welcomed with a cocktail (or wine/beer if you prefer) and then taken through to the kitchen where the chefs talk you through the evening's menu--in our case it was "American Diner." As the chef talked us through we were given a riff on potato skins---baked sliced of potato topped with crème fraiche, bacon and chives, something I will definitely be attempting at home as they were AMAZING. All the while the chefs are cooking away your glasses of wine or soft drinks get topped up so you can relax and enjoy. We had two more starters of mac and cheese and chowder. The mac and cheese was okay, nothing to write home about but the chowder was really lovely with loads of smoked fish and mussels for those who ate them. I should say at this point they cater to food allergies (they even have a whole gluten-free night) and left coriander out for me in the recipe it appeared. After the chefs have walked you through making everything you go back to the dining room while they finish up and you are served your main (which you watched prepared)--we had pulled pork cheeks on a sweet corn cake with courgette slaw and cheddar/chive rolls. It was really tasty and was then followed up by an overly indulgent pecan pie. Again you're getting wine this whole time! It is a really fun evening to have with friends or as a couple. The American Diner wasn't authentic American food but a more Scottish, posher take on it. I'd definitely recommend going to anyone. It is worth noting that public transportation isn't really an option. The Cook School is in Crosshouse in pretty much what is sort of an industrial estate. The Kilmarnock train station is 2.5 miles away so you could get the train and then a taxi or there is a Premier Inn within walking distance so you could make a night of it. Luckily of us my mother-in-law lives 10 minutes away so we get a lift and a place to stay! Definitely well worth it and I can't wait to plan our next night!

I was given a trip to The Cook School as a 30th birthday present and after a bit of dithering on my…read morepart I plumped for a trip to East Ayrshire for Game Day. First thing to note is that it's pretty much in the middle of nowhere, I'm lucky enough to be able to drive but if you can't I'd suggest you find a lift as I couldn't see any easy public transport routes to hand. The day starts at around 10 in the morning where you meet the people you are cooking with and having a freshly made scone or two. You then go into the kitchen where you are given a workstation and a plan for what you would be making that day. It is a mix of demonstration and cooking at a level that was more than comfortable for me but not too taxing for the less experienced cooks in the room, If I was being picky I didn't get to spend as much time doing the more difficult stuff as that was left to the chef but you can understand why it's done. You get to make 3 or 4 dishes along with a couple of demonstrations, all of which you get to eat in the dining room at the back of the kitchen at the end of the day. Any spares you make or leftovers you get to take away in a doggy bag. I'd go back to the Cook School but I would want to make absolute sure that the dishes I were cooking weren't something I had done before as some of the dishes I ended up with I have been known to knock up in my house. Overall a good foodie day out.

What an incredible choice of musicians we had for our wedding in Scotland, coming from Arizona for…read moreour wedding in May. Cleveden was referred to us from Harmony Bagpiping and it was a great decision! Allison and her dual mother-daughter team were amazing and even went above and beyond to help us with our trip prior to coming, suggesting things to see and places to go! Now for the wedding day - they were at St Conans Kirk all set up and ready before we got there - then, my bride was running late but they kept on improvising and were just fine! They worked so well with me on the ceremony outline and the numbers that were chosen, even altering to match our bride-down-the-aisle song of Love of A Princess. Afterwards they went to Barcaldine Castle to setup and waited patiently as we were running late due to photography and the such - but they were more than happy to oblige! They played our first dance song and then played different numbers throughout the meal and then performed a mini-concert for us after that was done based on my asks for that - mostly numbers from musicals. They got into the act with the theme from Pirates of the Caribbean donning pirate hats and having rum! Such a great atmosphere and quite the characters! Then at the end they had us sing Auld Lang Syne and the theme from Outlander, but in the original verses - - - cannot wait to get that video!! Such a wonderful group of young ladies who stayed with us throughout our entire day and were great people to boot!! Thank you so much, Allison and team, for helping making our day beautiful and special with your patience, friendship and musical ability! If you want a down to earth and feel like you have known someone forever, we suggest you reach out to Cleveden - you will not be disappointed! Heidi and Paul Murphy Surprise, AZ

From the owner: The Cleveden Quartet is a well established Glasgow String Quartet who provide a bespoke service…read more for your day .We mainly cover the Greater Glasgow Area, including, Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, The Lothians and Perthshire. We have played for Weddings, ceremonies and receptions , the opening of Mugdock castle, Surprise Birthday Parties, and the International Marine Design Conference at the Kelvingrove Our venues have included One Devonshire gardens, The Radisson Hotel, House for an Art Lover, Glenskirlie Castle amongst many others. We will source one of your favourite pieces for your day as part of our 'package '

We had a lovely stay at the Lochgren House. The rooms are spacious, equipped with coffee, tea and…read morewaters. The beds are comfortable. The shower was very tight for a large bathroom but the water pressure was good. The food and drinks in the dining room and bar were very tasty and worth making the reservation in advance. Would definitely stay again but since our room (3) was directly above where people stood to smoke and chat we will ask for a different room next time.

Wonderful place ! The lochgreen is a hotel and a restaurant…read morewith a terrace located in an amazing park. This place is absolutely outstanding. The decoration in the hotel is beautiful and the restaurant is fabulous. The place was booked for a large group and we had the aperitif in the terrace. The bar was open for us in the area we were. Varieties of beers and alcohol in the bar. The food was good in the restaurant and they adapted the cooking for the food intolerant. Nice souvenir of the place !

This imposing red sandstone church dates from 1879. The…read morearchitects were the brothers, William and Robert Ingram, the sons of James Ingram the famous Kilmarnock architect who designed many of the well known buildings in the town, including the beautiful Palace Theatre and St Marnock's Church. William eventually became an architect in Glasgow but Robert stayed in Kilmarnock. He later designed the Burns Monument and the Dick Institute. When Grange Church first opened it was described as a handsome cruciform structure with a spire of 140ft. There are 860 sittings and a hall and classroom to the E has accommodation for 500 people. A memorial stone can be found below the arch on the left side of the window above the entrance to the church. There is a steel bell in the tower which is thought to be the largest in the country. Corrosion makes deciphering the date on the side difficult, but it is thought to read '1867'. The stained glass window behind the pulpit was donated in 1896 by Miss M. Taylor in memory of her father, William Taylor. In 1902, an organ was added and it continued in use until 2009. I don't know how long it has been since this church stopped being used for worship as I see that it is now closed up and there are signs outside which state that it is now for sale or to rent. It will be interesting to see what happens to it in future.