Things to do in the heart of west of Scotland

Just in case you are not familiar with the area, I have highlighted a few of the places you might like to visit, all within easy reach of Finlaystone. To put things into context we are 5 miles from the Erskine Bridge, 12 miles from Glasgow Airport and 18 miles from Glasgow. Loch Lomond is just 30 mins away and ferries from Gourock and Wemyss Bay are close by and can take you to the islands on the west of Scotland. We would be happy to offer further advice if you let us know your preferences.

Outside activities

Finlaystone Estate offers several miles of local walks through formal gardens and woodlands as well as a great play area for children. ClydeMuirshiel Park in Lochwinnoch and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park are close by. Several islands can be visited by way of a short ferry trip. Bute, Arran and Cumbrae, where you can hire bicycles, are all fun to visit in a day. We have Gleddoch and Kilmacolm golf course within 3 miles and within an hour you have world class courses such as Turnberry, Troon, Prestwick, Loch Lomond, Gleneagles and many more.

Culture

Glasgow (20 minutes) and Edinburgh (about an hour on a clear run) are renowned centres of culture. Glasgow hosts Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet, a Concert Hall and several museums including The Burrell Collection, Huntarian, Transport Museum, Science Centre. You can also follow the Rennie Mackintosh trail. Near Ayr you should visit the Robert Burns Heritage Centre (his patron The Earl of Glencairn actually lived at Finlaystone House) or Dumfries House which was saved for the nation by Prince Charles at great personal cost.

Retail therapy

This modern sport is well catered for with both Braehead and Glasgow being popular destinations. I suggest you scan the web to find your favourite brands. We do however have one of the biggest Tescos in Britain just 3 miles away.

Eating out

Again, Glasgow has a great selection of world class restaurants. Closer to home, the local villages of langbank, Kilmacolm and Houston have some decent sensibly priced restaurants to suit most tastes. Otherwise there are some wonderful destination restaurants such as Fins near Largs or Loch Fyne Oyster Bar near Inverary (about an hours drive but great scenery).

We also have a reasonably local michelin starred restaurant, Braidwoods, in Dalry.

Clan MacMillan

Finlaystone Estate is home to George MacMillan, the Chief of the Clan MacMillan, and his son and daughter in law Arthur and Barbara MacMillan. There is a Clan Centre which you can visit by appointment and Clan tartans and memorabilia can be purchased from the shop.

Clan MacMillan web site