Irvine Bay, on the north Ayrshire coast, 35 miles south west of Glasgow, is the subject of a major regeneration project. The Master Plan calls for a new high quality links golf course with a ‘landmark’ or even ‘iconic’ hotel.
Other nearby opportunities include a residential development around Irving Harbour, the creation of a lively mixed use area and the reconfiguration of part of the shopping centre to revitalize the main shopping offer.
The site at Irvine Bay comprises of 171 acres of prime beachfront land with rolling dunes and lies in close proximity to a number of well known golf courses. Irvine Bay connects the popular town of Troon to Irvine.
“We see this as an ideal opportunity to develop an outstanding Scottish links golf course and potential for suitable enabling development to be proposed,” said Brian MacDonald of Irvine Bay Urban Regeneration Company.
For almost as long as there has been golf in Scotland there has been golf in Ayrshire. With over 200 years of golfing heritage, Ayrshire’s courses are rated as amongst the best in the world and The Open Championship has been hosted in Ayrshire on numerous occasions.
Aside from championship links, Ayrshire is also home to over 40 other golf courses ranging from pleasant parkland fairways to more challenging and unpredictable links courses. Most Ayrshire courses offer excellent hospitality facilities and are playable on application.
Ayrshire is the ideal location for a short break or holiday, with a range of activities for all levels of ability and enthusiasm. With beautiful rolling hills and stunning rugged coastline Ayrshire represents the best of Scotland. Whether it is savouring Ayrshire’s unique sense of history, teeing off on a championship golf course or sailing the romantic coastline, Ayrshire caters for visitors from all walks of life and is accessible by road, rail, sea and air, with the proposed new golf course just 15 minutes from Glasgow Prestwick international airport. This airport has 27 scheduled destinations across Europe and served 2.3 million passengers in 2006.
Ayrshire’s mainland population is approximately 362,000. Irvine is the third largest town in the area with a population of around 38,000. Costs of staff are stable and below the Scottish and English average. Recruitment of staff in this area should also benefit from the ability to offer an attractive location closer to home than those currently commuting into the Glasgow market. Over 12,000 people are employed in tourism related jobs and tourism revenues in 2004 were £330 million.
Further information is available from Mr. Brian MacDonald, Irvine Bay Urban Regeneration Company, 43 Ardrossan Road, Saltcoats, KA21 5BS, UK
Telephone: +44 (0)1294 608634, Email: bmacdonald@irvinebayurc.co.uk
A summary of the Master Plan for Irvine Bay and details of the Links Golf Development Opportunity can be viewed on the website www.irvinebayurc.co.uk