Olena Stewart shares her deep love for Belleisle Park and the Old Racecourse in Ayr, where she’s lived for over 30 years. As a founding member of Belleisle Conservatory Limited, she helped restore the once-derelict conservatory, now a vibrant community space. Olena fondly remembers the park’s past, including its pets corner and deer park, and continues to campaign for its preservation. She also supports the Alloway Railway Tunnel Project, which will transform a neglected tunnel into a welcoming, artistic space that connects with Ayr’s Burns-inspired heritage.
I love being outdoors in open green spaces. My favourite and much loved green space is Belleisle Park and The Old Racecourse in Ayr. I walk in the park every day whatever the weather. I moved to Ayr from Edinburgh 36 years ago. Initially, I stayed at Cambusdoon then moved to where I now live, just across the road from the Old Racecourse. I have more-or-less made Belleisle and the Old Racecourse my second home and have campaigned tirelessly with Friends of Belleisle to retain the whole Estate as a huge green space for the people of Ayr to enjoy.
There are many facets to the Belleisle Estate:
extensive open parklands with mature trees, grassy areas and two children’s playgrounds;
two 18-hole golf courses, Belleisle; and Seafield both designed by James Braid who is reputed to have said “Keep on hitting it straight until the wee ball goes in the hole”!
the Golf Clubhouse;
the Stables Hub Cafe;
a walled garden;
a Deer Park and
the Belleisle Conservatory.
Fond Memories of Belleisle in the 1990s
I remember that when I first became a regular visitor to Belleisle there was a Pets Corner, an Aviary and a Deer Park with deer, ponies and pygmy goats. These were big attractions in their day. The Pets Corner was down one side outside the walled garden. It included rabbits, guinea pigs and other small animals, a duck pond, cockerels, hens and pigs! At the bottom on the outside of the walled garden, there was an aviary with cages of exotic birds. The brickwork of the former aviary has been restored by Ayrshire College students, however there are no cages now.
I particularly remember when there were deer in the Pets Corner. They were in danger of being removed from the park when the Pets Corner closed, however I am delighted to say that there are still deer in Belleisle Park and they have been joined by Herdwick sheep. They are all kept in a secure enclosure, which was designated a ‘Field in Trust’ in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Thankfully, this means that the deer park remains a protected green space for the deer, in perpetuity. I have fond memories of being in the walled garden, a real oasis of calm within the park. The walls within the walled garden have recently been repointed and restored by students from Ayrshire College. In summer the garden is a riot of colour with borders and beds of vibrant flowers. In autumn the flowers are cleared out and the ground made ready for next year’s floral displays, but the vibrant colour is retained in the trees and shrubs which surround the small pond, with thanks to the South Ayrshire Council gardeners who maintain the park.
My memories of the Conservatory stretch back to the time before it was boarded up, neglected and derelict. Much of the window glass was broken and plants were growing up through the roof. It was such a sorry sight. I am very proud of the Committee who restored the Conservatory.
The Belleisle Conservatory
I am a founder member of Belleisle Conservatory Limited (BCL), a charity set up in 2010 by a small group of committed local people passionately resolved to renovate the Conservatory and restore it to its former glory. BCL is supported entirely by volunteers and managed by a small committee. We employ a Horticultural Manager.
The Conservatory was originally built in 1879 and renovated in the 1950s but due to high maintenance costs, it was boarded up and abandoned in 2005. It is testament to the solidity of the original building that the red sandstone base, eight pillars of cast iron and central cross aisle of decorative tiling still remain as integral to the current Conservatory.
South Ayrshire Council granted the BCL Committee a lease on the conservatory and surrounding lawns and agreed to include the Conservatory in a bid for Heritage Lottery Funding for Belleisle Park. The bid was successful and these monies together with funds raised by collecting cans, sponsorships, fund-raising events and small grant applications provided enough funds for work to begin on the restoration in 2014. This work was completed by late July 2016 when the conservatory once again opened its doors to the general public.
Fundraising continues to be an essential part of securing sufficient funds to ensure the Conservatory stays open. The Conservatory hosts many events including concerts, private events, social soirees, business meetings, weddings and family occasions. The conservatory also boasts its own colony of bees and has recently introduced PlanetWise, a multi-media resource display on the theme of climate change, as a follow up to the COP26 Conference held in Glasgow in 2022. BCL has been through a long period of sustained hard work. It is extremely rewarding and satisfying to see the conservatory rejuvenated and enjoyed by the people of Ayr and by countless visitors each year; it has all been worthwhile.
The Alloway Railway Tunnel Project
Given my passion for the great outdoors, it is no surprise that I am delighted to hear about the Alloway Railway Tunnel (ART) Project. I strongly support any initiatives which encourage people to get outdoors to enjoy fresh air and exercise in our beautiful scenic part of Scotland. The ART Project will turn the current dank, dark and derelict tunnel into a safe, colourful space and will undoubtedly inspire more people to walk or cycle in this area. Further, the Tunnel will undoubtedly become a visitor attraction in itself and will extend the reach of the local activities and sites related to Robert Burns’ legacy.
One of the best known poems written by Robert Burns is
Tam O’Shanter, which describes Tam’s journey home on Meg, his trusty mare, from the inn in Ayr where he had spent an evening drinking. On his way, he comes across witches, warlocks and the devil himself in the graveyard at Alloway Kirk. To escape their clutches he heads over the Brig O’Doon, knowing that witches cannot cross water. However, although he successfully crosses the Doon, one witch grabs Meg’s tail and pulls it off. Burns ends his poem with these words of warning for would-be drinkers
Whene’er to drink you are inclined
Or cutty-sarks rin in your mind
Think, ye may buy the joys o’er dear
Remember Tam O’Shanter’s mare.
In honour of Tam’s epic journey, the Tam O’Shanter Trail was mapped out by members of Opportunities in Retirement Ayr . This trail follows a three-mile walking route starting at the Inn where Tam was drinking on that fateful night, across Belleisle Park, through woodland down to the River Doon, past the haunted graveyard at Alloway Auld Kirk and up onto the Brig O’Doon. The Alloway Railway Tunnel runs underneath the Auld Kirk, so there may be potential to link the Tunnel into the Trail.
I look forward to walking through the Tunnel and admiring the work of the artist, Chris Rutterford, and all the members of the general public and local schools who have contributed to the painting of the proposed mural.
