A Date for your diary.... Don't miss next years' Ballantrae Festival of Food & Drink. 13th and 14th June 2020
Cultural Activities
Partnerships with The Ayrshire Rural Touring Network, Driftwood Community Cinema and the Girvan Traditional Folk Festival enable us to bring a programme of music, theatrical productions and films to the village. We aim to run one event a month throughout the year.
Play Park and Recreation Ground Development
For a number of years now, a small group of villagers have been working hard to raise funds to improve the facilities in our Recreation Ground for our young people and for visitors.
The development involves a number of phases:
Ballantrae Festival of Food & Drink
Our award winning festival showcases great Scottish food and drink from Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway and further afield. In 2019 the festival is being extended to 2 days (8/9 June). On the Saturday we’ll be celebrating “World Gin Day” by launching our very own Ballantrae Gin. We aspire to become a “Food and Drink Destination”.
Ballantrae Smugglers’ Festival
Ballantrae has a colourful 18th and 19th century history. We keep this alive through our Smugglers’ Festival. We are taking a break in 2019 but plan to bring the festival back in 2020 but in the meantime, you’ll find pictures and videos of previous festivals in the Gallery section of this website.
Supporting Tourism
We stock and maintain information in Ballantrae’s Visitor Information Point in Craigiemains Home and Garden Centre. Leaflets provide information for locals and visitors on what to see and do on a day out from Ballantrae. We work closely with public and private sector tourism bodies including Ayrshire and Arran Tourism and VisitScotland (we are one of their Visitor Information Partners). We have links with Digital Tourism Scotland and they are helping us improve our digital presence (website and social media).
Publications
We publish Ballantrae News quarterly and we are members of the Stinchar Valley Magazine Editorial Board. Our volunteers hand deliver both publications within the village and to Smyrton. We maintain the village diary of events and publish “What’s on in Ballantrae”.
The King’s Arms Hotel
The only pub in the village has been up for sale for some time. We are actively pursuing the feasibility of purchasing the hotel for the community. If a number of surveys prove satisfactory, we shall then mount a consultation to establish whether we have community support for the purchase.
Culture
Decide the music, theatrical productions and films we bring to the village and / or help us by working “front of house”
Play Park Development
Upgrade the Play Park and Recreation Ground - decision making and fund raising
Ballantrae Festival of Food & Drink
By volunteering to help at this year’s Festival of Food & Drink
Supporting Tourism
Ensure our Visitor Information Point at Craigiemains is stocked with leaflets and help us liaise with VisitScotland.
Website and Social Media
Keep the new village website up-to-date
Local walks
Maintain and promote our local paths including the upgrading of Kilphin Glen.
Publications
Gather information and articles for Ballantrae News, Stinchar Valley Magazine and “What’s on in Ballantrae”
Fund Raising
Raise funds for the Trust
If you can spare some time and would like to get involved with any of the Trust’s projects please email Chris or Anna at ballantraetrust@gmail.com or call Andy McAlpine (Trust Chairman) on 07920517700.
