On a clear day' we can see Scotland! - Paddy's Milestone, the Ayrshire coast and the Firth of Clyde.  A trip to Ayr involves about the same road mileage as Derry, less than Enniskillen and certainly less than Dublin or Donegal - just add a couple of hours for the short sea crossing.

In fact, these new tours to visit our nearest neighbours, based in the Ramada Hotel Ayr, involve a total mileage of just over 400 miles per tour - Monday to Friday!

The seafront Ramada Ayr is just a few steps from the High Street and commands a view out towards the Isle of Arran. -There is a restaurant, a bar/lounge, a pool and 118 en-suite bedrooms. Each room has flatscreen TV, direct-dial telephone, hairdryer and hospitality tray. The furniture is generally dark wood with pale fabrics.

On day 1 we visit Culzean Castle shortly after arriving off the ferry. We marvel at the strange Electric Brae on our way to the Burn's Heritage Centre near Ayr. From there we continue to our hotel in the centre of the town.

During the course of the following days we travel along the cost of Clyde and through Larges before crossing the Firth to Dunoon and Benmore Gardens. We spend a morning at New Lanark World Heritage site (a 200 year old Cotton Mill and World Heritage Site on the Falls of Clyde), and an afternoon in Glasgow. The highlight of the tour - in tune with our low mileage theme - is our visit to "Scotland in Miniature" with a full day on the Isle of Arran.