Doonfoot

Doonfoot is a part of the town of Ayr in south-west Scotland.

In 2008 there were many new houses built in Doonfoot, expanding the population substantially.

Doonfoot contains a primary school, a play park, and a local convenience shop. There are also plans for a new retirement home and community centre to be built along the Dunure Road sometime in the near future.

Belleisle Park, one of the largest parks in Ayr, borders Doonfoot. It contains two municipal golf courses run by South Ayrshire Council, Seafield and Belleisle. The latter was designed by James Braid and has hosted the Scottish Open and a number of amateur tournaments. It is often cited as one of the best public courses in Scotland, after courses such as St Andrews and Carnoustie. The park also houses a number of animals, including deer and an aviary. There is also a walled garden with a sundial in the middle, and a large glasshouse which contains tropical plants. In early 2009 two violent youths broke into the Pet's Corners grounds and shot two deer, this led to a decline in visitors and in the summer of 2009 forced the Pet's Corner to close indefinitely due to a lack of visitors. The large glasshouse containing tropical plants and an excellent statue is in a state of disrepair and closed to the public. The walled garden is still open, but rather quiet now as the Pets Corner was the main draw for families. Doonfoot is thought to extend westwards from the River Doon to the ruin of Greenan Castle, overlooking the seashore. The island of Arran is clearly visible across the Firth of Clyde from many points throughout Doonfoot. The beach at Doonfoot is popular in summer but, like many beaches along the Ayrshire coast, has failed to meet European Union standards for cleanliness under the Blue Flag scheme. The beach is often populated with a large number of seagulls.

The area known as Doonfoot was incorporated as part of the town of Ayr when the former Burgh of Ayr's boundaries were expanded in 1935 to take in the former villages of Alloway and Whitletts. Politically, since 1997 the area south of the Slaphouse Burn has been part of the Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley constituency rather than the Ayr constituency. Boundaries for UK Parliament constituencies were changed again in 2005, and Doonfoot was reunited with Ayr, but the division persists for the Scottish Parliament. This was unpopular locally, and former Member of Parliament Phil Gallie challenged this in court by way of a judicial review but this was unsuccessful.

Links

• Alloway & Doonfoot Community Council
• Doonfoot Primary School
• Belleisle Golf Course
• About Ayr - About Ayr, South Ayrshire Council website information about Ayr
• South Ayrshire Council - South Ayrshire Council's website contains comprehensive information about the services provided by the Council

Coordinates: 55°26′11″N 4°39′20″W / 55.43639°N 4.65556°W / 55.43639; -4.65556