Six Taste Trails outlining the very best of Ayrshire and Arran's food and drink producers, retailers and hospitality businesses have just been released by Ayrshire and Arran Destination Alliance.
The Ayrshire and Arran Taste Trails:
Farm to Fork - to include retail outlets, farm shops and food delivery
Taste of Arran - eat and drink your way around the island
Tipple Trails - where to find liquid refreshment
Ice Cream - for kids of all ages
Seafood - being beside the Firth of Clyde means access to lots of fresh seafood
Veggie - plenty of vegetable produce is grown here so why celebrate it?
We were invited by Ayrshire and Arran Destination Alliance to discover more about the food and drink products from the area and we were grateful for the opportunity as we hadn't actually been to Arran since 2009 and a lot has changed since then!
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Dunlop Dairy
West Clerkland Farm, Dunlop Road, Stewarton, KA3 5LP
Around a 30min drive southwest from our home in Glasgow, we began our foodie adventure at Dunlop Dairy. Despite the name, it's actually closer to Stewarton than its namesake but it is just off the road between the two towns. Here, you can buy their award-winning cheeses direct and we even had a peek at where they are made. Then we had tea and scones in the tearoom while watching the chickens outside. Also on offer are cakes, soup, sandwiches, quiche and of course cheese!
We couldn't leave without buying some Bonnet and Dunlop for Christmas. In the shop they have other local Ayrshire produce, being a fan of ginger we also left with a bottle of West Coast Ginger, a ginger drink from East Ayrshire, which was new to us. The Dunlop Dairy shop is open 9 am – 5 pm daily, with the tearoom operating from 10 am – 4 pm.
Langholm Tea Room and Farm Shop
Corraith Road, Symington, KA2 9AT
Just under 30 mins further south is Langholm Tea Room and Farm Shop near Symington, just off the A77. They have a big selection of ready meals, sweet treats and gifts to takeaway in addition to the food served in the popular tea room, which gets very busy. We enjoyed a massive filled baked potato, a soup and sandwich and then shared a massive slice of apple pie with custard, before leaving with a couple of their speciality cakes, pineapple tarts. The shop is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Saturday with lunch served 11am to 3pm.
Fridges filled with ready made dishes 
fresh baked goods to buy
Langholm Tea Room and Farm Shop Menu 
Lunch 
A huge portion of apple pie and custard
The ferry to Arran
The CalMac ferry from Ardrossan to Brodick takes 55 minutes. If you don't have a car the Glasgow Central - Ardrossan Harbour ferry drops you off right at the ferry terminal.
Foot passengers need to arrive 10 minutes before departure and vehicles must arrive a minimum of 30 minutes before the boat sails so bear that in mind for any trip planning. Due to COVID you must also book your tickets in advance. Prices start at just £4.10 for those on foot. We printed off our tickets at home and simply showed them to staff in the queue for cars. Once on board you are not permitted to stay in your car so we headed up to deck level to take some photos.
Travelling in December, it was cold and windy but still scenic. We travelled on the late afternoon sailing (15:20 - 16:15), arriving just as night fell.
Often described as 'Scotland in miniature', Arran is a great place to visit for a foodie as it has distilleries, breweries, cheese producers, seafood restaurants, a farmer's market etc. From a nature and history perspective, it has mountains, waterfalls, caves, beaches, standing stones, castles, lighthouses. Activities-wise you can go hill walking, golfing, horse riding, kayaking etc. and you may even see animals such as red squirrels, seals, otters and golden eagles. So it has everything you'd expect from Scotland condensed into an island just 20 miles long and 10 miles wide.
Douglas Hotel
Shore Road, Brodick, Arran, KA27 8AW
The C-listed Douglas Hotel could not be better placed, as it's literally the first building you come across when leaving the port at Brodick so we did not have far to travel to find our bed for the night. The last time we were in Brodick in 2009 this was a building that required some TLC, but we were glad to see that since then it has been substantially refurbished winning multiple awards along the way. Car parking is right outside and our check-in was quick and easy.
There are rooms and suites suitable for all types of guests. Each decorated with a modern and stylish touch and including a surprise bath buddy, Douglas Duck, in the bathroom, yours to take on your Arran travels. Also included were bath robes and slippers, tea and coffee making facilities including a Nespresso with compostable pods, an in-room safe, homemade shortbread, flat-screen smart TV, a cosy couch, complimentary Wi-Fi, a wine fridge and even a telescope - not bad when our Goatfell Suite looked out towards the mountain itself!
Drinks and dinner
Starting off with a couple of drinks - a French Martini made using local Arran cassis and a Gingeraffe ginger beer made by Drygate. Living in Glasgow we are not far from Drygate but this was the first time we'd seen their new ginger beer.
Having stopped off for food twice on our way to Arran we only had room for a main course each so enjoyed a Winter Chicken Roast with Glazed Poussin with Chorizo & Leek Mash, Winter Roasted Vegetables and Chicken. Proper filling seasonal fare.
Being on an island it also made sense that one of us would order the Homemade Miso Battered King Prawn & Monkfish Scampi. Chunky monkfish and king prawns with a ponzu dipping sauce, Asian remoulade and skin on Fries (this dish was also available gluten-free).
Winter Chicken Roast 
Homemade Miso Battered King Prawn & Monkfish Scampi
After such a busy day, we had a quick look through the telescope and went to bed, ready for our next day of Arran Taste Trails.
Read about day 2 of our Ayrshire and Arran Experience and day 3 of our Ayrshire and Arran Trails Experience.
To find out more about Ayrshire and Arran Taste Trails, please click the link below.
