Isle be Wild is ready to open
The new adventure playpark at Brodick Castle is ready to open next weekend.
To be called ‘Isle be Wild’, the all-wooden playpark will have something for all ages. And it has been revealed there will be no additional charge above the normal garden entry ticket to the castle and country park for its use.
The National Trust for Scotland is hoping that the new tree-top attraction will bring more tourists to Brodick Country Park and be as successful as a similar attraction at Culzean Castle on the mainland when it opens next Saturday July 1.
New interim property manager Chris Mills said: ‘The opening of Isle be Wild, our fantastic new adventure playground, is a major step forward in the development of the castle and country park, one of the many new and exciting features which are due to happen over the next couple of years.
‘It is an amazing place which we are really excited about and we are sure it will prove extremely popular with our visitors, young and old.’
The playpark has two sections – a toddler area for the under-fives and the main adventure area for children of all ages. There will also be a food kiosk.
With an adult entry to the gardens £7 and a family ticket £18, Chris said the most cost-effective way to use the new park was to buy an annual membership for the National Trust.
NTS Ayrshire and Arran general manager Stuart Maxwell said the Culzean park had been open for two years and had proved a ‘massive draw’. ‘We believe the new Brodick playpark can be as big an attraction and encourage lots more people to come to Arran and to the castle.’
Meanwhile, the extensive fire prevention works at the castle are continuing and are due for completion by the start of 2108 when the castle’s collection of artworks, 60 per cent of which are being stored on the mainland, will be returned to be displayed in time for the Easter re-opening. A new refurbished cafe will also open at that time.