Troon Town - Walking Tour

Updated June, 2001.

Troon has many small privately-owned shops offering friendly personal service.
It is a pleasant walk around the square formed by Portland Street, Church Street, Academy Street, and Ayr Street, and the extensions in to West Portland Street, Templehill and a little further up Portland Street.

Starting in West Portland Street, just up from the beach, you first come to the Beach Café on your left, then the Maharani Indian Restaurant (and take-away). Opposite is the Amusement Arcade, a great diversion for all the family during the occasional shower. Walking towards the Cross, you may choose from the range of Italian delights in Italia Mia or Chinese food in the Shiok Restaurant (where the Troon Flower bloomed for 30+ years). On either side of the road are the Sue Ryder charity shop, Pedals, an excellent cycle shop for amateur and enthusiast (but which is currently closed for re-fiiting), D.W. Shaw Solicitors, Notaries and Estate Agents and Ad Lib, a Ladies Fashion shop with personal attention from the proprietor.
On the corners of the Cross are Cameron's Footwear and McMurray's Ladies Fashions.

We walk straight ahead into Portland Street, home to a number of multiples and local businesses. At the the Cross is Pandora with its interesting range of gifts and ornaments. Just along are , The Coach House, and the Spar Lateshop, with Dixons Optician opposite.

The Lonsdale Bar and the Portland Café have watered and fed many a weary visitor. And, for the weary, between Greggs and the Marie Currie Cancer Care shop, there's a wide lane to a yard behind the shops. Here you will find In-com Taxis if you've had enough walking for one day.

Opposite us now is a one-time landmark, the site of the old George Cinema, catalyst for many Troon marriages. The cinema is long-gone. The site of the foyer is a walk-way through to Princess Gardens and the main site is occupied by new housing. However, the old shop premises are still there, faced with the original cream and black tiles. Where once we bought our goodies from R.S. McColl's on the way into the flicks (movies), today's visitors and residents call at Intersport.

Further along Cecchini's Italian Restaurant and the Golden City Chinese offer eating alternatives. Beyond them, Atavio, whose new extension is now open, offers exclusive ladies and menswear and accessories. Next door is the Imperial Cancer Research charity shop. Opposite these is Words and Music, for greetings cards and fancy goods.

Now we are at the corner of Church Street. Further up Portland Street we find Nat Hair & Beauty, Gibson's and the local Vets' Surgery, Collier & Brock.

Across the road is the junction of Dukes Road which is home to a number of Troon's service and manufacturing enterprises.

Further up Portland Street, the Framework Gallery offers its wide stock including original artwork and prints. Beyond, are Jimmy Reilly's busy shoe repair shop and the Anthony John hair salon.
Now you are at the traffic lights. On the corner, the old Burns Tavern is currently closed for redevelopment. We await the result with interest.

Marr College, print available locally.

To your left the road passes our new indoor swimming pool and the site of the Boys' Brigade Hall, out to Barassie and Meadowgreen. Right now the swimming pool corner is a bit chaotic. Contractors are putting in a new road to the harbour, by-passing the town centre. The BB Hall has been demolished and there is almost always a traffic-light-controlled contra flow. Delays of 5 minutes or so are normal.
Straight ahead are a Doctors Surgery, the Po Chineese carry-out, a Charity Shop, and the Q8 Service Station and Shop which are both open from 7am to 10pm. Beyond these we find the Masonic Hall, opposite the Police and Fire Stations, and then Portland Park. Down the side of Portland Park there is still the lane through to Barassie North Shore though the railway line to the harbour was lifted quite a few years ago and the old iron footbridge, now redundant, has been demolished.

To your right is Barassie Street. In the row of workshops on the right are Troon Pottery, Blind Date Blinds, Pine Products, for made-to-measure pine furniture, and Troon Ironing Service. Further along is the Primary School whose pupils generally progress onto Troon's famous Marr College (shown to the right). Straight ahead is the Troon railway station. Along the side of the school runs Burnside Place, home of Celtic Telecom, Scotland's premier supplier of business mobile solutions.

Retracing our steps and turning right from Portland Street into Church Street, we encounter the fresh baking aromas from Dailybake. Wright's Home Hardware offer a wide selection of gardening, electrical, and hardware items, including a range of power tools.

The next building is the old Post Office. The Post Office organisation still owns and uses the building but, in April 2000, Post Office Counters team moved across the street. Opposite the old Post Office there are a couple of telephone kiosks, set in a wide paved area from where we can visit the row housing Strawberry Cushion, a neat tea-room which still allows smokers inside, the Interflora florist, and three new enterprises, Claymore Gifts, Troon Pets & Aquaria, and Room By Room. Mackays, Thomas Cooks, the Pillar Box which stocks gifts and fancy goods and is also the new home of P.O. Counters, and the Oxfam Charity Shop.
Further along, where the pavement again narrows, there is a row of fairly new premises. First in the row is the pharmacy of Joyce Morrison, followed by De Beaufort Footwear and Present & Collect, who share premises, and Hopkins Tea Room where the Troon Chess Club meets every Wednesday at 7pm between September and May..

Across the road are Cica fashion shoes, bags and accessories, Buchanan's off-license (open until 9pm) and Kirsty's Flowers. At the end of this row is the corner of Academy Street. Fifty metres beyond the corner is St Meddan's Church of Scotland.

But we are window-shopping so we turn right into Academy Street. The street shows a dozen or so cottages, many of which were part of the old town of the 19th century. Opposite is the site of the old Troon Primary School which later became St Patrick's Primary School. The original building was knocked down last year and a new St Patrick's Primary School opened for the 1998 autumn term. The new building is quite in keeping with its surroundings. We hope that it retains its good appearance for more than just a few years.

At the end of Academy Street, we are on the corner of Ayr Street ...... the windiest corner in Ayrshire.

Looking left here, we see the Municipal Chambers and the Walker Halls. Opposite the Chambers is Blueberry's Coffee Shop, newly opened early in summer 2001..

Turning right at the bank, we are in Ayr Street. The Parish Church of Scotland dominates one side of the road. In the long row opposite is the Framing Artist shop, well stocked with artist materials and many paintings and prints, in particular those of local artists and local scenes.

And we are back at the Cross.
Here is Irvine Russel's view of the Cross, from Templehill .... which is where we go next
Walking straight across from Ayr Street, we find ourselves in Templehill, so called after a summer house built at the top of the hill by Colonel Fullerton, dedicated by him to Bacchus, and named the Temple by local residents.
On our right, we first reach a bench-seat which faces the sun. A lovely spot from which to watch the world go by !
Just beyond, we find James T Young, Troon's renowned house and contract furnishers.
On the left is Togs Café, once famous for "Johnny" Togg's series of cars, including an E-type Jag when it was the hottest car on the road, always and still famous for its ice-cream.

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Further on are Brodlies Chemist and Templehill Surgery.
Opposite is the Club Sandwich shop offering a range of delightful take-away foods which will save you the trouble of making the picnic sandwiches. Beyond these are residential properties for about a hundred yards.
As we start to climb the hill, we reach BJ's Autoshop for tyres, batteries, parts, and accessories, followed by Boat Electics & Electronics, Pebbles Nightclub and, almost at the top of Templehill, the Anchorage Hotel.

From the top of Templehill, we look out over the Marina on the right, and pick up the aroma of fresh fish 'n chips from the Marina Café. Fifty yards on the road forks and we would take the right fork for a longer walk down to the Harbour.