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Loudoun Castle Theme Park

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Rory the Lion and ruin
Rory the Lion and ruin
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Logo

Loudoun Castle Theme Park was located near the ruins of Loudoun Castle near Galston, Ayrshire. The park opened in 1995, and closed at the end of the 2010 season. Its mascot was Rory the Lion.

Loudoun Castle

Loudoun Castle, 2003
Loudoun Castle
© Tom Morrison

Loudoun Castle was built in 1807, incorporating portions of an earlier keep, of at least four storeys, dating from the 15th or 16th century, and earlier in parts.

The castle was destroyed by fire in 1942, leaving only the roofless walled structure as seen in the picture from 2003.

During World War II, the grounds just to the south of the castle, a tree lined avenue, were used to house a small military camp which contained about 20 Nissen huts, reportedly used for training by the SAS (Special Air Service).

Park history

The park opened in 1995, and was set around the ruins of a 19th century castle, and featured a variety of thrill rides, live shows and a petting farm. It supported 11 full-time staff and 160 seasonal jobs.

Originally opened by a company based in London, it was owned for a time by showman Raymond Codona, then passed to its final owner, Henk Bembom's Parkware Ltd in 2002. The takeover was reported to have come with an investment of £5 million during the first year, followed by a further £2 million in the second.⚠ [^Fairground attraction; Darran Gardner takes a white-knuckle ride with Henk Bembom Retrieved December 14, 2011. Dead link December 2011.^]

In winter 2006, Parkware was reported to have moved all of its operations, rides, and facilities from storage in Margate to Loudoun.

In September 2010, the media reported that the park had been closed, with the owner stating that it was "no longer economically viable" - reading local accounts suggests the park never made a profit during its years in operation. Although the local council was in contact with the owner, it could only note the closure "With regret". ⚠ [^BBC News - Jobs go as theme park is closed Retrieved December 14, 2011.^]⚠ [^Loudoun Castle turned into golf course and academy in development | News | Glasgow | STV Retrieved February 15, 2013.^]

No further plans were announced, and from early 2011 onwards there were reports on the internet referring to the ongoing sale and clearance of the rides.

Hotel and golf development proposed in 2013

In February 2013, a potential £300 million redevelopment plan was reported to be underway for a planning application. A five-star hotel would be created in the old castle, together with a golf course and golfing academy, while the site would also see new whisky distillery, homes, and retail outlets created.⚠ [^Derelict Loudoun Castle eyed as centrepiece to Ayrshire golf project Retrieved February 15, 2013.^]⚠ [^Ambitious Loudoun Castle plans revealed to Galston Community Council Retrieved April 16, 2013.^]

Some 200 resident from the area attended an event to show the plans to the community, and were reported to have generally approved of the proposals for the development of the castle and surrounding area.⚠ [^Thumbs up for Loudoun Castle plans Retrieved April 16, 2013.^]

(:youtube QpFoohaxxeA:)

Abandoned Theme Park Loudoun Castle 2011 HD
Urbex Derelict Explore Abandoned Scotland

Photographs

Logo variants

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Features

Booths, 2011
Booths
© Ben Cooper
Souvenirs, 2011
Souvenirs
© Ben Cooper
Twist'n'Shout roller coaster, 2011
Twist'n'Shout roller coaster
© Ben Cooper
Pony Trek, 2011
Pony Trek
© Ben Cooper
The Plough chairoplane, 2011
The Plough chairoplane
© Ben Cooper
The Plough interior, 2011
The Plough interior
© Ben Cooper
Barnstormer shot'n'drop, 2011
Barnstormer
© Ben Cooper


References

⚠ [^#^]

External links


Aerial views


Map

⚠ (:gma-point lat=55.6116141 lon=-4.3683100 text='Loudoun Castle Theme Park':) ⚠ (:gma-map zoom=17 view=hybrid:)

⚠ [[!Abandoned]] ⚠ [[!Theme Park]] ⚠ [[!Castle]]⚠ (:WPCategoriesList:)

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