The
Dunaskin Heritage Centre
Dalmellington Road, Waterside, Patna,
Ayrshire
Tel: 01292 531144
The Dalmellington Iron Company was
founded in 1848, at the height of the Industrial Revolution.
At its zenith, the company's eight furnaces worked day and
night, providing employment for around 1,400 people, until the
last furnace was blown out in 1921. The company produced coal
and bricks, up until 1976, when the kilns were finally
extinguished. Today, the site has been preserved as Europe's
best remaining example of a Victorian Ironworks, with over
half its 110 acres listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Dunaskin is a visitor attraction
for all the family. The Dunaskin Experience lets you explore
the past as it was actually lived by Ayrshire people. An open
air, living museum set amidst beautiful rolling countryside,
it follows the story of the people and places of the Doon
Valley through the Industrial Revolution, two World Wars and
right up to modern times. There's the Mary Gallagher
Experience: an audio visual which recreates Ayrshire life in
the 19th and early 20th centuries. For younger children
there's the Furnace Play Tower. Teenagers can interact with
Billy the Brick Computer Quiz.
Everyone will enjoy the delightful
walks, including Dunaskin Glen which is a designated Site of
Special Scientific Interest. There's a period cottage and
industrial machinery. You can even feel what it was like to
work in a coal mine. Finally you can break your visit and meet
the welcoming staff at Chimneys Restaurant and Coffee Shop and
browse in the Gift Shop.
