and Crocodile Rock. Some coves offer sandy beaches. Fintry Bay. three miles
. beyond Millport has a cafe. There are no off-road cycle tracks. Ferries travel from Largs. 35 miles west of Glasgo w.
HORSE RIDING
I Greyitiars Riding School Greyfriars Road. off Blantyre Ferme Road. Uddingston. 641 2843. £7 per lesson or per trek. Group discounts. Open during hours ofdaylight. Greyfriars offers complete off-the-road riding on its custom built bridleway along the Clydeside at Uddingston. Eight miles east of Glasgo w. I Kenmure Riding School Kenmure Avenue, Bishopbriggs. Glasgow, 772 3041. Individual lessons £14 per hour. Group lessons £8.50. Open during hours of daylight. The Kenmure School can also offer hacking along the banks of the Forth and Clyde canal, for the more proficient rider. Four miles north of Glasgow.
I Hazelden School at Equitation Mearnskirk. Newton Mearns. Glasgow. 6393011. Adults £11 per hour. Allgroup lessons £10 per hour. Open during daylight hours. Hazel Den? I remember her singing ‘Whatever I Do‘ around 1984. but I didn’t know she'd had a riding school named after her. Seven miles soth of Glasgow.
I Blair Drummond Safari and Leisure Park On the A84. near Stirling. 0786 841456. £5 (£3). Group discounts. 10am—4.30pm (last admissions). Open until 5 October. The animals here come from the four corners ofthe world. There are zebras. camels. bison, llamas. pride lions and Siberian tigers. Also. the sea-lion show is surprisingly good. You can take a boat trip round Chimp Island or pedal a hired boat. For the brave hearted and those too young to know better there is the Astraglide. 34
NEW BIKES ACCESSORIES CYCLE CYCLE HIRE CLOTHING
@ C41
REPAIRS
l
1 Road, East Kilbride, 03552 36644. Free
miles north of Glasgow. I Calderglen Country Park Strathaven
admission. Open from dawn to dusk. The Children‘s Zoo in the Conservation Park numbers pot-bellied pigs, wallabies. llamas. goats and the Arctic fox amongits
inhabitants. There are nature trails galore. '
an adventure playground plus a barbecue
site. so it‘s not just for li‘l ‘uns. 12 miles
south east of Glasgo w.
I Glasgow Zoo Park Calderpark. Uddingston,771 1185. £3 (£2.10). Family ticket £9 (2 adults, 2 children). Open seven days 10am—5pm. Totally revitalised
' in recent years. the 200 now boasts an
internationally acclaimed Himalayan Bear enclosure. It is recognised as having the best reptile collection in Scotland. Other features include rhinos. camels and deer and on a wet day there is still the
Tropical House and the Monkey House to
visit. For young children there is a
I Showground. Six miles east of Glasgow. I Kelbum Country Centre On the A78
211‘
CYCLES
between Largs and Fairlie. 0475 568685.
1 £3 (£1.50). 10am—6pm. Cafe and . restaurant. Open until 25 October. There
are stunning views over the Firth ofClyde from the high points of the woodland trails in the grounds of the 13th century castle
(no admission to public after 25 May). There are also the Walled and Children‘s
COUNTRY PARKS 3
Gardens. laid out in the 18th century. to amble round. However. redressing the balance are the Marine-built commando assault course and the large wooden stockade. Riding and trekkingare available. starting at £1 .75 for a ten-minute paddock ride.
I Strathclyde Country Park 366 Hamilton Road. Motherwell. 0698 66155. Among the things packed into the 1600 acres is Hamilton Mausoleum (free admission. advance booking of ticket advisable on ext 54. open daily 3pm and Sat/Sun 7pm until
16/18 CHANCELLCR ST.
PARTICK- - GLASGOW (OFF BYRES ROAD)
357 1344 6
Oh well, anotherweekend, another bungee-jump. Orshall I plump lorthe pole-vaulting in Amsterdam or perhaps I'll play sale and go tor the 12,000 leet tandem sky dive. Such are the dilemmas laced by a growing number of dare-devil adventurers in Edinburgh who have rejected their normal slothlul pursuits in favour of an all-action social life courtesy of SPICE. Despite sounding slightly like an American rehab unit, (the initials stand for Special Programme oi Initiative, Challenge and Excitement), the club has obviously lapped a nerve with a mushrooming number of (extra)ordinary people with their clarion cry of offering the ‘Martini lilestyle lorthe pint of 80‘ drinker’.
But are these risk-taking, go-getters really as mad, bad and dangerous to know as their activities would suggest? Edinburgh co-ordinator, Morna Fletcher says not. ‘We attract everybody from eighteen- to
om Smith, solco ux
80-year-olds, although the older members are a little cautious. Basically, SPICE is just a way of doing exciting events that would take an individual ages to organise. You can come along on your own, meet loads 01 people and have a brilliant time.’ Brilliant events happening this summer include such adrenalin-pumping events as skydiving, a microlight flight plus normal sports like rounders, badminton and windsurfing for taint-hearted learties.
‘Once you have jumped out of a plane or eaten lire,’ says SPICE founder Dave Smith, ‘Iile can never be the same again.’ Indeed. If all this sounds
‘ potentially more enriching than a
Saturday in watching Saint and Greavsie, then make a move now. Membership costs £45 with events varying in price from zilcho upwards. You can contact Morna Fletcher at 19/1 South West Cumberland Street Lane, Edinburgh E83 688 or call 557 3954.
end of August). The outside ofthe Mausoleum was completed in 1857 after fifteen years work. At this point it was discovered that the echo inside lasted 15 seconds. It has never been used for worship. although Diamanda Galas has
the castle is given over to modern barracks. Twenty miles west of Glasgow. I Finlaystone By A8. near Langbank. 047 554 285. £1 .20 (80p). Woods and garden open 365 days 10.30am—5pm. House open
i same hours Apr—Aug or by appointment.
plans to record an album there with Sidney * ’ play areas and a Ranger Service in this
Divine. Other activities include a look round the site ofa Roman bath-house. guided walks with the Countryside Ranger Service plus nature trails. a nine-hole golf course £2 (£1); pitch and putt. putting: sailing£l .80(£1.05). RYA lessons also available; windsurfing £3.10(£1.50); canoeing£1.80(70p);rowing£l.80 (£1.05): waterskiing (£1 1 .50). Tuition in most watersports is available. Price on application. Thirteen miles east of Glasgow.
STATELY HOMES
I erodick Castle Brodick. lsle ofArran. 07702202. £3 (£1.50). Castle open daily 1—5pm until 30 September. Gardens 10am—sunset all year. Housed in this castle, some ofwhich dates back to the 13th century, are many paintings and trophies. There are two gardens. one with a wheelchair access nature trail.
I Culzean Castle Maybole. Ayrshire. 06556 269. Cars £5. Coaches £24. Castle Admission: £3 (£1.50). 10am—5.30pm. Winner ofa 1990 Tourism Oscar. Culzean sits in 560-acre grounds. There is a swan pond. a deer park, a forestry exhibition. a walled garden and an adventure playground. The castle. completed in 1790. contains many original features. 35 miles south west of Glasgo w.
I Dumbarton Castle Off A814 on Dumbarton Rock. Enquiries: 031 244 3101 . 80p (40p). Open seven days loam—5pm. On its own, not really a day trip, but there is a 12th century gateway. a dungeon and a sundial given by Mary Queen of Scots to see. although much of
There are woodland walks, picnic sites,
family run estate which also boasts a beautiful formal garden. The house hasa Celtic art exhibition and a doll collection. Seventeen miles west of Glasgow.
I Hill House Upper Colquhoun Street, Helensburgh. £2.40 (£1 .20). Open seven days lpm—Spm. Designed inside and out. from the furniture to the gutters, by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and completed in 1904, this is an architectural triumph. Currently undergoing restoration every winter. 26 miles west of Glasgow.
I Inchmahome Priory On an island in the Lake of Menteith. Enquiries; 0786 50000. The island is only 250 yards wide but contains the ruins of an Augustine house. built in 1238. This is an ideal spot forsome secluded sunbathing. Four miles east of Aberfoyle. 38 miles from Glasgow.
I The Time Capsule Buchanan Street. Coatbridge, 0236 441444. £3.25 (£2) either swimming or skating. or £4.25 (£2.50) both. Open seven days, 10am—10pm. llalfice and halfwater, the pride of Monklands has tropical wave pools, water chutes, a rubber ring ride, ice skating, curling and a high speed glacier run. There are also a health suite and jacuzzi. Seven miles north-east of Glasgow.
I Wonderwest World Butlin's. Heads of Ayr, Dunure Road. Ayr, 0292 265141. £5.25 (£4.25). Open seven days 10am—7pm. Featuring the legendary Wondersplash — an indoor pool complex—
12The List 3— 161uly 1992