The Magnum Leisure Centre is Irvine Beach Park’s
main attraction. The centre has vast car parking facilities free
of charge. Some of the facilities are ice skating summer/ curling
winter, swimming, bowls, football, gymnasium and much more. For
a full list of facilities visit the website www.themagnum.co.uk.
You can just turn up and use many of the facilities for a small
charge or book in advance any specific facility through the website.
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Left is a view of Irvine’s vast Beach Park
with a lake that is ideal for remote control boats and area for
skateboarding, cycle lanes run throughout the park. The park seems
to run for miles with parking facilities for thousands of cars free
of charge. There are three traditional Scottish pubs close to the
Magnum popular for drinks and meals. |
Right
is the long sandy beach with great views over the Firth of Clyde and
Island of Arran. This view shows the beach with small car park
that sits out on the pier. |
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The
Scottish Maritime Museum on Montgomery Street is situated a few hundred
yards upriver from the Magnum. Tours start from the main building
and take in restored vessels moored along the harbour and larger vessels
in dock. Inside the main building of the museum is a collection of
small vessels and different types of marine engines. There are three
restored vessels along the quay that you can visit. These vessels
however are sometimes away on tours or in dock being repaired. Prices
for the museum are around £2.50 for adults or £5 for families.
Tickets for the museum also allow concessions for visiting the Clydebuilt
Museum at Braehead/Glasgow or the Denny Ship Model Experiment Tank/Dumbarton.
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West
of Irvine’s train station is the Beach Park and to the east
as seen in the picture right is the Rivergate shopping complex and
Retail Park. This is now the busiest part of Irvine as there is free
parking for thousands of cars and a variety of shops that sell everything
from bread to a fitted kitchen. |
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Left
is a view of the Rivergate shopping complex as it crosses River Irvine
leading towards the town centre. |
After
crossing the river, there is an exit from the centre that leads to
a park on the east side of the river. Right is a view of an old church
in the east side park. This impressive looking building is boarded
up at the moment and there are no signs saying what it is or if there
is any work intended to restore or convert the building. |
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Left is a view of Irvine High Street looking east
towards Kilmarnock. West leads to Kilwinning Road, Eglinton Country
Park, Kilwinning, Ardrossan and Largs.
For more information on Irvine and its history visit the website
www.irvineayrshire.org.
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