Between the harbour and the beach, Girvan's boating pond is one of the few left on the Clyde coast. Most seaside towns filled theirs in decades ago; this one is still here, still has boats on it in summer, and is still the centre of a Girvan childhood.
It is a shallow ornamental pond with a footbridge, ringed by level paths and grass, and it sits in the middle of everything: the play park, the putting green, the beach, the toilets and the Gelateria are all within a minute.
The boats
Pedal boats and rowing boats are hired out through the summer season for a small charge — take cash, as card is not always an option. Sessions are short, which is about right for the attention span involved.
The pond is shallow and enclosed, and boats stay within it, which makes this considerably less nerve-racking than open water. It suits roughly ages three to ten, and works for adults who want to sit in a boat doing very little.
Out of season
The boats stop, but the pond does not go anywhere. Out of season it is a still, reflective sheet of water with the seafront terraces and the Carrick hills behind it — and on a calm winter morning it is one of the better photographs in the town. The paths, play park and putting green stay open and free.
Practical notes
Free to visit and walk round; only the boats are charged. Level paths throughout, so it works with buggies and wheelchairs — see accessible Girvan.
Free parking at the harbour car park a minute away, with toilets. The promenade runs south from here for a flat mile to Ainslie Park.
This is the single easiest thing to do in Girvan with small children, and the reason so many families park once at the harbour and never move the car. See Girvan with children.
