Brothers plan to breathe new life into family estate

Apr 30 2010 by Clair Fullarton, Kilmarnock Standard

Brothers plan to breathe new life into family estate

BROTHERS Alex and Simon Houison Craufurd are driving forward plans to reinvigorate their estate just outside Kilmarnock.

Craufurdland Estate, near Fenwick, is already home to a thriving fishery and a woodland eco-friendly burial ground.

And now the brothers hope to create a network of paths around the estate for walkers, cyclists and even adventurous mountain bikers.

The ambitious plans also include a scheme to link the estate with the Dean Castle Country Park in Kilmarnock to the south and Whitelee Wind Farm to the north.

Said Simon: “It is our hope that people in Fenwick and Kilmarnock will one day be able to step outside their homes and walk right to the estate on footpaths.

“We have set up a community-based company, Craufurdland Community Activities (CCA) Limited, and we are making a real effort to include the views of the public as we open up the estate and create free-of -charge activities all the family can enjoy.”

Among the plans are a cafe and restaurant, which should be open by the end of the year, and a children’s adventure park at the fishery site, overlooking the lochan.

At the same scenic location, around 9km of mountain bike trails are already in place.

The brothers hope to complement these existing facilities with a network of footpaths and a fitness trail.

Alex said: “We hope to be able to offer people a different range of trails to suit all levels and abilities and make the walks accessible to all. The plans are extensive and it is great seeing the estate come to life.”

Added Simon: “The paths plans are just the start of a longterm vision we have for the estate.

“Phase two would be looking at creating holiday accommodation on the estate and the third phase would see us looking at the castle and how best to use it and the more private areas of the estate.”

One thing the brothers are keen to stress is how important the input from the community is to them and their plans.

Said Simon: “We’ve been in touch with many organisations, including the council who’ve been really supportive, East Ayrshire Woodlands Trust and the Ayrshire Schools Forum.

“The company CCA Ltd, deliberately has three directors from the community, so we can be outvoted on various issues if necessary.

“We are particularly keen to hear from young people on how they would like to see the estate evolve, as we are determined to provide facilities the whole community want to use.”