An interest in Stenhousemuir Football Club has never been one of life’s priorities to command mass appeal. For a club spending 98% of its history languishing in the lower echelons of the Scottish Leagues it needs to have something more about it than just the dubious glamour of supporting the eternal underdog 🤔 So, how about visits to pastures new, a reason for seeing previously unexplored wilds of Scotland.

As 50% of the Cardiff-based Stenny fan club (yes, there is another like-minded heed case in the local pub), an away match to Ayr United presents one such opportunity. So what has this town on the west coast got to offer, as well as the wild beach above? Miles of golf links it appears, if the train journey down from Glasgow is anything to go by. Long walks spoiled, but at least next to the sea.

A brief walk around the town rewards you with a couple of old bridges, an historic tower, and… well, you begin to see why so many waste so much time on those links.

Once you’ve spent anything up to a whole hour checking out the sites – what else is there to do? Fear not, amongst the standard high street fayre to be found in ‘anywheresville’ there are a few gems of cafes and restaurants worth trying out. For a brief weekend visit the following will provide more than enough reasons for taking that long walk along the esplanade to work off the calories.

Saffy’s Bistro offers a tasty Roast Duck and Romanian Pinot Noir before a Friday night match (you would never have caught me using that sentence before a match years ago).

Come Saturday morning the only place for brunch has to be The Honeybee and the Hare, with a delightfully presented and tasting Bacon & Maple Syrup on Crepes and a side of sourdough toast.

After that 55-minute walk (?) there’s only one true destination: The Drunken Coo Steakhouse serves up a fine dining treat of Beetroot Carpaccio followed by a Venison Tomahawk duo. Which just wouldn’t be complete without a couple of glasses of a delicious Puglia red wine.

A Sunday morning just before that long train journey home needs something wholesome. Cafe 51 have you covered with a Full Scottish Breakfast.

Until we speak again, the people of Ayr have less need for the civic finery when they have plenty of excellent food to tempt the tastebuds. Anyone for that long walk on the esplanade?

For the record, Stenhousemuir also won 1-0, as the triumphant march goes on!