the guide | Page 38

COUNTRYSIDE DE AN CASTLE COUNTRY PAR K COUNTRYSIDE | DE AN CASTLE COUNTRY PAR K Friends of Dean Castle Country Park TUE 26 SEP · 9AM-12 NOON SUN 1 OCT · 1PM TO 3.30PM TUE 31 OCT · 9AM-12 NOON TUE 28 NOV · 9AM-12 NOON SUN 5 NOV · 1PM TO 3.30PM The Friends of Dean Castle Country Park group is for everyone who loves the Park to get involved, help keep it looking great & encourage wildlife to flourish. There will be twice-monthly practical conservation, grounds maintenance tasks and opportunities to get involved in all aspects of the Country Park activities. If you love being outdoors, learning new skills and doing practical work, this could be the volunteer role for you. Email: [email protected] Teachers Taster Weekend Real Ale Festival FRI 29 & SAT 30 SEP · 6PM-11PM SUN 1 OCT · 1.30PM-5PM ENTRY £5 · BOOK ONLINE Join us at Dean Castle Country Park for a whole weekend of Grand Opening events. Enjoy our new visitor centre and café at Kilmarnock’s first real ale festival. Try delicious beer and cider from all over the UK and sample the new menu in the café. Receive a free souvenir glass on entry. Tickets for this event are very limited, so book early. 38 Harvest Festival SUN 1 OCT · 11-4PM FREE Celebrate everything that is great about Ayrshire rural life including rural skills demonstrations, food tasting, craft workshops, entertainment and lots more for the whole family. Explore our brand new trails, meet rare British farm breeds on our redeveloped City Farm and learn about the Country Park’s wildlife and sustainability in the new Rural Life Centre. eastayrshireleisure.com FRI 6 - SUN 8 OCT · FREE TUE 17 - THU 19 NOV · FREE Come and try an all-inclusive taster holiday, absolutely free for teachers or community group leaders and their families. Dean Castle Country Park is offering exciting outdoor holidays for schools, young people and community groups. Set in 80 hectares of woodland and parkland and with a grand 14th century castle, the breaks will encompass a range of cultural, sport and adventurous activities, from bushcraft to orienteering, with a large programme to choose from. After a day in the fresh air, everyone can get a cosy night’s sleep in the brand new Treehouse Centre. Booking now open for groups from October 2017 onwards, contact us for a pricing guide for all activities, accommodation and meals. Tailor your own holidays from 2-7 nights. Conservation Holiday Weekends Coppicing · 13-15 OCT · £40 FULL BOARD Have a go at coppicing this October. This traditional woodland management skill allows light to reach the woodland floor creating a more varied habitat and canopy in the woodland. We’ll also try some coppice crafts and shaping the coppicing sticks for use in hedge-laying and hurdle- making. Hedge-Laying FRI 3- SUN 5 NOV · £40 FULL BOARD Try your hand at the traditional rural skill of hedge-laying and know your pleachers from your billhooks! Laid hedges are stock-proof, provide ideal shelter for wildlife and look fantastic too. We'll learn to safely lay the hedge, fix it with hazel sticks and bind the top with willow rods. E: [email protected] eastayrshireleisure.com 39