Exciting plans to transform a West Kilbride farm into a luxury wedding venue and micro-brewery have been given the green light by council planners.
Blackshaw Farm, operated as a tourist attraction for decades and welcomed around 40,000 visitors every year until it closed in 2000.
The site was purchased in early 2021 by Carol and Craig Tarft, and the couple aim to recreate the glory days of the farm by transforming the site into a popular Ayrshire wedding venue.
The farm currently has a large farm house, one large open barn, several smaller barns and a large car park.
The farmhouse will be maintained and lived in by the applicants, with rooms occasionally let on a self-catering basis.
Two of the barns will be used for wedding ceremonies and receptions, with space for 100 seated guests and a maximum evening capacity of 180.
A licensed horseshoe bar will provide a focal point for the venue and a large window behind the ceremony space will provide views over the Ayrshire countryside towards Arran.
The approved plans also include an outdoor seating area for wedding guests to use during the functions, which will include an outdoor fire pit.
The applicant proposed to host weddings all year round, with a maximum of two weddings per week.
Other outbuildings will be re-purposed as wash rooms, caterer’s kitchen and further function space, with one turned into a microbrewery.
Planners gave the venue the green light last month, with some conditions including further studies on the noise impact that the site will have.
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