PLANS to create an exclusive wedding venue and micro-brewery at a much-loved former farm park have been unveiled in a bid to breathe new life into the North Ayrshire site.

Proposals have been submitted for the redevelopment of existing barns and outbuildings at Blackshaw Farm in West Kilbride, which closed to the public as a tourist attraction in 2000.

Blackshaw Farm Park was a popular family haunt throughout the 1980s and 1990s but the facility shut at the turn of the century having averaged around 40,000 visitors per year.

Now, its owners are seeking planning permission from North Ayrshire Council for the exciting new venture.

A design statement submitted with the application said: “We believe the proposals outline aspirations to responsibly re-purpose the existing buildings and infrastructure in a sustainable manner.

“Our proposals provide a strong opportunity to reinstate a tourism and hospitality business back to Blackshaw Farm - an offering beneficial to the local economy which been missing from the site for the past 20 years.”

Carol and Craig Tarft moved to the area in May 2021, with the latter a judge at beer competitions across the UK and a home brewer of “several award-winning beers”. Carol, meanwhile, is said to hold a WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) qualification “reflecting her appreciation of the art of making and serving wine”.

The design statement adds: “Together, their passion for the natural environment, engaging communities and people, and wine and beer have brought them to Blackshaw with the joy and intent of recreating a sense of the lively family ‘place’ that once was Blackshaw Farm and Farm Park.”

The site will host weddings all year-round, with a peak season of April to October, and a maximum of two weddings per week. A Blackshaw Farmhouse Ale will be crafted on-site and sold at the venue and in some local pubs.