Loudoun Castle (theme park)

Loudoun Castle closed theme park

The last Loudoun Park logo
Slogan Scotland's Best Family Theme Park
Location Galston, East Ayrshire, Scotland
Coordinates 55°36′38″N 4°22′22″W / 55.61061°N 4.37279°W / 55.61061; -4.37279Coordinates: 55°36′38″N 4°22′22″W / 55.61061°N 4.37279°W / 55.61061; -4.37279
Opened 1995
Closed 2010
Rides
Total 11 altogether
Roller coasters 3
Water rides 1

Loudoun Castle was a theme park set around the ruins of the 19th century Loudoun Castle near Galston, in the Loudoun area of Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. The park opened in 1995, and closed at the end of the 2010 season. The park's mascot was Rory the Lion.

History

The park was opened in 1995 by a company based in London and has since been through the hands of travelling showman Raymond Codona to its current owner, Henk Bembom's Parkware Ltd. Bembom took over the park in 2002 and invested £5m during his first year there, followed by an additional £2m in the second.[1] Bembom continued to bring new rides and attractions to the park each year, including another £2m worth of investment in 2007.[2] In winter 2006, Parkware moved all their operations and ride stock to Loudoun from their previous storage buildings in Margate.

On 15 July 2007, 18-year-old ride operator Mark Blackwood fell 80 feet (24 m) from a roller coaster he was pushing, which had got stuck. He was taken to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock for treatment but died there on Monday 16 July 2007.[3] After a two-week trial, the jury found the park owners not guilty of failing to provide proper training and supervision at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Saturday 10 October 2009.[4]

In September 2010 it was announced that the park had closed, Bembom stating that it was "no longer economically viable." There are no clear indications as to the future use of the site, whether the current owners intend to sell the business on as a 'going concern' or if they intend to use the site for other purposes.[5] As of February 2011 a number of rides were for sale, including Twist 'n' Shout, Goldrush, Barnstormer, Wacky Worm, Crows Nest and Jammy Dodgems.

Rides

The Plough and The Rat rides at Loudoun Castle

Many of the rides at Loudoun Castle had been operated at Dreamland Margate in Kent when it was owned by Bembom Brothers. A few of these rides can be seen in the Only Fools and Horses 1989 Christmas Special "The Jolly Boys' Outing", in which the Trotters and many other male cast members visit Dreamland Margate.

In 2009, Loudoun Castle had five roller coasters:

Also in the park were various thrill rides including:

Closure

Following the closure of the park in 2010, they announced that they will reopen soon. In 2014, another announcement was made, stating that the park will start reconstruction in 2016, and is set to open in 2018.

References

  1. ↑ "Fairground attraction; Darran Gardner takes a white-knuckle ride with Henk Bembom". Sunday Herald. 13 July 2003.
  2. ↑ "Loudoun Castle Vaults Forum (scanned image attached from local paper)". Kilmarnock Standard.
  3. ↑ "Teenager dies after rollercoaster plunge". Evening Times. 17 July 2007. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016.
  4. ↑ "Rollercoaster death firm cleared". BBC News. 14 October 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  5. ↑ "End of the ride for theme park". Evening Times. 1 Oct 2010. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
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