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. The park opened in 1995, and closed at the end of the 2010 season. The park's mascot was Rory the Lion.

History The 594-acre estate was purchased by London-based company, Lands Improvement Holdings plc in 1993, who built and developed the theme park which opened in 1995. In 1998, the park was sold to travelling showman Raymond Codona and then again to Henk Bembom's Parkware Ltd in 2003. Bembom invested £5 million during his first year there, followed by an additional £2 million in the second. Bembom continued to bring new rides and attractions to the park each year, including another £2 million of investment in 2007. 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 (January 23, 1989 – July 16, 2007) fell from a roller coaster he was pushing, The Rat, which had got stuck. He was taken to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock for treatment but died there on 16 July 2007. 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.

In September 2010 it was announced that the park had closed, Henk Bembom of Parkware Ltd. stating that it was "no longer economically viable." There were 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 intended to use the site for other purposes.

After the park's closure, its rides were listed for sale, including Twist 'n' Shout, Gold Rush, Barnstormer, Wacky Worm, Crow's Nest and Jammy Dodgems. Some of the rides were sold to other theme parks in the United Kingdom and around the world.

As a Category A listed building, the possibilities for any redevelopment of the ruins of Loudoun Castle proper, as opposed to this adjacent theme park, are severely limited by law.

Attractions

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.

Final roller coasters

These roller coasters were located at Loudoun Castle in 2010 during its final season.

Roller coaster name Opened Closed Manufacturer Model/Type Location Notes Gold Rush 2010 2010 Zierer Four Man Bob Dougal McDougal's Farm An portable Four Man Bob style roller coaster built by Zierer that was originally manufactured in 1975 and travelled Germany with showman Ludewigt before operating briefly at Traumland Park in 1983. It was then brought by John Broome and operated at Trentham Gardens and Alton Towers before transferring to Pleasure Island Family Theme Park and Flamingo Land. After it left Flamingo Land after the 2001 season, the coaster was bought by Bembom Rides and was completely overhauled before being leased to Grove Land in Wales. It was then moved along the rest of Parkware Ltd's ride stock to Loudoun Castle in 2007, going into storage before opening in 2010 to replace The Rat. After the park closed, it was left standing but not operating for many years until it was dismantled and removed from the site in 2017. It now operates at Family Park in France under the same name since 2020. Twist 'n' Shout 2003 2010 Schwarzkopf Silverarrow Portable looping Schwarzkopf roller coaster that was owned by Parkware Ltd. previously Bembom Rides that originally opened in 1980 at OK Corral in France. It then operated at many UK theme parks including Ocean Beach Fun Fair, Camelot Theme Park and Dreamland Margate before being moved to Loudoun Castle in 2003. Operated until the park closed in 2010. After closure, it was offered for sale until it was dismantled and relocated in 2017 to Fun Park Mirnovec (now Dalmaland) in Croatia, where it reopened as Big Blue that same year. Wacky Worm 2003 2010 I.E Park Wacky Worm Pirate Cove Opened in 2003 and replaced an identical model that was previously located on its plot. Has since been removed from the park with its fate unknown.

Final rides

These rides were located at Loudoun Castle during its final season in 2010.