by maggie1873 » Sat Apr 05, 2008 7:26 pm
Having gone to Bogside Stables mid-late 80's, hopefully I can shed a little more light on the subject.
Don't know exactly when ICI bought the land but they owned it when I was going up to the stables. After the National was moved to Ayr, 1966, the stables were still used for stabling horses. The Hunt also used the track for Point to Point meetings.
The two grandstands, which were situated to the right of the main gate at the top of the hill facing the paddock and track, were the first casualties of ICI, being demolished 1988-89. Then the tower in the field across the track in the field adjacent to the paddock was the next to go. Finally the stables, hall and house were the last to go (not sure when as I had moved away by this time).
Not too sure, but ICI were wanting to build on the land as this is why everything was demolished, but it is now a nature reserv and there isn't much left of the Ardeer site (shame!).
Having moved back to Irvine 3 years ago, I still haven't ventured back up to where I spent my youth to see what its like now. I was very sad to see the state of this once proud site of the Scottish Grand National, and having so many happy memories from there, a little disgusted (its like there wasn't a history of the race before Ayr).
As for the Marymass Racing, Cadgers Course facing the old Ravenspark Hospital (now being converted into houses) is where they hold the Marymass meeting every year, the third Saturday after the first Monday in August. It has never been held up at Bogside. This is before you come to Bogside Golf Club (in between lies the raliway line). The stables lie further up the road which was always dodgy to negociate. The greasy pole is still a major attraction on this day and such a great laugh. Where else can you see people trying to get up a big greasy pole for a ham shank?