Discover the Ayrshire & Arran Ice Cream Trail
Velvety vanilla to intense flavour combinations packing a delicious punch, Ayrshire and Arran serves up scoop after scoop of world-class ice cream.
Across the region you’ll discover ‘cow to cone’ farms pouring creamy milk from cows grazing on lush Ayrshire grass into small batch dairy ice cream, family run Italian gelato parlours using recipes lovingly passed through the generations and exciting contemporary artisanal producers.
With such passion comes an innovative spirit too. In the kaleidoscope of flavours, you’ll find Gluten Free, Soya Free, Dairy Free, Vegetarian and Vegan ice creams and sorbets ensuring there’s a tasty cool treat for all!
YOUR SWEET ADVENTURE STARTS HERE…
Nardini’s
Geraldo’s, Largs
Lime Tree Larder
Woody’s
Renaldo’s
Varani’s
Vanilla Joe’s
Arran Ice Cream
The Ice Cream Factory
AYRSHIRE & ARRAN ICE CREAM TRAIL
Since 1935, Nardini’s iconic Art Deco café overlooking Largs seafront has been the destination for fresh air and melt in the mouth ice cream. Tickle your taste buds watching the gelato chefs mixing wicked, brightly coloured Italian ice cream. Then the hard work begins. Is it a leisurely sit down for one of their famously decadent sundaes or knickerbocker glories like the Chocolate Honeycomb Vesuvius or Clyde Coast Extravaganza? Or do you take a lip-smacking cone for a walk along the waterfront!
Toni and Caroline Dawson are passionate about their flavoursome artisan ice cream, handmade chocolates and Ayrshire’s largest range of specialist confectionery. Grab an ice cream to go. Or pick up one of their popular Ice Cream Boxes and treat friends or family to a heavenly feast. Choose from flavours like Classic Vanilla, Belgian Chocolate, Mint Choc Chip, Salted Caramel, Cookies and Cream and Vegan Chocolate then stack it high with hand-dipped waffle cones, nougat wafers, flakes, sprinkles and more!
Wander off Largs Road and through an avenue of Lime trees planted by Grandpa Wilson in 1927 and you’ll find the eponymously named larder – a chocolate kitchen and ice-cream laboratory in the heart of a working farm. Here, Alex and Jean Wilson play creatively with flavour combinations like Green Apple, Honey Roasted Plum and Cracked Black Pepper and Balsamic Vinegar. Don’t leave without checking out their dairy-free fruit ices, artisan chocolate and chutneys or ordering one of their truly indulgent ice cream cakes.
Sisters Jill and Gail Woodburn whip up a storm with their rich ice cream made at the family farm in Galston. With 16 ever changing luscious flavours like Bubblegum, Malteeser, Salted Caramel Popcorn, Mint Aero or Raspberry Ripple, every visit offers up a new taste sensation. If your sweet cravings are not quite satisfied, take a seat and choose from wonderful milkshakes, speciality hot chocolates, warming waffle desserts and their signature cheesecake.
As a nation, classic Vanilla is our favourite scoop and you won’t find better than Renaldo’s. Linda and Silvio Galli’s Old Fashioned Vanilla blends organic milk from Mossgiel Farm in a recipe passed down since the 1920s. Using this milk, with the same non-homogenised creamy top Scotland’s National Bard Robert Burns would have enjoyed when he owned the farm in 1784, it’s hard to believe some of Renaldo’s gelatos weigh in at only 130 calories a scoop. Treats include the intriguingly named Pooh Bear, devilishly hot Chilli Chocolate and vegan Madagascan Strawberry.
Antonio Mancini was one of the many Italians emigrating to Scotland at the start of the 20th century. Since he set up his ice cream shop in 1913, the family has built up a pretty impressive reputation for their dairy and non-dairy ice cream and their fresh fruit sorbets. Drop by their beach café for mouth-watering flavours like Cherries n’ Cream, Pineapple Cheesecake, Toffee Rippled Earthquake Crumble and the intriguingly named Teddy’s Honey Pot.
Marco Edge and Cheryl Lamont burst onto Ayrshire’s ice cream map when they scooped Best Gelateria at the Scottish Italian Awards within eight months of opening in 2015. Discover why for yourself at their parlours on Irvine Harbourside. Pick up one of their luxury gelatos combining the best ingredients from Italy and Ayrshire and stroll along the beach. Spoil your sweet tooth some more with their Bake at Home range of cookie slabs and churros for an extra treat!
The family run Arran Dairies on the shores of Brodick Bay has churned dairy ice cream since 1999. Today, they create bespoke flavours for chefs across the country and on the go and sharing tubs of natural goodness for everyone else. Best still, go big and go home with their dreamy 4.5 litre Scooping ‘Napoli’ tubs of ice cream or sorbet like Cranachan, Mango Ripple, Arran Blackcurrant and Pink Grapefruit. Eat it straight up or add lashings of the sweet stuff to your summer desserts or wintery puds.
With 30 years in the business, Michele Mancini knows a thing or two about blending the finest ice cream. You’ll find all the classics here including the bestselling Scottish Tablet through to a rainbow of scrumptious ices like Champagne Sorbet, Puff Candy and Bubble Gum! Stay awhile in the family run shop and choose from sweets stacked high in large jars in the good old fashioned way as well as yummy homemade chocolates.
Varani’s began making Vanilla ice cream in 1937. Today, this inventive artisan producer boasts Scotland’s biggest selection of Italian ice cream and sorbets with a staggering recipe book of 1,500 fabulous flavour combinations developed over the years. Don’t worry though. You won’t have to make such a tough decision! Although choosing from the rotating 49 varieties of irresistible ice cream and sorbet like Pink Prosecco, Gingerbeer & Lime, Parmaviolet, Pistachio Verde and White Chocolate Bueno might still take a while!
FIND AYRSHIRE & ARRAN IN YOUR INBOX
Stay updated with all the latest news and offers from Ayrshire & Arran by signing up to receive our eNews direct to your inbox.
