Ayr has been named Scotland’s second-most popular family day-trip destination in ScotRail’s Kids for a Quid scheme, after 13,400 journeys were recorded to the town during the period covered by the figures.
The Ayrshire coast was strongly represented in ScotRail’s list of 15 family hotspots, with Largs ranking among the destinations after recording 5,782 journeys and Troon attracting 3,726. The figures highlight the popularity of rail travel for families looking for lower-cost days out from across the region.
How the Kids for a Quid offer works
The scheme allows up to four children between the ages of five and 15 to travel for £1 return each when they are accompanied by an adult who has paid the applicable fare. ScotRail said the offer was used for more than 380,000 journeys across 347 stations during the school holidays.
Families travelling to Ayr have been able to combine a train journey with time on the coast and visits to nearby attractions. On July 15, almost 900 journeys were recorded to Ayr, while around 400 journeys were made to Largs.
The low-cost ticket was particularly attractive to families seeking affordable leisure trips along the Ayrshire coast. The figures were reported against a backdrop of financial pressure for many households, making the price of children’s return travel a practical consideration for a day out.
Offer remains available throughout the year
ScotRail said the Kids for a Quid scheme remains available year-round. It can be used for return journeys throughout Scotland, meaning families can continue to use the offer beyond the summer school-holiday period.
Claire Dickie, ScotRail’s commercial director, said the scheme had helped families make the most of the offer and explore Scotland at a lower cost.
“A total of 386,366 Kids for a Quid journeys were made across the school summer holidays and we’re thrilled that so many families were able to make the most of the year round offer during a time of reported financial strain. “For each £1 return ticket, parents benefitted from great value which we hope helped them enjoy memorable days out, allowing them to explore Scotland for less.”
ScotRail has encouraged families to continue exploring destinations across the country using the year-round scheme, with Ayr, Largs and Troon among the named destinations from the latest figures.