Mauchline Heritage Trail App, East Ayrshire

Commissioned by East Ayrshire Council as part of the Mauchline Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS)—a major heritage initiative co-funded with Historic Environment Scotland—the Mauchline Heritage Trail app was created to give visitors compelling new reasons to explore the parish, deepen their understanding of place, and encourage longer dwell times across the area.

The app maps more than thirty landmark locations, taking visitors well beyond the traditional town-centre walking routes. Alongside celebrated stops such as Mossgiel Farm, Poosie Nansie’s Inn, and the historic parish church graveyard, the digital trails guide explorers out into the surrounding countryside to discover the red-sandstone arches of the Ballochmyle Viaduct and ancient prehistoric cup-and-ring rock carvings, with integrated 360-degree panoramic photography opening up locations with rugged or limited physical access.

Community collaboration sits at the core of the experience. Initial visual styling was created by students from Ayrshire College, with branding and interactive concepts shaped by pupils from the Robert Burns Academy. Authentic audio narratives and poetry readings were voiced by the Mauchline Burns Club, while pupils from Mauchline Primary School researched and mapped out their own bespoke "Toon Trail". Visitors can also explore ten interactive then-and-now archival photo comparisons and play a custom curling game that celebrates Mauchline’s unique historical status as the global producer of Olympic curling stones.

Powered by our Trailify platform, the app gives East Ayrshire Council a reliable, high-performance product with the flexibility to manage and update content directly in-house, ensuring Mauchline's living heritage continues to engage residents and attract visitors for years to come.