The Ark on the Clyde CIC
BUGGY FRIENDLY
Yes
What it’s like
Meet Shetland ponies, Kunekune pigs and alpacas on a farm walkabout by the Clyde, with animal care sessions for kids who want to get properly hands on.
This is a small working farm set up for kids to actually do things with animals rather than just look at them through a fence. You'll meet Shetland ponies (Charlie, Muffin and Dougal are named on the site), Kunekune pigs called Vespa and Valentino, pygmy goats, hens, alpacas and guinea pigs or rabbits on what they call a walkabout adventure. There's a proper Farm Animal Experience too, with up close encounters, treats and prizes built in, and a Junior Farm Club that covers egg collection, poultry keeping and vegetable growing for kids who want more than a stroke and a photo.
Opening hours are tight and worth knowing before you plan around them. Right now it's a 12pm to 2pm window, moving to 12pm to 3pm from 7 March. That's not a lot of slack if you've got a nap schedule to work round or a toddler who takes twenty minutes to put wellies on.
The site sits on the wider Finlaystone Estate, so there's woodland, a Forest Fairy Trail and gardens to fill out the rest of the day if the farm bit is over quicker than expected. Buggies and wheelchairs are fine in the gardens, but both the Yellow Trail and the Red Trail need care on the terrain, and the Yellow Trail is flagged as unsuitable outright. There's a café, toilets, a gift shop and picnic spots with barbecues if you fancy making a day of it, and dogs are welcome on a lead, particularly around the gardens and play areas.
Birthday parties get a two hour slot in the Old Laundry Building, either the Farm Animal Experience or a Ranger Activity, plus the play area, for up to 15 kids. It reads like a good option if you want something more hands on than a soft play do.
Facilities
Need to know
- Dogs
- Very welcome on the estate
- Parties
- Farm Animal Experience or Ranger Activity in Old Laundry Building (2 hours), play area, up to 15 kids
- Junior Farm Club kids are supervised in a secure area, so it's drop off and collect rather than staying with them
- Some outdoor picnic spots have small log cabins nearby for shelter if the weather turns
- The Old Laundry Building, East or West Barn can be booked as a base for group visits, not just parties
Plan your visit
What animals will the kids actually meet?
Shetland ponies (Charlie, Muffin and Dougal), Kunekune pigs called Vespa and Valentino, pygmy goats, hens, alpacas and guinea pigs or rabbits.
What are the opening hours?
It's 12pm to 2pm currently, moving to 12pm to 3pm from 7 March. Not a huge window, so turn up on time.
Can we bring a buggy or wheelchair?
The gardens are fine, but take care on the Red Trail and skip the Yellow Trail entirely, the terrain rules it out for both.
Are dogs allowed?
Yes, on a lead, especially in the gardens and near the play areas. Owners are expected to clean up after them.
Do you do birthday parties?
There's a two hour slot in the Old Laundry Building with a Farm Animal Experience or Ranger Activity plus the play area, for up to 15 kids.
Is there food on site?
There's a café, and picnic spots with built in barbecues if the weather plays along.
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