At the end of a six minute drive from the busy seaside town of Troon is the stunning historic village of Loans.
It’s grown significantly since it began as five small steadings in 1806 and at the heart of it is the four star Loans Inn, part of Ayrshire family hotel group, SimpsInns, which also owns The Waterside Hotel, West Kilbride, The Gailes Hotel and Spa, Gailes, plus The Potting Shed and Terrace in Irvine.
Winners of Ayrshire’s “Hospitality Business of the Year” award, Malcolm and Karen Simpson and their sons Lee and Jack, are well respected in this beautiful part of Scotland for their hospitality, as well as running top golf and spa facilities.
The family feel is firmly established at this wee hotel, which has cracking views across to the island of Arran and long serving local staff, who are very much part of the furniture.
Over the years, in excess of £1 million has been spent on refurbishing this swish hotel, which boasts 20 luxury bedrooms and a neighbouring cottage for self-catering.
Golf as well as the sea is big in this part of the world and in a nod to Scotland’s most famous courses, the bedrooms are named after such greats as the Royal Troon, Turnberry, Prestwick, Dundonald and Arran’s Shiskine.
The sport has also earned the hotel awards over the years and the friendly and professional staff are the backbone of the success, with many customers loyally returning to enjoy the dedicated service.
Well established team member, Lorraine Inglis is the epitome of what makes the hotel so special. From greeting guests at the reception check in to chatting away at dinner, Lorraine clearly loves her role and makes the stay extra enjoyable.
There is very much a Scottish theme throughout the hotel, with tasteful Tartan furnishings in the bedrooms and all the expected mod cons and extra perks of fresh fruit and bottled water plus free access to the gym and spa facilities at the sister Gailes Hotel for guests who book directly through SimpsInns. And there are electric charging points available too.
The self-catering cottage is a former traditional village home which has been converted into a luxury stay for up to six people. A bumper hamper full of essential goodies and Scottish treats is a lovely touch.
It’s bright and airy and has a separate lounge area from the kitchen and dining room which are fully equipped with everything from utensils to books and games. Ensuite bathrooms with toiletries from Scottish Fine Soaps are on both floors, with a giant bath downstairs.
The bedrooms too are well decorated and have good storage, televisions and the comfiest of beds. The upstairs master suite has lovely views from the chaise lounge and excellent sound proofing from the main road outside.
The hotel restaurant is only a stone’s throw away. Decorated in a homely traditional way, the breakfast menu until noon is filled with quality cuisine ranging from the big traditional breakfast to scrambled eggs and smoked salmon with a good choice of continental options to start with.
The dinner menu uses top local produce with the nibbles of toasted sourdough with whipped burnt butter mixed with Blackthorn salt from the nearby shores of Prestwick, a tasty option. Starters range from Troon landed langoustine scampi served with lemon and chilli oil mayo, to crispy corn ribs covered in siracha yoghurt, lime, crispy onions and coriander. There are mains of chargrilled flat iron steak, celeriac, white pepper purée, mushroom ketchup and bone marrow dressing fries and gnocchi with curried fennel stew, squash, cherry tomatoes and root ginger purée. The sweet-toothed are rewarded with puddings including chocolate orange, with shortbread and lemon posset and cardamom flavoured biscuits.
On the doorstep there is some stunning countryside as well as the old-fashioned seaside town of Troon which is a haven for day trippers.
Over the years it has become increasingly popular, making parking near to the beach more difficult. Plans have just been unveiled to take advantage of the cycle and pedestrian friendly paths to create an active travel route between Troon railway station and Loans village.
It’s part of a wider project to develop the Ayrshire Link, a network of safe and accessible paths to allow people to get outdoors, walking, cycling or wheeling.
Connecting 15 routes between Girvan and Lugton, the Ayrshire Road Alliance scheme, a public sector partnership between South and East Ayrshire Councils, is a real boost for tourism in an area which is stunning but relatively undiscovered.
The Details
The Loans Inn, 31-33 Main Street, Loans, Troon, Ayrshire, KA10 7EX, Scotland.
Tel + 44 (0)1294 843614.
Website: www.theloansinn.com
Email: info@simpsinns.com
The hotel is in the centre of Loans and just four minutes away from Troon Railway Station or a 40 minute drive from Glasgow and 90 minutes from Edinburgh with good transport links.
Type of Hotel: Boutique Hotel and Self-catering cottage
Number of Rooms: 20 bedrooms
Price Band: Currently for the hotel, there is a dinner, bed, breakfast and prosecco offer starting at £115 to £137.50 per person from 1st April to 30th September 2025.
For the cottage, rates for a minimum of two nights start from £330 midweek and £550 at weekends. Booking can’t be made directly through the hotel website, but they can by using third party sites such as www.cottages.com and www.booking.com or by ringing the hotel directly.
Insider Tip: Using the thermal facilities at The Gailes Hotel is a real bonus, with the Si! Spa having just won Boutique Spa of the Year in 2024.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9/10
Author Bio:
Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.
Photographs courtesy of The Loans Inn
Be the first to comment