11 Ayrshire & Arran cafés are joining forces with tourism businesses around the area to help give visitors a sweeter taste to Ayrshire & Arran.

The new Café Days website www.visitscotland.com/cafedays shows visitors where they can get a great cuppa and cake while on holiday as well as promoting the attractions and activities they can experience in the surrounding area.

Over 200 cafes across the country are taking part in the new VisitScotland Café Days campaign which saw more than 3700 people sending in descriptions of their favourite holiday café experiences.

One such person described Small Talk in Irvine as “A real gem. The view from the window was delightful - yachts bobbing in the water... Inside was warm and welcoming with charming staff, comfy seating and a very interesting menu.” Another described their visit to the Ritz Café on Millport, the Isle of Cumbrae – “the friendly Ritz Cafe overlooking the harbour waits to offer a welcoming cup of tea or coffee with a scone or snack... Yes, we'll be there again next year.”

The Old Pier Tearoom on Arran also received praise with a visitor writing “The friendly faces that welcomed us at the Old Pier Tearoom and the food that followed was superb!” One visitor to Pandora Coffee House in Ayr said “I felt ‘cheered up’ right away with the ever so friendly staff, freshly cooked food and lovely home bakes.”

VisitScotland has designed the £40,000 campaign to encourage cafés and other tourism businesses to work closely to promote each others’ services to visitors through personal recommendations and information on the website.

More than 800 businesses (cafés and activity providers) are promoted on the new website. For more information on VisitScotland's Cafe Days promotion visit www.visitscotland.com/cafedays