Dolphin House has been offering memorable residential visits for over 20 years. Our programmes give young people the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills through taking part in outdoor activities. The stunning location within Culzean Castle and Country Park is the perfect site to explore the great outdoors. With a highly skilled and experienced team, children get the most out of their visit while fostering awareness, understanding and respect for the natural environment and learning concepts of exploration and sustainability.
The capacity at Dolphin House is currently 32 pupils within 7 small dormitories and 3 staff bedrooms. The main meeting room in Dolphin House acts as both a lecture room and dining room, being adjacent to the kitchen. Facilities on site include drying rooms, male/female showers, staff room and outdoor store. All our facilities are wheelchair accessible, there is a specialist wheelchair for use on the beach and rough ground and Dolphin House operates its own 17 seat minibus. Dolphin House is in Culzean Castle and Country Park where some of our most popular activities take place. Activities include caving below the castle, rockpooling on the local beach, mountain biking to the famous Swan Pond and canoeing in Gashouse Bay. The centre makes use of some of South Ayrshire’s best outdoor learning environments including hillwalking in the Galloway Forest Park, watersports on the River Doon and exciting STEM activities in local parks and woodlands.
During the delivery of outdoor learning programmes for school and community groups, all outdoor learning activities provide a framework for addressing the seven capacities within the Curriculum for Excellence. Outdoor learning aims to:
- Support schools to develop experiences and outcomes
- Promote the concept of sustainability
- Foster awareness, understanding and respect for the natural environment
- Develop personal skills and positive attitudes through co-operative learning
- Stimulate approaches to healthy living
- Provide opportunities for physical activity in an outdoor setting
- Support families to develop skills for life
Dolphin House provides outdoor residential experiences for upper primary school pupils and fieldwork courses in eight secondary schools. The residentials and fieldwork courses are held in one of the most beautiful settings in the west of Scotland. Additionally, there is an opportunity to be involved in environmental learning, where successful completion enables pupils to achieve the John Muir Award.