The Amazing Alloway Tunnel Project

Ron Ireland, Chairman of the Alloway Tunnel and an Ayr Rotarian, is a founder member of a volunteer group known as South Ayrshire Paths Initiative or SAPI for short. SAPI came together originally as volunteer members with Sustrans, the active-travel charity responsible for creating the national cycle network. SAPI’s mission is to improve and develop the active travel network in South Ayrshire.

Phase 1 of the Alloway Tunnel delivery programme began in spring 2021 and included all the essential business and administration elements right through to eventual appointment of the artist. Ron decided early on to follow the Edinburgh Colinton Tunnel example as much as possible and this meant setting up a registered charitable trust with OSCR (Office of Scottish Charity Regulator) to enable the raising of sufficient funds to deliver the project…..and so began the Stage 1 mural installation work. The murals are painted mostly (but not entirely) on prepared plywood boards at the artist’s studio in Strathyre. Then are taken to a South Ayrshire council workshop for a protective coating of varnish to be applied by folk on the community payback scheme (restorative justice team). Then they are attached to steel stringers which have been screwed to the walls.

It was a very busy 2-years which included the drafting of a constitution and a comprehensive business plan, and at the same time gaining planning permission, recruiting additional trustees, finding an artist and agreeing the “storyboard”. Fortunately Chris Rutterford, the same artist who was responsible for the Colinton Tunnel, was keen to be involved.

And so began Phase 2 of the delivery programme – the creative phase – this is very much a community-led project involving school children and students as well as a huge range of members of the general public.

Now, at the same time as folk were getting covered in paint in the workshops, a band of volunteers were getting very dirty down in the tunnel scraping and washing down the walls and ceiling to remove a century of grime, soot, dust and slime before applying a flat base coat of paint to suit the artist’s visionary colour schemes. Some of the college students from the painting and decorating department. They flat painted the entire tunnel walls in two days.

The effect of the first stage of the of the mural was astounding with footfall through the tunnel immediately increasing dramatically. A regular group who now combine their outdoor activities with a visit to the tunnel. These are mostly organised by Gillian Craig who runs Gillian’s Walks.

After the initial success they moved on to Stage 2 of the mural installation. This stage was more concerned with showcasing the many aspects of Ayrshire’s rich heritage from Rivers to Railways – Castles to Coastlines and Farming to Fishing. And this is where Tam makes his entrance along with his crony Soutar Johnny.

Everyone has had the opportunity to have his or her image included by making a set level of donation to our funds according to the prominence of the image in the mural.

And the final space is where the big railway steam engine will be installed with even more passengers embarking on their summer holiday trip to Butlins. This will be completed in a month or so and they hope to add to the authenticity of the scene by placing a short length of rail and a set of buffers in front.

As they move from the creative stage to a long-term Care & Maintenance programme a steady flow of income is still needed particularly for an ambitious and expensive lighting improvement scheme. On the fundraising side they have recently introduced a range of merchandise which can be bought online. Comprising of jigsaws coasters, calendars, tea towels, tee-shirts, keyrings etc.

So it’s goodbye to that dingy, dark, graffiti place that folk avoided or scurried through to a magnificent, stunning celebration of creativity for which Ayrshire can be so rightly proud concluded Ron.

President Elect Mary Helen Shakespeare, gave a worthy vote of thanks.