We have officially made it to March, and it won't be long until the clocks go forward and we can hopefully start enjoying some warmer weather.

There's no better way to welcome in spring than to visit a new town or village and spend the day exploring. Luckily here in the UK, we definitely aren't short on places to go.

One seaside town not far from a major city should be on your radar for spring. Troon, around a half hour from Glasgow, is a massive hit with tourists over the summer months, but less quiet for the rest of the year.

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I visited back in January and I can't wait to go back, because my trip was very nearly ruined by one small detail.

Nestled on Scotland's west coast and overlooking the Firth of Clyde, Troon offers an idyllic coastal retreat from city life. I hadn't visited since I was about 15 and never during winter, but I was in desperate need of some fresh sea air.

When we got off the train, we made our way to the waterfront, which was freezing yet picturesque. The day was sunny, and while swimming was out of the question, at least it looked stunning, reports the Express.

The sun was already beginning to set around 1pm when we were there, but it provided some beautiful photo opportunities. The beach is large, so we spent a good hour wandering up and down, climbing to the top of a viewpoint to take in the panoramic view of the town below.

For kids, there's an extensive play area which was still relatively busy despite the cold conditions.

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After our stroll, it was time to grab some food. Troon has many great eateries, from the stylish restaurant Scotts situated beside the marina to various fish and chip shops along the charming high street.

One of the main reasons we'd embarked on this journey was to visit The Wee Hurrie, a seafood cabin near the waterfront which had been so enthusiastically praised by family and friends. Fans on TripAdvisor claim it's the 'best chippie in Scotland', so it's safe to say our expectations were high.

We had built up quite an appetite following the freezing beach walk, so you can imagine our dismay when we turned up at the Wee Hurrie to find it shut. Looking back, this was entirely our fault for not checking beforehand, but it didn't make it any less annoying.

The reason for the closure was that the Scottish fishing fleet was tied up for Christmas, which is entirely understandable. It has now reopened, so I will be returning as soon as possible to try those fish and chips.

By this point it was around 3pm and we were still hunting for something to eat, so we started making our way back towards the town centre.

I hadn't expacted many places on the high street to be open on a Sunday at the start of January, but there were plenty of folk wandering about, popping in and out of eateries and shops.

Still craving fish, we headed into Tempura and ordered a serving of battered prawns and chips each. This really did the trick, and spotting a tempura mars bar on the menu really did make me laugh. There's truly no escaping the deep fried life in Scotland.

Despite the slight hiccup with our original dining plans, it was still a brilliant day - though maybe a bit too cold. When that first mildly warm March afternoon arrives, I'll be making a beeline straight back.