The Big Idea visitor attraction, built on the site of the largest explosives factory in the world on the Ardeer peninsula in Scotland, has gone into voluntary liquidation, with the loss of 30 local jobs.

There is now speculation that the demise of The Big Idea underlines the potential fragility of the new generation of Scottish science attractions in a competitive market. These include the Glasgow Science Centre, Sensation in Dundee and Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh.

Blair Nimmo, head of KPMG Corporate Recovery in Scotland, is acting as receiver for the Irvine-based centre.

He said: “We are currently assessing the financial position of The Big Idea and exploring options for the facility with various stakeholders, and in the meantime the facility will remain closed.”

Operated by The Nobel Exhibition Trust and housed in a futuristic dome on the harbourside at Irvine, The Big Idea was pitched as the world’s first Inventor Centre.

The Trust aimed to create “a living laboratory for people who wish to think, to dream, to discover, to innovate and to invent.” It was built on the site of Alfred Nobel’s British Dynamite Company and funded by Strathclyde European Partnership, private sector backers, and a lottery grant from the Millennium Commission.

Dwindling visitor figures have been blamed for the closure of the centre, which has hosted over 250,000 visitors since its debut.

Chair, John Moorhouse, said: “The progressive decline in Scotland’s tourist numbers over recent years has hit The Big Idea particularly hard. Ironically, the exceptionally fine weather of this summer has been the final straw in our battle for survival – as holidaymakers, unsurprisingly, chose outdoor pursuits in preference to indoor attractions”.

The Trust is hopeful that the attraction will be able to re-open under new ownership and management. Details: +44 (0)20 7311 1000