Turnberry is trialling the product for the wine list in its fine dining restaurant and plans to extend the concept to its other restaurants and bars by the end of the year all owing their guests to use the obvious benefits of inbuilt  search tools to find out more about their wine.

Ralph Porciani, director of operations at Turnberry, said: "We've seen this in the States for a while and it improves and enriches the experience of choosing from a menu. The ability to combine images, with more colourful background information on the product - be it the wine maker or the grapes - is incredibly satisfying for guests and gives them a far more informed choice."

"Around 60 per cent of our guests wander around with an iPad already tucked under their arm. So it is a technology which is very useable and very familiar to many people."

In other countries where the iPad has been used instead of a menu, restaurants have claimed a rise in turnover from diners finding their ordering inhibitions are lifted when ordering direct, rather than via waiters.

The trend began in the US shortly after the launch of the tablet devices last year. The technology used in some American restaurants allows staff to communicate with customers through email-style messages, suggesting, for example, that they may be ready to buy another drink - and also pay for their meals through the device using an in-built swipe card slot.

Another first for one of Ayrshire's West VCoast Golf Links