2009 - 02

The Town Of Ayr

Largest of the Clyde Coast holiday towns, Ayr lies in the very centre of the famous Firth of Clyde playground, 32 miles South-West of Glasgow, it looks out on the glorious panorama of the Firth, with the majestic peaks of Arran in the foreground and the Mull of Kintyre in the background. Its hinterland is the beautiful Ayrshire countryside, which provided the inspiration for some of the finest verses of the National Bard of Scotland, Robert Burns

The Royal Burgh of Ayr in the south-west of Scotland is a burgh situated on the Firth of Clyde. It was made a royal burgh in 1205. It is the county town of the traditional county of Ayrshire, and is also the administrative centre for South Ayrshire Council. The town's population registered in the 2001 Census was 46,431. In 2002, it was one of four Scottish towns competing for city status to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee, but it lost to Stirling.

Undoubtedly Ayr is an old town, its story is writ large on the pages of Scottish history. Many of its landmarks bear the indelible stamp of its antiquity. But in every other respect the Auld Toun is the modern home of a modern-minded and thriving community who are well aware of the need to keep abreast of the times, not only for their own sakes but for the benefit of the many thousands who come annually to make holiday.

In 1197 a castle was built by the River Ayr. Shortly afterwards, in 1205, King William the Lion created a burgh at Ayr. On April 26, 1315, the first Parliament of Scotland was held in Ayr by Robert The Bruce at St.John's Tower by the sea. It was once known as 'Inverair/Inverayr' and this usage is still retained in the Scottish Gaelic form of the name Inbhir Air.

Later, during Cromwellian times, the town was used as a base and fortress for some of his men. Cromwell built a huge wall around certain areas of the town, most of which can still be seen today. St John's Tower, in that area, was originally part of a massive church, but the church was knocked down, and the tower was used to practice on, and is now protected by the "Friends Of Saint Johns Tower" (FROST) residents of the "Fort Area" nearby

WORLD-WIDE fame of Ayr as the centre of the Burns Country makes the town a natural selection for the tourist’s itinerary, but the ordinary holidaymaker may not appreciate that it is, in its own right, one of Scotland’s leading holiday centres. Burns himself may have fostered misunderstanding by his writings. His boast of

Auld Ayr wham ne’er a toun surpasses

For Honest Men and Bonnie Lasses

certainly has produced a reputation for the lealty of its menfolk and the loveliness of its women, but, at the same time has made "The Auld Toun" an alternative name rather than, as intended, an affectionate description.

To the north of Ayr is the adjoining town of Prestwick, famous for its golf and its aviation industry, thanks to the presence of Glasgow Prestwick International Airport. Other neighbouring places include Alloway, known for its associations with the poet Robert Burns. To the south is a Haven (formerly Butlins) holiday camp, and the fishing village of Dunure, where there is a ruined castle formerly owned by the Kennedy family

Find out more about Ayrshire