• The Royal Burgh of Ayr in the south-west of Scotland is situated on the Firth of Clyde and is the largest coastal town in South Ayrshire. It has a population of approximately 112,799 people and is the administrative centre of South Ayrshire council.
  • The Ayrshire coast is about 65 miles long from Ballantrae in the south to Largs in the north. The Ayrshire coast has some of the finest beaches in Scotland. It is a very popular seaside resort, complete with charming sea front, leafy suburbs and range of places to stay.
  • The north side of Ayr Harbour still operates as a commercial port today. It is used largely by fishing vessels and is designed for coal export with modern facilities and excellent transportation links. The port handles around 360,000 tonnes each year.

Welcome to Ayr, in Ayrshire, Scotland and perhaps you are either interested in visiting or have already decided to come and are now trying to finalise arrangements – potential questions for various visitors may include what are its history, tourist features and specifically what things can be done. However, before getting onto these topics which we will discuss on the further pages, let us first have an overview of Ayr itself, including where it is located, its climate, economic features and importantly, transport links for when you want to get there, travel around and return after your visit.

Located on the east coast of Scotland, historic Ayr is a moderate 37 miles southwest of Glasgow. Pertaining to its identity, the town is coastally based and notably resides on the mouth of the River Ayr which spreads out to the Firth of Clyde estuary. Perhaps you may be keen to catch the view towards the Isle of Arran, which can be seen from the coast and moreover the top of Northern Ireland is also visible with very amenable weather conditions. Considering this area’s topography, it is very much flat and recorded as used for the raising of dairy cattle, however, for the southern area the land rises.

Doubtless visitors from further afield will want to be aware of the climate that they may encounter and during mid-summer, you can find an average temperature of about 18 degrees. Fascinatingly, the nearby sea acts to moderate the heat in the summer, whilst also releasing warmth during the winter, to equally allow less abrasive winter temperatures. Typically, many associate the British Isles as having a plentiful amount of rainfall and Ayr is reported to have its fair show of precipitation.

Focussing on its business identity, Ayr has historically been a maritime hub and in fact, the “North” part of Ayr Harbour is operating commercially still for a port. Needless to say some visitors might want to visit the local shops and Ayr Central Shopping Center, which was opened from 2006, has a Debenhams and additionally there is underground parking spaces for 500 vehicles.

Naturally, you will want to consider how you will travel to the town. Regarding visiting by road, you may be able to utilise the A79, which links to Prestwick and its airport, the A77 linking to Glasgow and Stranraer and the A70 to Edinburgh. Moreover, there is a railway station connecting to Glasgow and other hubs. Focussing on air links, there is Glasgow Prestwick International Airport, which is 2 miles away and can link to some cities in Europe. Finally, there is also a bus service and also reasonable access to ferry services to Northern Ireland.

Having got an overview of where Ayr is and what its geography is like, the weather you may experience, its business features such as for shopping and travel arrangements, you may now want to learn a bit more about other aspects – you can click the next pages to start reading about its history, tourism and activities or alternatively go straight to booking a hotel if you choose.