Ayrshire

With beautiful scenery, fascinating country parks and interesting local towns, Ayrshire is a great place to go for outdoor activities and for a restful holiday. The Island of Arran just off the coast is renowned for its wild and rugged landscape with mountains to the north and rolling countryside on the south side. Many people visit Ayrshire for the golf, particularly the courses at Royal Troon, Turnberry and Prestwick where many important tournaments have been played.

One of Scotland’s most famous poets, Robert Burns was born in Ayrshire in the village of Alloway, and the Burns National Heritage Park is an interesting place to visit, and to see the original manuscript for Auld Lang Syne. A walk in this area will bring visitors to many of the sights associated with Burns and his poetry which is ingrained into Scottish culture.

Ayr is a small Scottish seaside town on the West Coast of Scotland and ideal for a day on the beach, much like its neighbour Troon with a good expanse of sand. The coast has three large marinas at Largs, Troon and Ardrossan and sailing is popular here.

At the Scottish Watersports Centre on Cumbrae there are a number of options for people wanting to learn from kayaking to windsurfing. The world’s last ocean going paddle steamer, the Waverly, is an excellent way to see the coastal area of Ayrshire as it visits all the harbours.

There are several castles in the area that are interesting to explore such as Brodrick Castle and Culzean Castle, and Ayrshire is also home to the Scottish Maritime Museum. Ayrshire is popular with walkers and cyclists and there are many parks on Arran and in Ayrshire with marked trails and a number of choices of scenic routes.