Tour Ayr
Map of this area

The leading holiday resort on the Firth of Clyde coast, makes a good centre for exploring Burns country. This lively resort has a vast expanse of sandy beach backed by an esplanade, several delightful parks, traditional amusements and Scotland's premier racecourse. The latter is the venue for the Scottish Grand National and the Ayr Gold Cup.

The town grew up around its medieval castle to become the principal centre of Carrrick, later an earldom. The original castle seems to have been obliterated by a huge new citadel built by Cromwell of which a few fragments of wall remain. By the 16C and 17C the town was the busiest port on the west coast.Just ahead of Glasgow for size. Trade was essentially with France until the late 17C when the West Indian and North American markets opened up.

The railway age brought new life to Ayr. with the holidaymakers and commuting businessmen. At the beginning of the 19C Ayr expanded in a planned way southwards from its medieval core, and the orderly rectangular street pattern and many substantial terraced houses remain from this time. There are few traces left of an older Ayr.

Today this market town with its excellent shopping centre, has a thriving tourist trade dependent on the proximity of the international airport at Prestwick. the reputation of nearby golfing centres (Turnberry, Troon) and its role as hub of the Burns country.

Auld Brig

This 13C bridge, immortalised by Burns, is said to have been financed by two sisters who lost their fiances, drowned while trying to ford the river. The narrow cobbled bridge remains firm while its rival collapsed in the storm of 1870.

Robert Burns Tam o'Shanter Inn

A tavern in Burns' time, this is now an inn. It was from here that Tarn set out on his famous ride one stormy night.

If you would like to visit this area as part of a highly personalized small group tour of my native Scotland please e-mail me:

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