History - Ayr Is The Most Visited Town In Scotland

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.

Undoubtedly Ayr is an old town the most zealous of historical researchers cannot say just how old this town actually is. 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.

With a street plan dating back to the 1200s and many fine buildings from the centuries since, Ayr is an attractive town with a real sense of its history.

World Wide fame of Ayr as the centre of the Burns Country makes the town a natural selection for the tourists itinerary, but the ordinary holidaymaker may not appreciate that it is, in its own right, one of Scotlands leading holiday centres. Burns himself may have fostered misunderstanding by his writings.

When you add a river that was first bridged 800 years ago, a harbour that for centuries was the most important on the west coast of Scotland, a racecourse dating back which was on an earlier site to 1770 and all the trappings of a seaside resort, you end up with a town that has something for everyone.

Originally known as St Johns Town of Ayr or Inverayr, Ayr started life as the settlement serving a castle built here in 1197 by William I, This was border country at the time.

Galloway, to the south, only securely became part of Scotland during Alexander II's reign in 1234.

The County town of Ayr, in the heart of the Burns Country is a modern, busy shopping centre, attracting many visitors throughout the year the town, the sea front and its leafy suburbs offer accommodation to suit all.

The shopper will find all the usual names in the High Street but it is worth seeking out the privately owned establishments