Ayrshire Guide

Situated on the beautiful Clyde Coast, Ayrshire & Arran has it all and more. Beautiful scenery, fascinating history, outdoor activities, some of the finest golf courses in the world, superior accommodation and gourmet dining. Ancient castles, stunning country parks and gardens, bustling market towns and captivating visitor attractions are all on offer.
The Isle of Arran has the best of what the rest of Scotland has to offer. A beautiful coastline with pretty villages is complemented by a rugged and mountainous interior in the north and green rolling hills and woodland in the south.

Here are some facts about Ayrshire:

• "The King" Elvis Presley only once ever touched came to the UK, and that was in Ayrshire, at Prestwick Airport, 1960. It was on his way back home to the US from Frankfurt.

• 70% of the UK's air traffic control operations are directed from Prestwick in Ayrshire.

• Johnnie Walker, the world's best-known whisky, selling over 120 million bottles worldwide each year, had humble beginnings in John Walker's grocer's shop, in the Ayrshire town of Kilmarnock.

• Legend has it that the Scottish king, Robert the Bruce was cured of leprosy after drinking from the well at St Ninian's Church at Kincase, Ayrshire. He later set up a lepers' hospital on the site.

• The world's only seagoing paddle steamer runs from the mainland Ayrshire towns of Ayr, Girvan and Largs to the islands Ailsa Craig, Cumbrae and Arran.

• At the Electric Brae, between the Ayrshire towns of Dunure and Croy Bay, there is an upward slope that appears to be sloping down (down to an optical illusion created by the land configuration either side of the road). A car with the handbrake off, therefore, will appear to be moving slowly uphill.

• Ayrshire hosted the first ever Open Golf Championship, the historic meeting took place in 1860 on the sand hills of Prestwick. Ayrshire is also home to the first purpose-built golf course which opened in 1906.

Here are just some places to visit in and around Ayrshire: