Ayrshire (, ) is a historic county and

registration county A registration county was, in Great Britain and Ireland, a statistical unit used for the registration of births, deaths and marriages and for the output of census information. In Scotland registration counties are used for land registration purpose ...

, in south-west

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, located on the shores of the

Firth of Clyde The Firth of Clyde, is the estuary of the River Clyde, on the west coast of Scotland. The Firth has some of the deepest coastal waters of the British Isles. The Firth is sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre, Kintyre Peninsula. The ...

. The

lieutenancy area Lieutenancy areas (), officially counties and areas for the purposes of the lieutenancies, are the separate areas of the United Kingdom that are appointed to a lord-lieutenant – a representative of the British monarch. In many cases they have s ...

Ayrshire and Arran Ayrshire and Arran is a lieutenancy area of Scotland. It consists of the council areas of East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and South Ayrshire. The area of Ayrshire and Arran is also a brand for tourist attractions. The area has joint electoral ...

covers the entirety of the historic county as well as the island of Arran, formerly part of the historic county of

Buteshire The County of Bute (), also known as Buteshire, is a historic county and registration county of Scotland. Now replaced by Argyll and Bute for the Isle of Bute, with the Argyll and Bute Council. The Isle of Arran and The Cumbraes are now ...

. Its principal towns include

Ayr Ayr ( ; ; , meaning "confluence of the River Àir"), is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. A former royal burgh, today it is the administrative centre of South Ayrshire Council, and the historic county town of Ayrshire. With ...

Kilmarnock Kilmarnock ( ; ; , ), meaning "the church of Mernóc", is a town and former burgh in East Ayrshire situated in southwest Scotland. The town has served as the administrative centre of East Ayrshire Council since 1996 and is the region's main ...

and

Irvine Irvine may refer to: Places On Earth Antarctica *Irvine Glacier * Mount Irvine (Antarctica) Australia * Irvine Island * Mount Irvine, New South Wales Canada * Irvine, Alberta * Irvine Inlet, Nunavut Scotland *Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotlan ...

and it borders the counties of

Renfrewshire Renfrewshire () (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. Renfrewshire is located in the west central Lowlands. It borders East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire and West Dunbartonshire, and lies on the southern ba ...

and

Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark (; ), is a Counties of Scotland, historic county, Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and registration county in the Central Lowlands and Southern Uplands of Scotland. The county is no l ...

to the north-east,

Dumfriesshire Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries or Shire of Dumfries () is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county in southern Scotland. The Dumfries lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area covers a similar area to the hi ...

to the south-east, and

Kirkcudbrightshire Kirkcudbrightshire ( ) or the County of Kirkcudbright or the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright is one of the Counties of Scotland, historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Kirkcudbrightshire was an ...

and

Wigtownshire Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown (, ) is one of the Counties of Scotland, historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Wigtownshire was an counties of Scotland, administrative county used for ...

to the south. Like many other counties of Scotland, it currently has no administrative function, instead being sub-divided into the

council area {{Unreferenced, date=May 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot) A council area is one of the areas defined in Schedule 1 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 and is under the control of one of the local authorities in Scotland created by that Ac ...

s of

East Ayrshire East Ayrshire (; ) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It shares borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. The headquarters of the council are located on London Roa ...

North Ayrshire North Ayrshire (, ) is one of 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas in Scotland. The council area borders Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire to the northeast, and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the east and s ...

and

South Ayrshire South Ayrshire (; , ) is one of thirty-two council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire. South Ayrshire had an estimated population in 2021 of 112,45 ...

. It has a population of approximately 366,800. The electoral and valuation area named Ayrshire covers the three council areas of East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and South Ayrshire, therefore covering the whole historic county of Ayrshire but also including the

Isle of Arran The Isle of Arran (; ) or simply Arran is an island off the west coast of Scotland. It is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde and the seventh-largest Scottish island, at . Counties of Scotland, Historically part of Buteshire, it is in the ...

Great Cumbrae Great Cumbrae () is the larger of the two islands known as The Cumbraes in the lower Firth of Clyde in western Scotland. The island is sometimes called Millport, Cumbrae, Millport, after its main town. Home to the Cathedral of The Isles and the ...

and

Little Cumbrae Little Cumbrae () is an island in the Firth of Clyde, in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It lies south of Great Cumbrae, its larger neighbour. The underlying geology is igneous with limited outcrops of sedimentary rock. Little Cumbrae House is of 20th ...

from the historic county of

. The three council areas together also form the ''

. The largest settlement in Ayrshire by population is

, closely followed by

, the

county town In Great Britain and Ireland, a county town is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county, and the place where public representatives are elected to parliament. Following the establishment of county councils in ...

Geography

Ayrshire is roughly crescent-shaped and is a predominantly flat county with areas of low hills; it forms part of the

Southern Uplands The Southern Uplands () are the southernmost and least populous of mainland Scotland's three major geographic areas (the others being the Central Lowlands and the Highlands). The term is used both to describe the geographical region and to col ...

geographic region of Scotland. The north of the county contains the main towns and bulk of the population. East of Largs can be found the Renfrewshire Heights, which continue south to the hill-country around Blae Loch. Southern Ayrshire shares with the

Galloway Galloway ( ; ; ) is a region in southwestern Scotland comprising the counties of Scotland, historic counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. It is administered as part of the council areas of Scotland, council area of Dumfries and Gallow ...

counties some rugged hill country known as the

Galloway Hills The Galloway Hills are part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland, and form the northern boundary of western Galloway. They lie within the bounds of the Galloway Forest Park, an area of some of largely uninhabited wild land, managed by Forestry an ...

. These hills lie to the west of the A713 (Ayr to

Castle Douglas Castle Douglas () is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It lies in the lieutenancy area of Kirkcudbrightshire, in the eastern part of Galloway, between the towns of Dalbeattie and Gatehouse of Fleet. It is in the ecclesiastical paris ...

road) and they run south from the

Loch Doon Loch Doon (, ) is a freshwater loch in Carrick, Scotland. It is considered relatively oligotrophic. The River Doon issues from its northern end, while the loch itself receives waters from Gala Lane and Loch Enoch (in the Galloway Hills) via Eg ...

area almost to the

Solway Firth The Solway Firth is an inlet on the west coast of Great Britain, forming part of the border between England and Scotland. The firth (a Scottish term for an inlet of the sea) divides Cumbria (including the Solway Plain) from Dumfries and Gallow ...

. To the east of this route through the hills lie the

Carsphairn and Scaur Hills The Carsphairn and Scaur Hills are the western and eastern hills respectively of a hill range in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. Ordnance Survey maps don't have a general name for the hill area as a whole. Also, Ordnance Survey use "Scar" rathe ...

which lie to the south east of

Dalmellington Dalmellington (, ) is a market town and civil parish in East Ayrshire, Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, co ...

and south of

New Cumnock New Cumnock is a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It expanded during the coal-mining era from the late 18th century, and mining remained its key industry until its pits were shut in the 1960s. The village is southeast of Cumnock, and east of ...

. Glen Afton runs deep into these hills. Ayrshire is one of the most agriculturally fertile regions of Scotland. Potatoes are grown in fields near the coast, using seaweed-based fertiliser, and in addition the region produces pork products, other root vegetables, and cattle (see below); and summer berries such as strawberries are grown abundantly. A number of small islands in the Firth of Clyde are part of Ayrshire, the chief of these being

Horse Isle Horse Isle () is an uninhabited island located in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland near the seaside town of Ardrossan. It is a nature reserve, run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, RSPB. Etymology Numerous, local stories exist re ...

, Lady Isle and

Ailsa Craig Ailsa Craig (; ) is an island of in the outer Firth of Clyde, west of mainland Scotland, upon which microgranite has long been quarried to make curling stones. The now-uninhabited island comprises the remains of a magmatic pluton formed d ...

Rivers

The main rivers flowing to the Clyde coast are, from north to south, the following: *

River Garnock The River Garnock (), the smallest of Ayrshire's six principal rivers, has its source on the southerly side of the Hill of Stake in the heart of the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park. About a mile and a half south of this starting point the untested s ...

River Irvine The River Irvine () is a river that flows through southwest Scotland. Its watershed is on the Lanarkshire border of Ayrshire at an altitude of above sea-level, near Loudoun Hill, Drumclog, and SW by W of Strathaven. It flows westward, divid ...

River Ayr The River Ayr (pronounced like ''air'', ''Uisge Àir'' in Gaelic) is a river in Ayrshire, Scotland. At it is the longest river in the county. The river was held as sacred by pre-Christian cultures. The remains of several prehistoric sacrificial ...

River Doon The River Doon (, ) is a river in Ayrshire, Scotland. Its course is generally north-westerly, passing near to the town of Dalmellington, and through the villages of Patna, Dalrymple, and Alloway, birthplace of Robert Burns. The source of the D ...

River Girvan The Water of Girvan (or River Girvan) () is a river in South Ayrshire, which has its source at Loch Girvan Eye in the Carrick Forest section of Galloway Forest Park. This river passes through the villages of Straiton, Crosshill and Dailly en ...

River Stinchar The River Stinchar ( ) is a river in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It flows south west from the Galloway Forest Park to enter the Firth of Clyde at Ballantrae, about south-southeast of Ailsa Craig. It is reputed poet Robert Burns fished the river, ...

File:HorseIsleNearArdrossan(StuartMcMahon)Jun2004.jpg, Horse Isle File:Ayr Beach, Scotland - geograph.org.uk - 16915.jpg, Part of Ayr Beach with the Heads of Ayr in the background File:Boydshillslack2.JPG, Boyd's Hill near Dunlop File:Garnock Water near Glengarnock Castle 2.JPG, The Garnock's Waters near

Glengarnock Castle Glengarnock Castle is one of the ancient ruined fortifications of Ayrshire. Its keep is located on a remote rocky promontory overlooking the River Garnock about north of the town of Kilbirnie in North Ayrshire, Scotland. There is no clear accoun ...

File:View towards Mochrum Hill - geograph.org.uk - 231335.jpg, Mochrum Hill near Kirkoswald File:Lendalfoot from Little Carleton Farm, Lendalfoot, South Ayrshire, Scotland.jpg, Lendalfoot coast, with Ailsa Craig in the distance

History

The area that today forms Ayrshire was part of the area south of the

Antonine Wall The Antonine Wall () was a turf fortification on stone foundations, built by the Romans across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, between the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth. Built some twenty years after Hadrian's Wall to the south ...

which was briefly occupied by the Romans during the reign of Emperor

Antoninus Pius Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius (; ; 19 September 86 – 7 March 161) was Roman emperor from AD 138 to 161. He was the fourth of the Five Good Emperors from the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. Born into a senatorial family, Antoninus held var ...

(see: Roman Britain#Occupation and retreat from southern Scotland). It was inhabited by the Damnonii, who are presumed to have been

Britons British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs modern British citizenship and nationality, w ...

. Later, it formed part of the British

Kingdom of Strathclyde Strathclyde (, "valley of the River Clyde, Clyde"), also known as Cumbria, was a Celtic Britons, Brittonic kingdom in northern Britain during the Scotland in the Middle Ages, Middle Ages. It comprised parts of what is now southern Scotland an ...

, which was incorporated into the

Kingdom of Scotland The Kingdom of Scotland was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, traditionally said to have been founded in 843. Its territories expanded and shrank, but it came to occupy the northern third of the island of Great Britain, sharing a Anglo-Sc ...

during the 11th century. In 1263, the Scots successfully drove off the Norwegian ''

leidang The institution known as ''leiðangr'' (Old Norse), ''leidang'' ( Norwegian), ''leding'' ( Danish), ''ledung'' ( Swedish), ''expeditio'' (Latin) or sometimes lething (English), was a form of conscription ( mass levy) to organize coastal fleets for ...

''-army in a skirmish known as the

Battle of Largs The Battle of Largs (2 October 1263) was a battle between the kingdoms of Kingdom of Norway (872–1397), Norway and Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, on the Firth of Clyde near Largs, Scotland. The conflict formed part of the Scottish–Norwegian ...

A notable historic building in Ayrshire is

Turnberry Castle Turnberry Castle is a fragmentary ruin on the coast of Kirkoswald parish, near Maybole in Ayrshire, Scotland.''Ordnance of Scotland'', ed. Francis H. Groome, 1892-6. Vol.6, p.454 Situated at the extremity of the lower peninsula within the pari ...

, which dates from the 13th century or earlier, and which may have been the birthplace of

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...

. The historic

shire Shire () is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries. It is generally synonymous with county (such as Cheshire and Worcestershire). British counties are among the oldes ...

sheriffdom A sheriffdom is a judicial district in Scotland, led by a sheriff principal. Since 1 January 1975, there have been six sheriffdoms. Each sheriffdom is divided into a series of sheriff court districts, and each sheriff court is presided over by a r ...

of Ayr was divided into three districts or ''bailieries'' which later made up the

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

of Ayrshire. The three districts were: * Carrick in the south. It was situated between the Doon and the wild district of Galloway in the adjoining Stewartries, an area that was little else than a vast tract of hills and mosses. * Kyle in the centre, which included the

royal burgh A royal burgh ( ) was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished by law in 1975, the term is still used by many former royal burghs. Most royal burghs were either created by ...

of Ayr, occupied the central district between the

in the north, and the

in the south and south-west, an area that is quite hilly inland. It was subdivided into "Kyle Stewart", (sometimes called "Stewart Kyle" or "Walter's Kyle") and "King's Kyle," the former embracing the country between the Irvine and the

; and the latter, the triangular portion between the Ayr and the Doon, which is honoured as the birthplace and youthful home of

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...

. *

Cunninghame Cunninghame () is a former History of local government in Scotland#Provinces, comital district of Scotland and also a Local government areas of Scotland 1973 to 1996, district of the Strathclyde Local government areas of Scotland 1973 to 1996, ...

in the north which included the royal burgh of Irvine was that part of the county which lay north of the Irvine water, and was in an area that is generally level and fertile. The area used to be heavily industrialised, with

steel making Steelmaking is the process of producing steel from iron ore and/or scrap. Steel has been made for millennia, and was commercialized on a massive scale in the 1850s and 1860s, using the Bessemer and Siemens-Martin processes. Currently, two majo ...

coal mining Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...

and in Kilmarnock numerous examples of production-line manufacturing, most famously

Johnnie Walker Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky produced by Diageo in Scotland. It was established in the Scottish burgh of Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire in 1820, and continued to be produced and bottled at the town's Hill Street plant, once the world's ...

whisky. In more recent history,

Digital Equipment Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC ), using the trademark Digital, was a major American company in the computer industry from the 1960s to the 1990s. The company was co-founded by Ken Olsen and Harlan Anderson in 1957. Olsen was president unti ...

had a large manufacturing plant near Ayr from about 1976 until the company was taken over by

Compaq Compaq Computer Corporation was an American information technology, information technology company founded in 1982 that developed, sold, and supported computers and related products and services. Compaq produced some of the first IBM PC compati ...

in 1998. Some supplier companies grew up to service this site and the more distant

IBM International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...

plant at

Greenock Greenock (; ; , ) is a town in Inverclyde, Scotland, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The town is the administrative centre of Inverclyde Council. It is a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, and forms ...

. Scotland's aviation industry has long been based in and around

Prestwick Prestwick () is a town in South Ayrshire on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland about southwest of Glasgow. It adjoins the larger town of Ayr to the south on the Firth of Clyde coast, the centre of which is about south, and the small vi ...

and its

international airport An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports, and feature longer runways and have faciliti ...

, and although aircraft manufacture ceased at the former

British Aerospace British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft manufacturer, aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer that was formed in 1977. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. ...

plant in 1998, a significant number of aviation companies are still based on the Prestwick site. However, unemployment in the region (excluding the more rural South Ayrshire) is above the national average. Throughout the 17th century, huge numbers of people from Ayrshire moved to

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

, the northern

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, as part of the

Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster (; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster Scots: ) was the organised Settler colonialism, colonisation (''Plantation (settlement or colony), plantation'') of Ulstera Provinces of Ireland, province of Irelandby people from Great ...

, many of them with surnames such as Burns, Hamilton, Morrow, Stewart, Flanagan, Kennedy and Cunningham. Today, the

Ulster Scots dialect Ulster Scots or Ulster-Scots (), also known as Ulster Scotch and Ullans, is the dialect (whose proponents assert is a dialect of Scots language, Scots) spoken in parts of Ulster, being almost exclusively spoken in parts of Northern Ireland a ...

is largely an offshoot of the version of Lowland Scots spoken in Ayrshire. The

is still widely spoken throughout

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, County Antrim, Antrim, ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, located within the historic Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the c ...

and in parts of

County Down County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 552,261. It borders County Antrim to the ...

and

County Londonderry County Londonderry (Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry (), is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty-two Counties of Ireland, count ...

, as well as still being widely spoken in West

Tír Eoghain Tír Eoghain (), also known as Tyrone, was a kingdom and later earldom of Gaelic Ireland, comprising parts of present-day County Tyrone, County Armagh, County Londonderry and County Donegal (Raphoe). The kingdom represented the core homeland of ...

and parts of

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county of the Republic of Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is the northernmost county of Ireland. The county mostly borders Northern Ireland, sharing only a small b ...

(chiefly East Donegal and

Inishowen Inishowen () is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland. The Inishowen peninsula includes Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head. The Grianan of Aileach, a ringfor ...

Local government

Commissioners of Supply Commissioners of Supply were local administrative bodies in Scotland from 1667 to 1930. Originally established in each sheriffdom to collect tax, they later took on much of the responsibility for the local government of the counties of Scotland. ...

were created in 1667 for each shire, and formed the main administrative body for the area until county councils were created in 1890 under the

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 ( 52 & 53 Vict. c. 50) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which was passed on 26 August 1889. The main effect of the act was to establish elected county councils in Scotland. In this it fol ...

. The 1889 act also led to a review of boundaries of many of Scotland's counties; in the case of Ayrshire the two parishes of

Beith Beith (locally ) is a small town in the Garnock Valley, North Ayrshire, Scotland approximately south-west of Glasgow. The town is situated on the crest of a hill and was known originally as the "''Hill o' Beith''" (hill of the birches) afte ...

and Dunlop, which had both straddled Ayrshire and

, were brought entirely within Ayrshire. The

burgh A burgh ( ) is an Autonomy, autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots language, Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I of Scotland, King David I created ...

s of Ayr and Kilmarnock were both excluded from the area controlled by the county council when it was created in 1890, being deemed capable of running their own services. In 1930 the

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 ( 19 & 20 Geo. 5. c. 25) reorganised local government in Scotland from 1930, introducing joint county councils, large and small burghs and district councils. The Act also abolished the Scottish poor law s ...

was implemented. This brought Ayr and Kilmarnock under the control of the county council, and re-designated all burghs as either

large burghs Large burgh was a type of municipal structure in Scotland, which existed from 1930 to 1975. History When county councils had been established in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, there were 26 burghs which were excluded from ...

or small burghs. Ayr and Kilmarnock were both classed as large burghs, allowing them to retain control of many functions, whilst the county's other burghs were all classed as small burghs, ceding many functions to the county council. The 1929 act also abolished the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

councils. In Ayrshire in excess of 30 parishes were consolidated into ten district councils. The District Councils were Ayr, Cumnock, Dalmellington, Girvan, Irvine, Kilbirnie, Kilmarnock, Maybole, Troon and Saltcoats. Ayrshire County Council was based at County Buildings in Wellington Square in Ayr. In May 1975 the county council was abolished and its functions were transferred to

Strathclyde Regional Council Strathclyde ( in Welsh; in Gaelic, meaning 'strath alleyof the River Clyde') was one of nine former local government regions of Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and abolished in 1996 by the Local Govern ...

. The county area was divided between four new districts within the two-tier

Strathclyde Strathclyde ( in Welsh language, Welsh; in Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic, meaning 'strath

alley An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane, footpath, path, or passageway, often reserved for pedestrians, which usually runs between, behind, or within buildings in towns and cities. It is also a rear access or service road (back lane), or a path, w ...

of the River Clyde') was one of nine former Local government in Scotland, local government Regions and districts of Scotland, regions of Scotland cre ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

Cumnock and Doon Valley Cumnock and Doon Valley () was one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde region of Scotland from 1975 to 1996. History The district was created in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which established a ...

, Kilmarnock and Loudoun and

Kyle and Carrick Kyle or Kyles may refer to: Name * Kyle (given name), a Gaelic given name, usually masculine * Kyle (surname), a surname of Scottish origin * Kyle (musician), a hip hop artist from California * Kyle (Child's Play), played by Christine Elise ...

. The Cunninghame district included the

and

, which had until then been administered as part of the

County of Bute The County of Bute (), also known as Buteshire, is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county of Scotland. Now replaced by Argyll and Bute for the Isle of Bute, with the Argyll and Bute Council. The Isle of Arran and The ...

. For

lieutenancy Lieutenancy may refer to: United Kingdom Places * Lieutenancy area, a separate area appointed a lord-lieutenant, including: **Ceremonial counties of England, formally known as "counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies" **Lieutenancy areas of ...

purposes, the last

lord-lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility o ...

of the county of Ayrshire was made lord-lieutenant for the combined area of the four districts when the reforms came into effect in 1975, with the lieutenancy area being renamed

in 1996. In 1996 the two-tier system of regions and districts was abolished and Ayrshire was divided between the unitary council areas of

(covering the area of the former Kilmarnock & Loudoun District and Cumnock & Doon Valley District),

(covering the area of the former Cunninghame District Council) and

(covering the area of the former Kyle and Carrick District). The boundaries of the historic county of Ayrshire are still used for some limited official purposes connected with land registration, being a

Parliamentary constituencies

There was an Ayrshire constituency of the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

of the

Parliament of Great Britain The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in May 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union 1707, Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. The Acts ratified the treaty of Union which created a ...

from 1708 to 1801 and of the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace ...

from 1801 until 1868, when the constituency was divided into Ayrshire North and Ayrshire South. During the whole of the 1708 to 1868 period, and until 1950, the

s of Ayr and Irvine were

parliamentary burgh In the United Kingdom (UK), each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one member to the House of Commons. Within the United Kingdom there are five bodies with members elected by electoral districts called "constituenc ...

s, represented as components of

Ayr Burghs Ayr Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of Great Britain, House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the Parliamen ...

. In 1832

became a parliamentary burgh, to be represented as a component of Kilmarnock Burghs until 1918. Ayr Burghs and Kilmarnock Burghs were

districts of burghs The Act of Union 1707 and pre-Union Scottish legislation provided for 14 Members of Parliament (MPs) from Scotland to be elected from districts of burghs. All the parliamentary burghs (burghs represented in the pre-Union Parliament of Scotland ...

, and quite different in character from later Ayr and Kilmarnock constituencies. From 1918 to 1983 Ayrshire and

were treated as if a single area for purposes of parliamentary representation, with their combined area being divided into different constituencies at different times. Scottish local government counties were abolished in 1975, in favour of regions and districts, but the next reform of constituency boundaries was not until 1983. Constituencies covering Ayrshire may be listed by periods as below, but the story is somewhat more complicated than the lists may imply: until 1918, Ayr Burghs and Kilmarnock Burghs included burghs lying outside both Ayrshire and Buteshire; a particular constituency name may represent different boundaries in different periods; in 1974, there were boundary changes without the creation of any new constituency names.

Transport

A number of railway lines connect the towns of northern Ayrshire to each other and also to Glasgow, as well as south to

Stranraer Stranraer ( , in Scotland also ; ), also known as The Toon or The Cleyhole, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, on Loch Ryan and the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland. Stranraer is Dumfries ...

and south-east to

Dumfries Dumfries ( ; ; from ) is a market town and former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, near the mouth of the River Nith on the Solway Firth, from the Anglo-Scottish border. Dumfries is the county town of the Counties of Scotland, ...

. Ferries link Ayrshire to the islands of Arran and

Glasgow Prestwick International Airport Glasgow Prestwick Airport (), commonly referred to as Prestwick Airport, is an international airport serving the west of Scotland, situated northeast of the town of Prestwick, and southwest of Glasgow, Scotland. It is the less busy of the two ...

, serving

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

and the west of Scotland more generally, is located away from Glasgow in Ayrshire; it provides various passenger flights to Spain, Portugal, Italy and Poland. The name ''Glasgow'' was added in front of

as per American military airport naming conventions, as the airport was in the past oft-used as a stopover by US military personnel on their way to and from military bases in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. Moreover, it is known in

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

history as the only place in Britain visited by

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

, on his way home from army service in Germany in 1960.

Towns and villages in Ayrshire

Alloway Alloway (, ) is a suburb of Ayr, and former village, in South Ayrshire, Scotland, located on the River Doon. It is best known as the birthplace of Robert Burns and the setting for his poem Tam o' Shanter (Burns poem), "Tam o' Shanter". Tobias Ba ...

Ardrossan Ardrossan (; ) is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in southwestern Scotland. The town has a population of 10,670 and forms part of a conurbation with Saltcoats and Stevenston known as the 'Three Towns#Scotland, Three Towns'. Ardrossan is loca ...

Annbank Annbank is a village in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is around five miles east of Ayr. Originally a mining settlement, it once had a rail link to Ayr via the Auchincruive Waggonway. Amenities The village has a village hall, bakery, shop, bo ...

* Ardeer *

Auchentiber The hamlet of Auchentiber (Scottish Gaelic, ''Achadh an Tiobair'') is in North Ayrshire, Parish of Kilwinning, Scotland. Auchentiber is northeast of Kilwinning on the Lochlibo Road, from the hamlet of Barony and Castle of Giffen, Burnhouse and ...

Auchinleck Auchinleck ( ; ;
) is a village southea ...

Ballantrae Ballantrae is a community in Carrick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Topography The name probably comes from the Scottish Gaelic , meaning the 'town by the beach'.. The beach consists of shingle and sand and offers views of Ailsa Craig, the Isl ...

Barassie Barassie () is a former village on the east shore of the Firth of Clyde in South Ayrshire, Scotland. Today it serves as a suburb outside the northern edge of Troon. To the north-east of Barassie is the Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club, Kilmarnock ...

Barkip Barkip, also known as The Den, is a hamlet in North Ayrshire, Scotland about southwest of Beith on the A737 road to Dalry. The earliest recorded name is 'Blairkip'.

Barr Barr may refer to: Places * Barr (placename element), element of place names meaning 'wooded hill', 'natural barrier' * Barr, Ayrshire, a village in Scotland * Barr Building (Washington, DC), listed on the US National Register of Historic Places ...

* Barrhill *

Barrmill Barrmill is a small village in North Ayrshire, Scotland about east of Beith on the road to Burnhouse and Lugton. Locally it is known as the ''Barr''.Reid, Donald L. (2009). ''Discovering Matthew Anderson. Policeman-Poet of Ayrshire''. Beith : ...

* Bellsbank * Belmont *

Benslie Benslie is a small village in North Ayrshire, in the parish of Kilwinning, Scotland. Map reference NS 336 429. History This village, previously Benislay (1205),Eglinton Country Park archive. Beinslay (Timothy Pont 1604 - 08),Pont, Timothy (1604 ...

Bourtreehill Bourtreehill is a large housing estate built by the Irvine Development Corporation (IDC) in the late 1970s which forms part of the Irvine New Town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. The estate has two main parts, known as Bourtreehill North and Bou ...

Broomlands Broomlands is district of Irvine in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Situated on a series of bends in the River Annick, Broomlands and its original features are now almost lost within the south- Bourtreehill and Broomlands housing scheme. Histo ...

* Burnhouse *

Catrine Catrine is a village in the heart of East Ayrshire in Scotland, which was formerly a centre of cotton manufacture. It had a population of around in . Geography The village lies on the River Ayr which previously provided water power for local ...

* Colmonell *

Coylton Coylton () is a village and civil parish in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is east of Ayr and west of Drongan, on the A70 road, A70. Sundrum Castle Holiday Park is to the west of the village, in the grounds of Sundrum Castle, which partly date ...

* Craigie * Craigmalloch * Cronberry * Crosshill *

Crosshouse Crosshouse is a village in East Ayrshire East Ayrshire (; ) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It shares borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. The headquar ...

Cumnock Cumnock (Scottish Gaelic: ''Cumnag'') is a town and former civil parish located in East Ayrshire, Scotland. The town sits at the confluence of the Glaisnock Water and the Lugar Water. There are three neighbouring housing projects which lie j ...

Cunninghamhead Cunninghamhead is a hamlet on the Annick Water in the Parish of Dreghorn, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The area was part of the old Cunninghamhead estate, and once contained several watermills. Cunninghamhead and the mills on the Annick Water The ...

Dailly Dailly () is a village in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is located on the Water of Girvan, south of Maybole, and east of Old Dailly. "New Dailly", as it was originally known, was laid out in the 1760s as a coal-mining village. In 1849 a fire br ...

* Dalgarven *

* Dalry * Dalrymple *

Darvel Darvel (, ) is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It is at the eastern end of the Loudoun, Irvine Valley and is sometimes referred to as "The Lang Toon" (). The town's Latin motto, , means "Not for ourselves, but for others". History Prehis ...

Doonfoot Doonfoot is a suburb in the south-west of Ayr, South Ayrshire. History The area known as Doonfoot was incorporated as part of the town of Ayr when the former Burgh of Ayr's boundaries were expanded in 1935 to take in the former villages of Al ...

* Drakemyre *

Dreghorn Dreghorn is a village in North Ayrshire, Scotland, east of Irvine town centre, on the old main road from Irvine to Kilmarnock. It is sited on a ridge between two rivers. As archaeological excavations near the village centre have found a signi ...

Drongan Drongan is a former mining village in East Ayrshire East Ayrshire (; ) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It shares borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. ...

Drybridge Drybridge is a small village in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Drybridge is thus named because of the "dry bridge" over the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway, opened in 1812. The nearby "wet bridge" is the Laigh Milton Viaduct, the oldest surviving railw ...

Dundonald Dundonald may refer to: Places Canada * Dundonald, Ontario, Cramahe * Dundonald, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan * Dundonald Park, in Ottawa South Africa * Dundonald, Mpumalanga United Kingdom * Dundonald, County Down, Northern Ireland ** Dundonald ...

* Dunlop *

Dunure Dunure (Scottish Gaelic: ''Dùn Iùbhair'', meaning Yew Hill) is a small village in the South Ayrshire area of Scotland, situated about from Ayr. It is located on the coast of the Firth of Clyde, and is near to Maybole, south of Ayr. The villa ...

* Fairlie * Fenwick *

Fergushill Fergushill is a small community in North Ayrshire, Parish of Kilwinning, Scotland. The Barony of Fergushill was held by the Fergushill family of that Ilk and the area has a complex history. History The Fergushills of that Ilk 'Fergushill' as a ...

Fullarton Fullarton is a small area in Irvine, North Ayrshire. It is situated close to Irvine Bay and is next to several industrial estates, large supermarkets and retail stores and the town centre itself. Stagecoach Western buses operate the local bus ...

* Galston * Gatehead * Gateside * Giffordland *

Girdle Toll Girdle Toll is an area of Irvine, North Ayrshire. Geography Girdle Toll is located east of the Stanecastle Roundabout located next to the Stanecastle Keep. This area of Irvine is from Prestwick Airport and from Glasgow. Nearby is Eglinton Coun ...

Girvan Girvan (, "mouth of the River Girvan") is a burgh and harbour town in Carrick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Girvan is situated on the east coast of the Firth of Clyde, with a population of about 6,450. It lies south of Ayr, and north of St ...

Glenbuck Glenbuck () is a small, remote village in East Ayrshire. It is nestled in the hills east of Muirkirk, East Ayrshire, Scotland. Glenbuck Loch The site of the village was slightly to the north-west of Glenbuck "Loch", on the River Ayr, and w ...

Glengarnock Glengarnock (Gaelic: ''Gleann Gairneig'') is a small village in North Ayrshire that lies near the west coast of Scotland. It forms part of the Garnock Valley area and is about from Glasgow, the nearest city. The Barony of Glengarnock is one o ...

* Greenhills * Hansel * Haugh * Heathfield * Hessilhead hamlet * Highfield *

Hurlford Hurlford is a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland, situated on the outskirts of Kilmarnock, the largest and administrative centre of East Ayrshire and East Ayrshire Council. It has a population of 4,968. Hurlford's former names include Whirlfor ...

* Joppa *

Kilbirnie Kilbirnie () is a small town of 7,280 (as of 2001) inhabitants situated in the Garnock Valley area of North Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland. It is around southwest of Glasgow and approximately from Paisley, Renfrewshire, Paisley and ...

Kilmaurs Kilmaurs () is a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland which lies just outside of the largest settlement in East Ayrshire, Kilmarnock. It lies on the Carmel Water, southwest of Glasgow. Population recorded for the village in the 2001 Census record ...

Kilwinning Kilwinning (, ; ) is a town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is located on the banks of the River Garnock in Ayrshire, west/central Scotland, about southwest of Glasgow. Kilwinning's neighbours are the coastal towns of Stevenston to the west an ...

Kincaidston Kincaidston is a housing scheme in the town of Ayr in South Ayrshire, Scotland. The estate borders Belmont to the north, Alloway to the west and the A77 to the south and east. History The estate was built in the 1970s. It was built by Ky ...

* Kirkmichael * Kirkoswald *Knockentiber *Largs *Lendalfoot *Loans, South Ayrshire, Loans *Logan, East Ayrshire, Logan *Longbar *Lugton *Lugar, East Ayrshire, Lugar *Lylestone *Mauchline *Maidens, South Ayrshire, Maidens *Maybole *Meikle Auchengree *Minishant *Monkton, Ayrshire, Monkton *Moscow, East Ayrshire, Moscow *Montgreenan *Mossblown *Muirkirk *Netherthird *

*Newmilns *Ochiltree *Old Dailly *Patna, East Ayrshire, Patna *Pinmore *Pinwherry *Polnessan *Portencross *

*Priestland *Rankinston *Riccarton, Ayrshire, Riccarton *Saltcoats *Seafield, Ayr, Seafield *Seamill *Skelmorlie *Sorn, East Ayrshire, Sorn *Springside, Ayrshire, Springside *Stair, East Ayrshire, Stair *Stevenston *Stewarton *Straiton *Symington, South Ayrshire, Symington *Tarbolton *Torranyard *Trabboch *Troon *Turnberry, Ayrshire, Turnberry *Waterside, East Ayrshire, Waterside *West Kilbride

Places of interest

*Auchenharvie Castle *Barony and Castle of Giffen *Cleeves Cove *Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park *Corsehill, Lainshaw, Robertland and Dunlop, Corsehill *Culzean Castle *Dalgarven Mill – Museum of Ayrshire Country Life and Costume *Dean Castle -

*Eglinton Country Park *Laigh Milton Viaduct, Laigh Milton viaduct *Thurgartstone *Ayr Seafront Playpark *Burns National Heritage Park *The Low Green, Ayr *Turnberry (golf course)

People from Ayrshire

* Hew Ainslie (1792–1878), poet * Nicola Benedetti (1987–), classical violinist born in West Kilbride * Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, Thomas Brisbane (1773–1860), soldier and colonial administrator, after whom the city of Brisbane, Queensland, Brisbane is named. Born in Largs. * John Boyd Orr (1880–1971), Nobel Peace Prize winner, born in

. * George Douglas Brown (1869–1902), novelist, best known for ''The House with the Green Shutters'', born in Ochiltree *

(1274–1329), possibly born in

(1759–1796), poet, born in

* Kenneth Campbell (soldier), Kenneth Campbell (1917–1941), RAF pilot and posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross, born in

* James Clark (New Zealand), James McCosh Clark (1833–1898), mayor of Auckland, born in

* Robert Craufurd (1764–1812), British major general * John Boyd Dunlop, John Dunlop (1840–1921), inventor of the pneumatic tyre, born in

* Robert Dunsmuir (1825–1889), coal baron and industrial capitalist on Vancouver Island, Canada * Henry Faulds (1843–1930), doctor, missionary and scientist, born in

* Andrew Fisher (1862–1928), 5th Prime Minister of Australia (1908–1909, 1910–1913 and 1914–1915) * Alexander Fleming, Sir Alexander Fleming (1881–1955), inventor/discoverer of penicillin, born in

* John Galt (novelist), John Galt (1779–1839), author * Colin Hay (1953–), singer and former lead-singer of Australian band Men At Work, born in Saltcoats * Air Chief Marshal (Australia), Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston (1947–), current Chief of the Defence Force (Australia), Australian Chief of Defence Force * George Houston (artist), George Houston (1869–1947), landscape painter of Scottish locales, born in Dalry * Tom Hunter (1961–), entrepreneur and philanthropist * Jenny Lindsay (1982–), poet * The MacDonald Brothers, recording artists and contestants on ''The X Factor (UK series 3), The X Factor'' * Sir James MacMillan (1959–), classical composer and conductor * John Loudon McAdam, John McAdam (1756–1836), engineer and inventor of macadam * James McCosh (1811–1894), philosopher of the Scottish School of Common Sense and president of what would become Princeton University * Jai McDowall (1986–), winner of ''Britain's Got Talent'' in 2011 * Hugh McIlvanney (1934–2019), sports journalist, born in

* William McIlvanney (1936–2015), writer, born in

* Tom McKillop, Sir Thomas McKillop, (1943–) CEO of AstraZeneca, born in

* James Henry McLean (1806–1886), physician and United States Congressman from Missouri * Colin Mochrie (1957–), improvisational comedian and actor best known for being in ''Whose Line Is It Anyway? (U.S. TV series), Whose Line Is It Anyway?'', born in

* William Murdoch (1754–1839), inventor of gas lighting and engineer * Simon Neil (1979–), James Johnston (Scottish musician), James Johnston (1980–), and Ben Johnston (Scottish musician), Ben Johnston (1980–) of Biffy Clyro * Bruce M. Nicol, Bruce Milligan Nicol, OBE (1913–1987), physician and nutrition scientist * Alexander Peden (1626–1686), leading figure in the Covenanters, Covenanter movement * Robert Simson (1687–1768), mathematician and professor of mathematics for 50 years * Elaine Smith (actress), Elaine Smith (1962–), former actress who emigrated to Australia and found fame on television series ''Neighbours'' in 1985 as original character Daphne Clarke. * Nicola Sturgeon (1970–), former First Minister of Scotland, born in

Sports

* Piper Niven, Kimberly Benson (1991–), professional wrestler best known as Piper Niven and for her work in WWE and Insane Championship Wrestling, ICW * Kris Boyd (1983–), footballer, born in

* Kirk Broadfoot (1984–), footballer, born in

* Craig Burley (1971–), footballer, born in

* George Burley (1956–), football manager and former player, born in

* Paul Caddis (1988–), football manager and former player, born in

* Eric Caldow (1934–2019), footballer, born in

* Steve Clarke (1963–), football manager and former player, born in Saltcoats * Paul Clarke (Scottish footballer), Paul Clarke (1956–), footballer, born in

* Neill Collins (1983–), football manager and former player, born in Troon * Craig Conway (footballer), Craig Conway (1985–), footballer, born in

* Elsie Cook (1947–), footballer and former secretary of Scottish Women’s Football Association, Scottish Women’s FA, born in Stewarton * Erin Cuthbert (1998–), footballer, born in

* Noam Dar (1993–), professional wrestler signed to WWE performing on the NXT UK and 205 Live brands * Ben Doak (2005–), footballer, born in Dalry * Billy Dodds (1969–), football manager and former player, born in

* Kris Doolan (1986–), football manager and former player, born in

* Julie Fleeting (1980–), footballer, born in

* Alan Forrest (1996–), footballer, born in

* James Forrest (footballer, born 1991), James Forrest (1991–), footballer, born in

* Drew McIntyre, Drew Galloway (1985–), professional wrestler who performs on WWE's WWE SmackDown, Smackdown brand as Drew McIntyre * Billy Gilmour (2001–), footballer, born in

* Jamie Hamill (1986–), football manager and former player, born in

* Garry Hay (1977–), footballer, born in

* Jack Hendry (footballer, born 1995), Jack Hendry (1995–), footballer, raised in

* Gary Holt (footballer), Gary Holt (1973–), football manager and former player, born in

* Bobby Lennox (1943–), footballer, born in Saltcoats * Lou Macari (1949–), football manager and former player, raised in Largs * Robby McCrorie (1998–), footballer, born in

* Ross McCrorie (1998–), footballer, born in

* Alan McInally (1963–), footballer, born in

* Rory McKenzie (1993–), footballer, born in

* Gordon McQueen (1952–2023), footballer, born in

* Steven Naismith (1986–), football manager and former player, born in

* Jamie Ness (1991–), footballer, born in

* Steve Nicol (1961–), footballer, born in

* Graeme Obree (1965–), cyclist, raised in

* Jemma Reekie (1998–), middle-distance runner, raised in

* Rose Reilly (1955–), footballer, born in

* Craig Samson (1984–), footballer, born in

* Bill Shankly (1913–1981), football (soccer), football manager, born in

* Bob Shankly (1910–1982) football (soccer), football manager, born in

* Ryan Stevenson (footballer), Ryan Stevenson (1984–), football manager and former player, born in

* Ross Stewart (footballer, born 1996), Ross Stewart (1996–), footballer, born in

* Gordon Smith (footballer, born December 1954), Gordon Smith (1954–), footballer, born in

* Sam Torrance (1953–), professional golfer, born in Largs * David Watson (footballer, born 2005), David Watson (2005–), footballer, born in

References

External links

South Ayrshire Council

Ayrshire & Arran Tourist Board

Place-Names of the Coalfield Communities
{{coord, 55, 30, N, 4, 30, W, region:GB_type:adm2nd_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title Ayrshire, Counties of Scotland Counties of the United Kingdom (1801–1922)