The River Ayr (pronounced like ''air'', ''Uisge Àir'' in

Gaelic Gaelic (pronounced for Irish Gaelic and for Scots Gaelic) is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". It may refer to: Languages * Gaelic languages or Goidelic languages, a linguistic group that is one of the two branches of the Insul ...

) is a river in

Ayrshire Ayrshire (, ) is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county, in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. The lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area of Ayrshire and Arran covers the entirety ...

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 ...

. 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 horse burials have been found along its banks, mainly concentrated around the town of Ayr.

Etymology

The name ''Ayr'' may come from a pre-Celtic word meaning "watercourse". ''Ayr'' could also be of Brittonic derivation, perhaps from the element ''*ar'', an ancient river-name element implying horizontal movement. The town of Ayr was formerly known as ''Inver Ayr'' meaning "mouth of the Ayr" (see Inver), but this was later shortened to just ''Ayr''.

Geography

The River Ayr has a

catchment area A catchment area in human geography, is the area from which a location, such as a city, service or institution, attracts a population that uses its services and economic opportunities. Catchment areas may be defined based on from where people are ...

of . The river originates at Glenbuck Loch 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 headquarters of the council are located on London Roa ...

, close to the border with

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 ...

. It winds its way through East 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 ...

to its

mouth A mouth also referred to as the oral is the body orifice through which many animals ingest food and animal communication#Auditory, vocalize. The body cavity immediately behind the mouth opening, known as the oral cavity (or in Latin), is also t ...

at the town of Ayr, where it empties into 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 ...

. On its way, the river passes through the villages of Muirkirk, Sorn, Catrine, Failford,

Stair Stairs are a structure designed to bridge a large vertical distance between lower and higher levels by dividing it into smaller vertical distances. This is achieved as a diagonal series of horizontal platforms called steps which enable passage ...

and Annbank, as well as passing the location of (the now ruined)

Ayr Castle Ayr Castle was a castle situated at Ayr in Scotland. Once considered a royal castle, nothing remains of it above ground. History In 1197, the castle was built by King William I of Scotland, William the Lion of Scotland, who later in 1205 creat ...

. The largest settlements being Ayr, Cumnock, Catrine,

Ochiltree Ochiltree is a conservation village in East Ayrshire, Scotland, near Auchinleck and Cumnock. It is one of the oldest villages in East Ayrshire, with archaeological remains indicating Stone Age and Bronze Age settlers. A cinerary urn was found i ...

, Muirkirk and Sorn. Major land uses within the catchment area are

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

, leisure and recreation and urban development.

Tributaries

Principal tributaries include: * Greenock Water * Lugar Water * Water of Fail * Water of Coyle.

River Ayr Way

Many practitioners of hillwalking and other related activities are probably aware that the river is pathed for upwards of 90% of its length. Due to disputes with estate owners and weather damage, the walk does temporarily abandon the river in a couple of locations. The path begins in the former village of Glenbuck, now a casualty of opencast mining and general industry decline. It follows the river from its source at Glenbuck Loch and ends at the coastal town of Ayr, where the river empties into the ocean at the

. Typically the walk is done in 2 or 3 stages.

References

External links

* Wallace's Heel Well
Video footage of Wallace's Heel Well

Icebergs on the River Ayr at Failford

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