Ayrshire facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ayrshire Siorrachd Inbhir Àir  (Scottish Gaelic)
Historic county
Country	Scotland
County town	Ayr
Area
• Total	1,129 sq mi (2,924 km2)
	Ranked 7th of 34
Chapman code	AYR

Ayrshire (Scottish Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir) is a historic area in south-west Scotland. It sits right on the coast of the Firth of Clyde. Today, it's known as a registration county.

The area called Ayrshire and Arran includes all of historic Ayrshire. It also covers the island of Arran. The main towns here are Ayr, Kilmarnock, and Irvine. Ayrshire shares borders with other Scottish counties. These include Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire, Dumfriesshire, Kirkcudbrightshire, and Wigtownshire.

Ayrshire no longer has its own government. Instead, it is split into three smaller areas. These are East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, and South Ayrshire. About 366,800 people live in Ayrshire. The biggest town is Kilmarnock, followed closely by Ayr. Ayr is also the main town of the historic county.

Exploring Ayrshire's Landscape

Ayrshire has a shape like a crescent moon. It is mostly flat with some low hills. This area is part of Scotland's Southern Uplands. The northern part of Ayrshire has most of the towns and people. East of Largs, you can find the Renfrewshire Heights. These hills continue south towards Blae Loch.

Southern Ayrshire shares some rough hills with the Galloway region. These are called the Galloway Hills. They stretch from Loch Doon almost to the Solway Firth. East of these are the Carsphairn and Scaur Hills. These are near Dalmellington and New Cumnock.

Ayrshire is one of Scotland's best farming areas. Farmers grow potatoes near the coast. They use special fertiliser made from seaweed. The region also produces pork, other root vegetables, and cattle. In summer, lots of strawberries and other berries grow here.

A few small islands in the Firth of Clyde belong to Ayrshire. The most important ones are Horse Isle, Lady Isle, and Ailsa Craig.

Rivers of Ayrshire

Several main rivers flow into the Clyde coast. They are listed from north to south:

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  Horse Isle, a small island near Ardrossan.

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  A view of Ayr Beach with the Heads of Ayr in the distance.

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  Boyd's Hill, a low hill near Dunlop.

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  The Garnock Water flowing near the ruins of Glengarnock Castle.

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  Mochrum Hill, located near Kirkoswald.

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  The Lendalfoot coast, with the island of Ailsa Craig far away.

Ayrshire's Past

The area we call Ayrshire today was once part of a region south of the Antonine Wall. The Romans briefly took control of it. This happened when Emperor Antoninus Pius was in charge. The Damnonii people lived here then. They were likely Britons.

Later, Ayrshire was part of the British Kingdom of Strathclyde. This kingdom joined the Kingdom of Scotland in the 11th century. In 1263, Scottish forces successfully fought off a Norwegian army. This fight was called the Battle of Largs.

The old ruins of Turnberry Castle.

A famous old building in Ayrshire is Turnberry Castle. It was built in the 13th century or even earlier. Some people believe Robert the Bruce was born there.

The historic area of Ayr was split into three main parts. These parts later formed the county of Ayrshire. The three areas were:

• Carrick in the south. This area was mostly hills and marshland.
• Kyle in the middle. This included the town of Ayr. It was between the River Irvine and the River Doon. Kyle was divided into "Kyle Stewart" and "King's Kyle." The famous poet Robert Burns grew up in King's Kyle.
• Cunninghame in the north. This area included the town of Irvine. It was generally flat and good for farming.

Ayrshire used to have a lot of factories and industries. There was steel making and coal mining. Kilmarnock was famous for making things on production-lines. One well-known product was Johnnie Walker whisky. In the past, Digital Equipment had a big factory near Ayr. Scotland's aviation (airplane) industry has been based around Prestwick for a long time. Prestwick International Airport is still important today. Even though airplane making stopped there in 1998, many aviation companies are still based at Prestwick.

During the 1600s, many people from Ayrshire moved to Ulster in Ireland. This was part of the Plantation of Ulster. Many families with names like Burns and Hamilton moved there. Today, the Ulster Scots dialect is similar to the Lowland Scots spoken in Ayrshire. This dialect is still common in parts of Northern Ireland.

Getting Around Ayrshire

A sign welcoming visitors to Ayrshire on the A77 road.

Many railway lines connect the towns in northern Ayrshire. They also link to Glasgow. You can also travel south to Stranraer and south-east to Dumfries by train.

Ferries connect Ayrshire to the islands of Arran and Great Cumbrae. These islands are part of Buteshire.

Glasgow Prestwick International Airport is in Ayrshire. It's about 32 miles (51 km) from Glasgow. This airport offers flights to places like Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Poland. The name "Glasgow" was added because the airport was often used by US military. It's also famous in rock history. Elvis Presley visited Britain only once, and it was at Prestwick. He stopped there in 1960 on his way home from army service.

Towns and Villages in Ayrshire

Ayr, the main town of Ayrshire, seen from above.

The town centre of Cumnock.

A street view in Darvel.

Kilmarnock Train Station.

A mini-roundabout in Kilmaurs.

The town of Largs on the coast.

The River Doon flowing through Patna.

Fun Places to Visit in Ayrshire

Famous People from Ayrshire

Many notable people have come from Ayrshire, including:

• Nicola Benedetti (born 1987), a famous classical violinist.
• Sir Thomas Brisbane (1773–1860), a soldier and leader. The city of Brisbane in Australia is named after him.
• John Boyd Orr (1880–1971), who won the Nobel Peace Prize.
• Robert the Bruce (1274–1329), a Scottish king, possibly born at Turnberry Castle.
• Robert Burns (1759–1796), Scotland's national poet.
• John Dunlop (1840–1921), who invented the pneumatic tyre (air-filled tire).
• Sir Alexander Fleming (1881–1955), who discovered penicillin, a life-saving medicine.
• Colin Hay (born 1953), singer for the band Men At Work.
• John McAdam (1756–1836), an engineer who invented macadam road surfacing.
• Colin Mochrie (born 1957), a comedian from Whose Line Is It Anyway?.
• William Murdoch (1754–1839), who invented gas lighting.
• The band Biffy Clyro members: Simon Neil, James Johnston, and Ben Johnston.
• Nicola Sturgeon (born 1970), a former First Minister of Scotland.

Sports Stars from Ayrshire

Ayrshire has also produced many talented athletes:

• Kimberly Benson (born 1991), a professional wrestler.
• Kris Boyd (born 1983), a footballer.
• Craig Burley (born 1971), a footballer.
• Steve Clarke (born 1963), a football manager and former player.
• Erin Cuthbert (born 1998), a female footballer.
• Drew Galloway (born 1985), a professional wrestler.
• Billy Gilmour (born 2001), a footballer.
• James Forrest (born 1991), a footballer.
• Bobby Lennox (born 1943), a famous footballer.
• Lou Macari (born 1949), a football manager and former player.
• Gordon McQueen (1952–2023), a footballer.
• Steven Naismith (born 1986), a football manager and former player.
• Graeme Obree (born 1965), a cyclist.
• Rose Reilly (born 1955), a female footballer.
• Bill Shankly (1913–1981), a legendary football manager.
• Sam Torrance (born 1953), a professional golfer.

See also

In Spanish: Ayrshire para niños