Ayr

Ayr (Scottish Gaelic, Inbhir Àir) in the south-west of Scotland is a town situated on the Firth of Clyde. It was a royal burgh from 1205 until 1975 and the county town of the former county of Ayrshire. Ayr is the administrative centre for South Ayrshire Council. The town's population registered in the 2001 Census was 46,431. In 2002, it was one of four Scottish towns competing for city status to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee, but it lost to Stirling.^[1]

To the north of Ayr is the adjoining town of Prestwick, famous for its golf and its aviation industry, thanks to the presence of Glasgow Prestwick International Airport. Other neighbouring places include Alloway, known for its associations with the poet Robert Burns. To the south is a Haven (formerly Butlins) holiday camp, and the fishing village of Dunure, where there is a ruined castle formerly owned by the Kennedy family.

History

In 1197 a castle was built by the River Ayr. Shortly afterwards, in 1205, King William the Lion created a burgh at Ayr. On April 26, 1315, the first Parliament of Scotland was held in Ayr by Robert The Bruce at St.John's Tower by the sea. It was once known as 'Inverair/Inverayr' and this usage is still retained in the Scottish Gaelic form of the name Inbhir Air.

Later, during Cromwellian times, the town was used as a base and fortress for some of his men. Cromwell built a huge wall around certain areas of the town, most of which can still be seen today. St John's Tower, in that area, was originally part of a massive church, but the church was knocked down, and the tower was used to practice on, and is now protected by the 'Friends Of Saint Johns Tower' (FROST) residents of the 'Fort Area' nearby.

Education

Secondary Education

• Ayr Academy[1] - one of the oldest schools in Scotland.
• Prestwick Academy -
• Belmont Academy
• Kyle Academy
• Mainholm Academy - On the 24 November 2006 it was revealed that Mainholm would be closed permanently for safety reasons. Pupils have been relocated to Ayr, Kyle, Belmont, and Queen Margaret academies.
• Queen Margaret Academy - the only catholic school in Ayr.

Pupils living in North Ayr have a choice between Mainholm Academy and Prestwick Academy.

Wellington School is an independent day school in the Seafield area of Ayr. The school opened in 1836 providing private education for girls. As of 1994, Wellington has welcomed male and female pupils. It is the only independent school in Ayrshire.

Further Education

Ayr College, formerly named Ayr Technical College provides further and higher education courses to the people of Ayrshire and beyond. SQA courses are available in a large variety of areas such as Mathematics and Computing, Social Sciences and practical subjects.

Higher Education

Ayr has two university campuses:

• University Campus Ayr - part of the University of Paisley. This campus provides courses in Education, Nursing and Midwifery, Business, Media and Music.
• Auchincruive - part of the Scottish Agricultural College. This campus provides courses in Agriculture.

Health

Ayr's NHS trust is Ayrshire and Arran which serves South, East and North Ayrshire. Part of Ayrshire and Arran's departmental headquarters is based in Ayr. Ayr used to have four NHS hospitals: Heathfield Hospital, Seafield Hospital and Ayr County. It was then decided to build a hospital on the outskirts of Ayr called Ayr Hospital. Ayr Hospital opened in 1993. All the current hospitals are on the same road, next to each other.

Ayr currently has three hospitals:

• Ayr Hospital - general hospital, on 4 October 2006 Ayrshire & Arran healthboard revealed the A&E department would be closed.
• Ailsa Hospital - mental health hospital
• The Abbey Carrick Glen Hospital - private hospital

Further along the same road is Hollybush House, used by a charity for the Mental Health welfare of ex-members of the UK Armed Forces.

Leisure

Leisure and activity centres

Ayr only has one leisure centre, this being the Citadel, which opened in 1997, located at the mouth of the River Ayr and at the seafront at the South Harbour area. Its facilities include a main hall measuring 34 x 27 m. This hall can accommodate various sports including 5-a-side football, basketball, volleyball, netball, indoor hockey, indoor cricket practice, badminton and short tennis. As well as individual sports, sporting events and competitions, the hall has also hosted exhibitions, concerts, trade fairs, election counts and awards ceremonies. The Citadel is an expansion of the Ayr swimming pool, which opened in 1972.

The Citadel features a Dance Studio approx 124 m². It is predominantly used for dance or exercise classes but also accommodates martial arts groups and drama workshops and two glass backed squash courts.

Whitletts Activity Centre also serves the town of Ayr. It has an 11-a side outdoor soccer pitch and an indoor 5-a-side football pitch.

Near whitletts activity centre there is a 5-a-side football complex called 'Shoot super soccer'

Libraries

Ayr has four libraries plus a mobile library. The main library in Ayr and South Ayrshire is the Carnegie Library beside the River Ayr. The other libraries are:

• Alloway Library
• Carnegie Library
• Forehill Library
• John Pollok Library

North Ayr also has connections for Prestwick Library.

Sport

Ayr Racecourse is a well known racecourse in Scotland, whose events include the Scottish Grand National (April) and Ayr Gold Cup (September). The town also has a senior football (soccer) team, Ayr United F.C., playing at Somerset Park. They reached the final of the 2001-2002 Scottish League Cup competition. Ayr also has a rugby union team, Ayr RFC, playing at Millbrae. Ayr Curling Club play at the curling rink in Limekiln Road

The Citadel Leisure Centre in Ayr is also the home to South Ayrshire Volleyball Club as well as being the town's only public swimming pool and diving pool. The leisure cente also has squash courts, a gymnasia, dance studio, cafeteria and adjacent salons and youth club. The Citadel Leisure Centre is adjacent to the site of the old Ayr Citadel a fort built to defend the old town.

Transport

Ayr has three main roads serving the town

• A79 — main road running through Ayr and linking Ayr with Prestwick and its airport.
• A77(M77) — Ayr by-pass stretching from Glasgow to Stranraer.
• A70 — running from Ayr to Edinburgh.

Ayr railway station has services to Glasgow Central station with a half-hourly service except on Sundays. These services are operated by First Scotrail. The town also has air links to European cities from Glasgow Prestwick International Airport just located two miles from Ayr. The town also has bus connections spread all of the town and Prestwick. These services are operated by Stagecoach West Scotland. The town has 8 local services.

Areas of Ayr

• Alloway
• Belmont
• Castlehill
• Craigie
• Dalmilling
• Doonfoot
• Forehill
• Heathfield
• Holmston
• Kincaidston
• Seafield
• Whitletts
• Woodfield

Images

Constituency

The Westminster constituency of Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock is currently held by the Labour Party, the Member of Parliament being Sandra Osborne. From 1950 to 1997 it was a Conservative seat, the Member of Parliament for most of this period having been George Younger, who represented the constituency from 1964 to 1992.

See also

• Ayr (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Notable people from Ayr

• William D. Brackenridge, (1810-1893), born in Ayr, noted botanist. ^[2]
• Robert Burns, (1759-1796), Scotland's National Bard - Poet and Writer of songs - e.g. Auld Lang Syne
• Sydney Devine, Singer
• Karen Dunbar, Comedienne
• William Maclure, (1763-1840), born in Ayr, noted geologist, made first geological map of the United States and was a president of the American Geological Society.^[2]
• Rhona Martin, Skip of the Olympic gold curling team
• Alan McInally, former footballer and now TV pundit.
• Stuart Murdoch, Singer-songwriter of Belle & Sebastian
• Simon Neil Guitarist and frontman of Biffy Clyro
• Sir John Wallace of Craigie, Sheriff of Ayr and hero of the Battle of Sark.
• Sir David Murray, Rangers F.C. Chairman
• John Loudon McAdam, (1756-1836), Inventor of Tarmacadam road surface

Town Twinning

• Saint-Germain-en-Laye

References

See also

• Good Shepherd Cathedral, Ayr