South Ayrshire is a council area on the Firth of Clyde coast in south-west Scotland. It covers 1,222 square kilometres (472 sq mi) and had a population of 111,519 at the 2022 census. Ayr is the largest town and the seat of South Ayrshire Council.
The council area was created in 1996 from the Kyle and Carrick district. It takes in the southern half of the historic county of Ayrshire, from Troon down the coast to Ballantrae and inland to the Galloway hills.
| Country | Scotland, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Status | Council area, created 1996 |
| Area | 1,222 km2 (472 sq mi) |
| Population (2022) | 111,519 |
| Population (2011) | 112,799 |
| Largest town | Ayr |
| Administrative centre | Ayr |
| Council | South Ayrshire Council |
| Historic districts | Kyle and Carrick |
| Postcode areas | KA5 to KA9, KA19 and KA26 |
Towns and Villages in South Ayrshire
South Ayrshire has 69 named towns and villages. Four coastal towns, Ayr, Troon, Prestwick and Girvan, hold most of the population. Inland the settlements are farming villages of a few hundred people, thinning out sharply south of Maybole into the Carrick uplands.
- Alloway
- Alton Albany
- Annbank
- Ayr
- Balkissock
- Ballantrae
- Barassie
- Barbieston
- Bargany
- Barr
- Barrhill
- Bogend
- Breek
- Collennan
- Colmonell
- Coodham
- Coylton
- Craigie
- Crosshill
- Culroy
- Dailly
- Daljarrock
- Dipple
- Doularg
- Dundonald
- Dunure
- Failford
- Fisherton
- Garleffin
- Girvan
- Hansel Village
- Heronsford
- Hillhead
- Joppa
- Kilgrammie
- Kilkerran
- Kirkmichael
- Kirkoswald
- Knockdon
- Knockytoul
- Lagg
- Lendalfoot
- Loans
- Maidens
- Maybole
- Minishant
- Monkton
- Mossblown
- New Prestwick
- Old Dailly
- Pinmore
- Pinwherry
- Poundland
- Prestwick
- Redrea
- Roan of Craigoch
- Rowantree
- Ruglen
- Smyrton
- St Quivox
- Straiton
- Sundrum
- Symington
- Tarbolton
- Townhead
- Troon
- Turnberry
- Wallacetown
- Whitletts
Geography
The council area faces west across the Firth of Clyde, with Arran and the Kintyre peninsula on the skyline and the granite dome of Ailsa Craig ten miles offshore. The coastline runs about 50 miles from Troon to the mouth of the Stinchar at Ballantrae.
Three rivers cross it: the Ayr from the east, the Doon out of Loch Doon, and the Girvan and Stinchar draining Carrick. North of the Doon the land is flat, fertile dairy country; south of Maybole it climbs into rough grazing and forestry that runs into the Galloway Forest Park.
Neighbours are North Ayrshire to the north, East Ayrshire to the east, and Dumfries and Galloway to the south.
Demographics
The 2022 census counted 111,519 residents, down 1,280 on 2011. Density is about 91 people per square kilometre, and the distribution is lopsided: the Ayr, Prestwick and Troon strip holds roughly two-thirds of the population on under a fifth of the land.
South Ayrshire has one of the oldest age profiles in mainland Scotland, a result of long-standing retirement migration to the coast and of younger residents moving to Glasgow for work. Carrick’s rural parishes have lost population steadily.
Economy and Local Life
Farming remains substantial, with dairy herds on the coastal plain, beef and sheep in Carrick, and early potatoes grown on the light soils around Girvan. William Grant and Sons runs a large grain distillery at Girvan, which also supports a fishing fleet.
Glasgow Prestwick Airport carries freight and holiday flights and anchors an aerospace cluster of maintenance and component firms employing several thousand people. Golf is a serious industry in its own right: Prestwick hosted the first Open Championship in 1860, and Royal Troon and Turnberry remain on the championship circuit. Tourism, retail and public administration in Ayr fill out the rest.
History
Ayr was made a royal burgh by William the Lion in 1205 and has been the county town ever since. Turnberry Castle on the Carrick coast is associated with Robert the Bruce, whose mother was Countess of Carrick.
Robert Burns was born in a clay cottage at Alloway in 1759, and the village now holds the Burns Birthplace Museum, Alloway Auld Kirk and the Brig o’ Doon that end “Tam o’ Shanter”. Culzean Castle, remodelled by Robert Adam in the 1770s, passed to the National Trust for Scotland in 1945. Prestwick’s airfield opened in 1935 and became a transatlantic staging post during the Second World War.
Getting There
The A77 is the main road, running from the M77 at Glasgow through Ayr and Girvan to the ferry port at Cairnryan. The A70 comes in from Cumnock and Edinburgh, the A719 follows the coast, and the A713 heads south-east for Castle Douglas.
The Ayrshire Coast Line serves Troon, Prestwick Town, Prestwick International Airport and Ayr, with trains continuing to Maybole and Girvan on the Stranraer route. Journey time from Glasgow Central to Ayr is about 55 minutes. Glasgow Prestwick Airport has its own station connected to the terminal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of South Ayrshire?
111,519 at the 2022 census, down 1,280 on 2011.
What is the largest town in South Ayrshire?
Ayr. Troon, Prestwick, Girvan and Maybole follow.
How many towns and villages are there?
69 named settlements are on record across the council area.
Where was Robert Burns born?
At Alloway, now a southern suburb of Ayr, in January 1759.
Which council covers Ayr and Troon?
South Ayrshire Council, based in Ayr. North Ayrshire covers Irvine and Arran; East Ayrshire covers Kilmarnock and Cumnock.
What postcodes cover South Ayrshire?
KA6 to KA9 around Ayr, Prestwick and Troon, KA5 at the eastern edge, KA19 for Maybole and KA26 for Girvan.