Scottish Tour Guide's Blog

Beach at Ayr, Scotland

This evening, my focus is on the pleasant and prosperous town of Ayr which lies about 1 hour south of Glasgow.  The town is named after the river of same name which in Gaelic is Inbhir air meaning ‘Ayr mouth’ whilst the root word may mean something like ‘watercourse’. Some of the attractions and sites in and around Ayr include:

• Ayr Racecourse. With a history dating back to the 18th century, Ayr Racecourse is Scotland’s premier horse racing venue and the only one at which all of the country’s top meetings are held.
• The children oriented Heads of Ayr Farm Park.
• The 100 mile Ayrshire Coastal Path which encompasses cliff-top and beach walks plus sea panoramas.
• Golf: Royal Troon and Turnberry are two Championship courses in the vicinity.
• Culzean Castle and Country Park. The 18th century house was designed by Robert Adam and  occupies a stunning location overlooking the Firth of Forth.
• Drumlanrig Castle which is home to the internationally renowned Buccleuch Art Collection.
• Loudon Hill, a popular spot affording beautiful views over Ayrshire to the Firth of Clyde. Popular with walkers, climbers and day trippers.
• Dean Castle country Park. The castle dates from the 14th century.
• Dundonald Castle.
• Robert Burns birthplace and associated sites at Alloway. These include the new Birthplace Museum.
• Dumfries House which contains and exceptional range of original furniture by Thomas Chippendale.
• Sandy beaches
• Good shopping facilities

River Ayr entering Firth of Clyde, Ayr

Robert Burns connected pub.

Tam o Shanter Inn, Ayr, Scotland

High Street, Ayr, Scotland

Carnegie Library, Ayr, Scotland

Overall, Ayr has much to offer the visitor and  could serve as a good base for touring the local area.

This morning group was collected from Argyll Hotel Glasgow and then proceeded as follows:

First to Alloway through rolling dairy and arable farming country south of Glasgow. Here we visited Burns Cottage, built by Robert’s father, William Burnes in 1757 and where the famous poet was born on Jan 25th 1759.

Burns Cottage, Alloway, Scotland

Inside Burns Cottage, Alloway, Scotland

Next to the Auld Brig O’Doon (bridge) which was made famous as the setting for Tam O’Shanter’s mare Meg. The Brig straddles the River Doon and complements the beautiful setting.

En-route we stopped for a photo shoot.

Wee cowrin tim'rous beastie with admirers at Alloway

Brig o Doon, Alloway, Scotland

Tour Group at Brig o Doon, Alloway

Next to the immaculately maintained Burns Monument designed the Grecian style and dating from 1823. Inside is a statue house containing figures of well known Burns characters.

Burns Monument, Alloway, Scotland

Next to the Auld Kirk which was setting for the very popular poem ‘Tam O’Shanter’ which featured witches and warlocks. In the grounds can be found the burial place of Burns’ father.

Auld Kirk, Alloway, Scotland

William Burns and Agnes Brown Grave Marker, Alloway

Next to the impressive new Visitor Centre which uses modern technology to bring together the story and writings of Burns.

After completing our visit to Alloway we drove to the interesting and historic coastal town of Ayr where we had and enjoyable lunch at the Tam O’ Shanter pub and then spent and hour or so exploring the busy town and shops.

Ayr High Street, Scotland

Tour Group at Tam o Shanter Pub, Ayr

Finally, we paid a brief visit to the beach at Ayr and then returned to Glasgow, arriving about 5.00pm.

Sandy Beach at Ayr, Scotland

Extracting Guest from Beach at Ayr, Scotland

Our trip today was aided by dry weather.

Old High Kirk, Kilmarnock, Scotland

 The town has a popular football (soccer) club which is a member of the Premier League, a grouping of Scotland’s top-ranked teams. 

Kilmarnock Football Club, Kilmarnock, Scotland

Overall, Kilmarnock has some interesting architecture to supplement its industrial history.

Elsewhere today, I have been working on various tour enquiries including self-drive.