Scotland4me.net
'Out
and About'
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| Scotland4me.net
| 'Out
and About' |
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| 'Ayrshire'
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Ayr is the largest Clyde Coast holiday town, it is situated in the very middle of the famous Firth of Clyde playground, thirty two miles South West of Glasgow. It looks out on the glorious panorama of the Firth with the majestic peaks of Arran in the foreground and the Mull of Kintyre in the background. The beautiful Ayrshire countryside provided inspiration for some of the finest verses of the National Bard of Scotland, Robert Burns. Ayr is an old town, however even the most zealous of historical researchers cannot say just how old. Many of its landmarks bear the indelible stamp of its antiquity. In every other respect the Auld Toun is the modern home of a modern minded and thriving community who are well aware of the need to keep abreast of the times, especially for the benefit of the many thousands of people who holiday here. | ||
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Rabbie Burns was born two miles south of Ayr in a place called Alloway, South Ayrshire. He was the eldest of seven children of William Burness (1721-1784) (Robert Burns spelled his surname Burness until 1786), a self-educated tenant farmer from Dunnottar, The Mearns, and Agnes Broun (1732-1820), the daughter of a tenant farmer from Kirkoswald, South Ayrshire. The house he was born in was built by his father (now the Burns Cottage Museum), where he lived until Easter 1766. William Burness sold the house and took the tenancy of the 70 acre Mount Oliphant farm, southeast of Alloway. Burns grew up in poverty here and the heavy manual labour of the farm left its traces in a premature stoop and a weakened constitution. He had little regular schooling and got much of his education from his father, who taught his children reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, and history. | ||
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Ayr Racecourse will host twenty seven fixtures in 2010 stretching right across the year with both jumps and flat meetings catered for at Scotland's premier racecourse. There is no shortage of great racing, fabulous themes, and the best in entertainment and corporate hospitality. 'A Day at the Races' invitation is very rarely refused and can be the perfect way to thank people who are important to your business or you can simply relax or even celebrate with family and friends. With award winning chefs using all locally sourced fresh produce and luxurious facilities all offering that perfect racing experience, hospitality could not be any better. | ||
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Eglinton Country Park can be found about one mile north east of Irvine. It is open to the public 'free of charge' all year round. It has a visitor centre, tea house, children's play areas and many scenic walks in the park. Eglinton estate along with the town of Ardrossan passed from the Eglinton’s to the Montgomery’s through marriage in the 1300s. The Montgomery’s were abandoned Eglinton Castle and estate in 1929 after loosing all their money building Ardrossan Harbour. The castle soon fell into disrepair and was later used as target practice for tanks during World War Two. | ||
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There are more than forty castles throughout Ayrshire many of which are open to the public. Castles of Ayrshire and their grounds were acquired by clans who supported Scottish Kings in battle the braver in battle the larger the reward. Famous Ayrshire clans include:- Boyd, Boyle, Bruce, Campbell, Cathcart, Craufurd, Cunningham, Hamilton, Hunter, Kennedy, Lockhart, Montgomery, Mure and Wallace. | ||
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The three islands Ailsa Craig, Arran and Cumbrae are only a short distance from the Ayrshire coast. The island of Ailsa Craig is now a bird sanctuary. The Waverley Paddle Steamer offers weekly excursions around the island in summer from Largs, Ayr and Girvan. Cumbrae, famous for its cycle lane around the island has a regular ferry service from Largs as well as weekly visits by the Waverley in summer. The largest of the islands is Arran which has scenic mountains, a regular ferry service from Ardrossan will take you there. | ||
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