Tradespeople in Ayr, South Ayrshire

Ayr is the largest town in South Ayrshire and the main commercial and administrative centre for the region, sitting at the mouth of the River Ayr on the Firth of Clyde. It has a population of around 46,000 and a street plan that has changed little since King William the Lion granted it royal burgh status in 1205.

The town sits at the heart of Burns Country. Robert Burns was born two miles south at Alloway in 1759 and Ayr is threaded with connections to the poet - from the Auld Brig, the medieval bridge immortalised in his poem 'The Brigs of Ayr', to the Tam o' Shanter pub on the High Street, the starting point of his most celebrated tale. The town is a natural base for exploring the wider Burns heritage landscape.

Ayr has long been a popular seaside resort, with a broad sandy beach stretching north from the town centre, a promenade and a seafront that retains much of its Victorian and Edwardian character. The racecourse, one of Scotland's most important, hosts the Scottish Grand National and the Ayr Gold Cup, drawing large crowds each year. The town also has a strong retail offer, several golf courses and a marina.

Rail connections to Glasgow Central run every half hour and take around 50 minutes, making Ayr a practical base for commuters. The A77 trunk road links it north to Kilmarnock and Glasgow and south through Carrick to Girvan and Stranraer. Glasgow Prestwick Airport is four miles to the north.

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South Ayrshire is a council area in south-west Scotland, stretching from the coast at Troon south along the Firth of Clyde to Girvan and Ballantrae and inland across the hills of Carrick to the fringes of Galloway.

Ayr is the administrative centre and largest town, a traditional county town on the River Ayr with a long sandy beach, a racecourse and a busy high street. Prestwick, immediately to the north, is home to Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Troon is known for its championship golf links and harbour, while Girvan and Maybole serve the quieter southern half of the area.

The area is closely associated with Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet, who was born at Alloway on the outskirts of Ayr in 1759. Burns Cottage, the Burns Monument and the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum make Alloway one of Scotland's most visited literary landmarks. The Burns connection extends across the wider area through the villages and farms he knew and wrote about.

South Ayrshire's coastline is one of its greatest assets. Long sandy beaches stretch from Troon to Ayr, the views across the Firth of Clyde take in Arran, Ailsa Craig and the Kintyre peninsula and the Carrick coast south of Girvan is rugged and dramatic. Inland, the landscape rises to rolling farmland and the moorland hills that border Dumfries and Galloway.

Transport links are strong along the coast. The A77 connects Ayr and Prestwick to Glasgow, the Ayrshire Coast railway line runs regular services to Glasgow Central and Glasgow Prestwick Airport provides flights to European destinations. The A77 continues south through Girvan toward Stranraer and the ferry port for Northern Ireland.