Tradespeople in Dunure, South Ayrshire

Dunure is a small fishing village on the Ayrshire coast, about five miles south-west of Ayr. Its name comes from the Scottish Gaelic Dùn Iùbhair, meaning Yew Hill and it sits on a stretch of coastline that looks west across the Firth of Clyde towards the Isle of Arran and the Kintyre peninsula.

The village is dominated by the dramatic ruin of Dunure Castle, perched on cliffs above the harbour. The castle was a Kennedy stronghold from the 13th century and the scene, in 1570, of one of the most notorious episodes in Carrick history: Gilbert Kennedy, 4th Earl of Cassillis, roasted Alan Stewart, the commendator of Crossraguel Abbey, alive in the castle kitchens in an attempt to extort a lease of abbey lands. The ruins are freely accessible and are a striking feature of the coastal walk in either direction.

The harbour, improved in 1811, is the village's other focal point - a small working harbour that once supported a herring fishing fleet and is now used mainly by leisure craft and a handful of creel boats. The village grew up around the harbour improvements in the early 19th century and the rows of stone cottages facing the sea give it a characteristic Ayrshire fishing village appearance.

Dunure is popular with day visitors from Ayr and further afield, particularly walkers following the Ayrshire Coastal Path. The village has a café and a pub and the surrounding headland offers fine views along the coast in both directions.

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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.