Tradespeople in Troon, South Ayrshire

Troon is a seaside town in South Ayrshire, situated on a distinctive rocky headland - the Celtic word 'trwyn', meaning promontory, gives the town its name - about eight miles north of Ayr. It faces west across the Firth of Clyde towards the Isle of Arran, with views of Ailsa Craig to the south on clear days.

The town grew rapidly in the early 19th century after the Duke of Portland constructed a harbour here in 1812 to export coal brought down from the Kilmarnock coalfield by one of Scotland's earliest railways. By the end of the century Troon was among the top ten coal ports in Britain and a shipyard established in 1860 continued building vessels until 2000. The harbour now serves as a ferry terminal - with CalMac services to Brodick on Arran - and a busy yacht marina.

Troon is closely associated with golf. Royal Troon Golf Club, founded in 1878, is one of the Open Championship venues and hosted the 2024 Open, bringing global attention to the town. Six golf courses in total surround the town and the game is woven into daily life here in a way that sets Troon apart from most Scottish towns of similar size.

The town has a well-regarded secondary school, a busy shopping street and several good restaurants and cafes. Its beaches - particularly the South Beach - are among the most popular on the Ayrshire coast. Rail services connect it to Glasgow Central via the Ayrshire Coast line and the A78 links it to Irvine and Kilmarnock 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.