Ayr - Definition and Overview

Ayr is a town in the county of Ayrshire, in the south-west of Scotland, situated on the Firth of Clyde. In 2001, the town had a population of 46 431. In 2002, it was one of four Scottish towns competing for city status to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee, but it lost to Stirling.

Ayr has a well known racecourse within the town, whose events include the Scottish Grand National (April) and Ayr Gold Cup (September).

To the north of Ayr is the adjoining town of Prestwick, famous for its golf, and its thriving aviation industry, thanks to the presence of Glasgow Prestwick International Airport. Other neighbouring places include Alloway, known for its associations with Robert Burns. To the south is a Haven (formerly Butlins) holiday camp, and the picturesque fishing village of Dunure, where there is a ruined castle formerly owned by the Kennedy family.

Constituency

The Westminster constituency of Ayr is currently held by the Labour Party, the Member of Parliament being Sandra Osborne. From 1950 to 1997 it was a Conservative seat, the Member of Parliament for most of this period having been George Younger, who represented the constituency from 1964 to 1992.

External links

• "The Town of Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland (http://www.maybole.org/community/ayr/ayr.htm)" - description and photographs
• "Stirling elevated to city status (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1872739.stm)" - and Ayr isn't - BBC News article dated Thu 14 Mar 2002
• Candidates and Constituency Assessments (http://www.alba.org.uk/scot99constit/s01.html) - some information on the political history of the constituency