Ayrshire is in the South West of Scotland and has many miles of scenic coastline steeped in history and home to some famous Open Championship golf courses!

This is the Clyde Coast and it offers travellers superb food, great accommodation and a vast array of outdoor activities topped with ancient castles, busy market towns and rugged countryside. It's ancient history dates back to the Bronze Age.

Tour Dumfries House for an idea of what a stately home in Scotland looks like!

Visitors are attracted by the majestic mountains, the Firth of Clyde and the historic stones. In the Firth of Clyde lies the Isle of Arran better known by locals as 'Mini Scotland' because of its lochs, mountains, hills and stunning coast. Here you'll find lots of places to visit like the local distillery, museums, craft and food markets and castles. Sports are popular here with paragliding or orienteering on offer and Celtic myths and legends to enjoy back in the warmth of your hotel or bed and breakfast.


Why not check beaches nearby as we have 25 Ayrshire beaches. You can even take a look at our list of Ayrshire dog friendly beaches or even our United Kingdom Blue Flag beach list.

Ayrshire Map

Ayrshire Coast Search Bar

Where would you like to go? Use our search bar to search across all our local listings, ideal for finding that nearest spot to visit:

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Want some ideas on where to visit?

Every favourite location must be visited for the first time. Want some ideas, why not check out the below small selection of coastal locations, including beaches, activities, things to see and do, places to stay and eat:

Boydston-beach

Boydston Beach

Boydston beach, also known as Ardrossan beach, is a sandy beach with a view across to Arran. Ardrossan has a harbour, shops and multiple options to eat something. Read more…
Things to see and do

Scottish Maritime Museum

The Scottish Maritime Museum is a museum to Scotland’s seafaring heritage and is based on two sites. One is the Denny Ship Model Experiment Tank in Dumbarton and the second site is in the Linthouse Building on the harbourside of Irvine in North Ayrshire. In Irvine, visitors can explore exhibitions and ship models, the Linthouse Engine Shop as well as Read more…
Maidens-Turnberry-beach

Maidens Turnberry Beach

Maidens Turnberry beach is thought to be named from The Maidens of Turnberry, a series of rocks in Maidenhead Bay which have became an extension to Maidens harbour wall. This is a sandy beach that curves in the bay northwards away from the harbour and village of Maidens. Read more…
Things to see and do

Holy Isle

Holy Isle is on the Firth of Clyde within Lamlash Bay on the larger island of Arran. The island is approx. 1.9 miles (3km) long and around half a mile (1km) wide. As the name suggests the island has a long history as a sacred site, with a spring or Holy well thought to have healing properties, a hermit cave Read more…
Culzean-beach

Culzean Beach

Culzean beach is a small sandy beach where access is on foot with parking, toilets and shop within the Culzean country park. Read more…
Things to see and do

Rozelle House and Gardens

Rozelle House is an 18th century mansion house in Ayr in south-western Scotland which is home to a substantial collection of art and memorabilia from South Ayrshire. Set in beautiful grounds, the Stable Block is now the Maclaurin Galleries which showcases touring exhibitions of international contemporary art as well as pieces from the Maclaurin Trust’s own collection. Rozelle House itself Read more…
History and heritage

Auld Kirk of Ayr

The Auld Kirk is Ayr’s oldest church. Read more…
Cathedral-of-the-Isles

Cathedral of the Isles

The Cathedral of the Isles is a Scottish Episcopal Church in Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae, North Ayrshire. Built in the mid 19th century, the cathedral was designed by William Butterfield and opened in 1851. It is the tallest building on Great Cumbrae and is surrounded by formal gardens and woodland. It is also known as the smallest cathedral Read more…
Culzean-Castle

Culzean Castle

Culzean Castle is one of Scotland’s best-known castles and is situated on a clifftop overlooking the South Ayrshire coast near the town of Maybole. The family seat of the Kennedy family since the mid 18th century, who can trace their ancestry back to Robert the Bruce, Culzean sits in a spectacular 600-acre estate and is now owned by the National Read more…
History and heritage

Alloway Kirk

The Alloway Auld Kirk, which dates back to the 16th Century, is now a ruin but celebrated as the scene of the witches’ dance in the poem Tam o’ Shanter by Robert Burns. William Burnes, father of the poet, is buried in the graveyard. Read more…
Beach

Pencil Beach

Pencil beach is a sandy beach named after the monument that commemorates the Battle of Largs 1263. The beach is more popular with sailing and has a club and marina. Good launching facilities. Read more…
Attractions & Theme Park

Vikingar

Vikingar is an award-winning family attraction in the coastal town of Largs in North Ayrshire. Visitors get to explore the history of the Vikings and see first-hand, through an interactive exhibition, the impact the Vikings had across Scotland. Vikingar also has a 25m family swimming pool, a fitness centre, a Mini Viking soft play area as well as a café Read more…
View all

Some more seaside locations in Ayrshire

Alloway Ardrossan Ayr Cumbrae Firth of Clyde Girvan Irvine Isle of Arran Isle of Cumbrae Kilmarnock Kilwinning Largs Maybole New Cumnock Prestwick Saltcoats Troon Turnberry West Kilbride