Find the nearest Beaches in Ayrshire
Planning a trip to the Ayrshire coast and looking for where the nearest beach is, our beach lists will help you discover the nearest beach to me. Then for each beach, we will answer questions around location, rural or town, sandy or pebble, rockpools, tide times, weather forecast, dog restrictions, bathing water quality, closest beach cafes and provide general information on the beach and its facilities.
When on a beach page use our tools to search nearby Ayrshire seaside towns and the surrounding coast for things to see and do or places to stay and eat.
If you are looking for an award-winning beach then you can browse our Blue Flag lists or Seaside Award lists.
Finding the right beach in Ayrshire is easy – simply explore the beach links below, to find the closest hit the jump to my location compass or use the search bar to plan where your next Ayrshire beach visit should be.
- Dunure beach is a shingle beach on a rocky shoreline, located in the village of Dunure near Maybole on the coast of the Firth of Clyde. Although Dunure beach is mainly shingle, Dunure also has a lovely small harbour and Dunure Castle and park. Facilities include toilets, picnic site, harbour, pub, shop and post office in Dunure.
- Girvan beach is a mile long wide sandy beach backed by large grass areas, with the beach stretching away from the harbour pier and it is just a short stroll into the town. The is one of the most popular beaches in Ayrshire and has the facilities you would expect in and around Girvan itself. There are options to park at the northern pier end or the southern end, although the south has a cafe and toilets more facilities exist at the northern end and this is the main used stretch.
- Troon’s South Sands beach is a long and wide sandy beach with a promenade and some grass areas behind. Popular kitesurfing and windsurfing beach along with Troon’s North beach. Facilities include car parking, shops, pub, cafe, toilets, and promenade. As you head south on the beach the houses end and you are backed by the Royal Troon Golf Club. Founded in 1878 with just 5 holes, and extended to become an 18 hole course in 1886, and it first held the Open Championship in 1923.
- Doonfoot beach is also known as Greenan beach and is a sandy beach with some rocks. Parking near the beach.
- Stevenston beach is a Local Nature Reserve that has a dynamic and continually changing dune system.
- Brodick is the second-largest village (after Lamlash) on the Isle of Arran overlooking Brodick Bay. Brodick Bay south shore has a narrow band of sand, mixed grass, rock and shingle. The eastern end near the ferry terminal has a small harbor. The west shore of Brodick Bay has an excellent sandy beach and grassy fringe. From the beach you can see Goatfell Arran’s highest peak at 874m (2868ft).
- 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.
- Culzean beach is a small sandy beach where access is on foot with parking, toilets and shop within the Culzean country park.
- Largs beach is a shingle beach backed by grass areas with palm trees. Largs Bay is on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire.
- Newtown beach at Millport on Cumbrae Island is a beach of sand in a sheltered bay harbour and old pier.
- 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.
- Fairlie beach is on the eastern shore of the Firth of Clyde and looks across to the Isle of Arran and the Cumbraes. The beach here is a mix of sand, shingle and rocks.
