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- Ayr
- North Ayrshire
- South Ayrshire
- A74M
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South Ayrshire, Girvan, Ailsa Craig Island, Culzean Bay, Turnberry Golf
The stunning and tranquil South Ayrshire coast includes relaxing seaside and harbour base Girvan, which offers easy access to boat trips across to off-shore volcanic plug island, Ailsa Craig. Ailsa Craig is a protected bird sanctuary, home particularly to breeding gannets.
The Culzean Bay area contains one of Ayrshire's most popular attractions - Culzean Castle and the Culzean Experience. With country park on-site, Culzean is one of the best fun packed family day outs in Ayrshire, if not Scotland! Turnberry, to the south of Culzean, is a renowned luxury Scotland golf base, with historic Westin Turnberry golf courses often the site for the Open Championships.
Girvan & Boat Trips to Ailsa Craig Island
Girvan is a relaxing South Ayrshire seaside base, with easy access from Girvan Harbour to boat trips heading for Ailsa Craig off-shore mini island.
Most of the hustle and bustle in Girvan goes on down in its pretty harbour where you can hop on a boat trip to the stunning volcanic mini island of Ailsa Craig, home to breeding Gannets among others. Ailsa Craig (Fairy Island) is a protected bird sanctuary.
Girvan makes a good base for walkers, with the South Carrick Walking Festival taking place annually towards the end of September. The Girvan South Ayrshire region also offers a choice of more Scottish golf courses at Girvan, Maybole, Dalmilling and Seafield. See the South Ayrshire Golf website right for details.
Culzean Bay & Culzean Castle
The Culzean Bay area is dominated by one of Ayrshire's top attractions, Culzean Castle & Country Park. Run by the National Trust for Scotland since 1945, the Culzean Experience is not just the spectacular Culzean Castle come stately home reworked by renowned architect Robert Adam, it's also a country park crammed with activities and events including a swan pond, deer park, walks and trails, kids playground, craft shops and NTS shops, coffee houses and restaurants. A beach area and plenty of picnic areas are on-site.
Maybole is the main town in the Culzean Bay area, and well worth a visit for its unusual town centre 16th century castle, plus nearby Crossraguel Abbey ruins.
Turnberry Golf Scotland
Turnberry on the South Ayrshire coast has an established reputation as a luxury Scottish golf resort. Luxury golf at Turnberry revolves around the Westin Turnberry Golf Resort (weblink right) where many a golfer heads with the Turnberry Ailsa golf course and Turnberry Kintyre golf course on-site.
Turnberry's days as a luxury golf resort date back to the Edwardian period, and today the Open Championships are often hosted on the Westin Turnberry Golf Courses. The Colin Montgomerie Links Golf Academy is also here. Turnberry makes a fine Ayrshire golf seaside base, with views of the sublime lighthouse and the ruined Turnberry castle. Robert the Bruce was born here in 1274. You've also fine views of off-shore granite island and bird sanctuary (gannets breed here) Ailsa Craig, situated 10 miles out in the Firth of Clyde.
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