Making the most of Ayr Scotland
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
The port is a small industrial port and you will be tendered in to the north side of the river, close to the town center.
Ayr has many beautiful locations. It is situated on the coast and on clear days, you'll have amazing views of the Isle of Arran and the Ailsa Craig. Also on a clear day, a view of the whole of Ayr and the surrounding countryside can be seen from the Heads of Ayr, south of Ayr.
You'll also find several ruins of castles and forts and much of the large wall that Oliver Cromwell built around the town still survives today.
The Scottish Grand National is held in Ayr annually. This is the main reason for cruise ships to visit the town. If going to a golf tournament take the train or bus to Prestwick Airport stop which will drop you near the bottom end of the course where there is an entrance into the open, this entrance is beside the postage stamp hole.
The local tourist office is in Sandgate about a 15 minute walk from the Harbour.
Getting around
Use Traveline for all your transportation needs, local and long distance.
The train station is a 25 minute walk through the main shopping street (1 mile)
Nearby places
An alternative for a day visit is to Alloway, a suburb of Ayr, the birth place of the poet Robert Burns, now a museum. Local buses will take you there.
Food and shopping
Ayr currently has two shopping centers, The Kyle center, and the modern Ayr Central. Along with these Ayr has a high street with many shops
Money
The currency throughout the UK is the pound (£). You may also hear the slang term quid for pounds. Scottish bank notes are frowned upon in other parts of the UK, so change the notes before leaving Scotland.
Cash machines (ATM) or less formally 'holes in the wall' are very widely available and usually dispense £10 and £20 notes.
Visa, Mastercard and Maestro, are accepted by most shops and restaurants.
Staying connected
English is spoken throughout the country, but sometimes with heavy accents!
Most cafe's and restaurants offer free WiFi.
The local emergency telephone number is 999, however, the EU-wide 112 can also be used.
Opening Hours and
Shopping hours are in general:
Small stores 6 or 7 days a week (10am - 6pm) Larger stores in general stay open till' 9PM Hyper marts often 24/7