The Shire
Driving
Towns and villages to explore within the Shire
This tour is 138 miles long, please allow at least 5 hours to complete it, excluding the time taken to enjoy the destinations along the way.
Discover the towns and villages of the Shire which are located along the south-west coast of Scotland. Witness the legacy upon these lands of traditional industries such as fishing, mining, and farming, and enjoy the ancient cultural heritage of the Shire’s many stately homes and castles. Explore the Shire’s many geographical connections to William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, whose lives have been immortalised in folklore of the area; and trace the steps of Scotland’s poet Robert Burns, much of whose poetry was inspired by the people and places of the Shire.
What you'll see
Irvine - Ayrshire
Towns & Villages
The town of Irvine is a large town with a long history.
04 The Bute
Troon - Troon
Towns & Villages
Troon is an attractive seaside town, a few miles from Prestwick International Airport in South Ayrshire.
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Prestwick - South Ayrshire
Towns & Villages
The town of Prestwick is situated in South Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland.
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Ayr - Ayrshire
Towns & Villages
The popular seaside town of Ayr lies on the south west coast of Scotland, around 37 miles from Glasgow.
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Dunure - Ayrshire
Towns & Villages
Dunure is a picturesque seaside village, around 5 miles from Ayr on the coast of the forth of Clyde.
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Maidens - Ayrshire
Towns & Villages
Maidens is a little coastal village situated on the Firth of Clyde at the southern end of Maidenhead Bay.
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Turnberry - Ayrshire
Towns & Villages
The village of Turnberry in South Ayrshire is now world famous due to the Turnberry Resort and golf course.
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Girvan - Ayrshire
Towns & Villages
Girvan is a large town situated in South Ayrshire and is a popular visitor destination.
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Ballantrae - Ayrshire
Towns & Villages
Ballantrae is an attractive coastal village in South Ayrshire situated 13 miles south of Girvan.
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Colmonell - South Ayrshire
Towns & Villages
Colmonell is a small village and civil parish in the Stinchar Valley, South Ayrshire, Scotland.
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Barr - Ayrshire
Towns & Villages
Barr is a small village in the South West of Ayrshire, around 8 miles from the town of Girvan.
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Dailly - Ayrshire
Towns & Villages
The word Dailly derives from the gaelic words for meadow and field which is fitting as Dailly is surrounded by rich farm land and woods.
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Straiton - South Ayrshire
Towns & Villages
Straiton is a small village dating back to the 18th century, located 10km south east of Maybole on the Water of Girvan.
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Dalmellington - Ayrshire
Towns & Villages
Dalmellington is a picturesque market town in East Ayrshire near to the Rye Burn. It has a population of around 1400 people.
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New Cumnock - Ayr
Towns & Villages
New Cumnock is a former mining town in East Ayrshire. It expanded during the 18th century; mining remained its main industry until pits closed in the 1960s.
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Cumnock - Ayrshire
Towns & Villages
The town of Cumnock sits at the confluence of the Glaisnock Water and the Lugar Water.
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Auchinleck - Ayrshire
Towns & Villages
Auchinleck is a small village in East Ayrshire. The name in Gaelic means "field of flat stones”
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Catrine - Ayrshire
Towns & Villages
Catrine is a village that lies beside the River Ayr in East Ayrshire.
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Kilmarnock - Ayrshire
Towns & Villages
Kilmarnock is one of the largest towns in Ayrshire, with a population of 46,350.
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Kilmaurs - Ayrshire
Towns & Villages
Kilmaurs is a picturesque village in East Ayrshire, lying just outside of Kilmarnock
