Ayr
Ayr
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 Clockwise from top-left: Place De Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Robert Burns statue, Wellington Square Gardens, The Wallace Tower and Burns Statue Square. |
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 Ayr
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| Ayr shown within South Ayrshire | |
| Population | 47,190 (est. 2012) |
| Urban | 61,940 (est. 2012) |
| OS grid reference | NS 33853 21445 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | AYR |
| Postcode district | KA6-KA8 |
| Dialling code | 01292 |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Ayr (/ɛər/; Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a large town and former Royal Burgh situated on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland, United Kingdom. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire Council area and historic county town of Ayrshire. Ayr is currently the most populated settlement in Ayrshire and is the 12th most populous settlement in Scotland. The town adjoins the smaller town of Prestwick to the north, forming a single continuous urban area with the town.
Ayr was established as a Royal Burgh in 1205, serving as Ayrshire's central marketplace and harbour throughout the Medieval Period and remaining a well-renowned port across the Early Modern Period. On the southern bank of the River Ayr sits the ramparts of a Citadel constructed by Oliver Cromwell during the mid-17th Century. Towards the south of the town is the birthplace of Scottish poet Robert Burns in the suburb of Alloway. With the expansion of the railway during the 19th Century Ayr soon developed into a seaside resort. This remains the case today with tourism occupying a significant sect of the local economy in Ayr through the opening of a Butlin's holiday park on the southern headlands of the town and through the continued presence of the Gaiety Theatre, which ran various shows across the late 20th century attracting performers from across the United Kingdom.
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