Situated on the southwest coast of Scotland, Ayr is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire Council, and the historic county town of Ayrshire.

Ayr is contiguous with the smaller town of Prestwick to the north. Ayr is a coastal town at the mouth of the River Ayr, which flows into the Firth of Clyde estuary. Much of the land around Ayr is flat lowland, and used for rearing cattle, while the land south of Ayr is higher than most areas in Ayrshire. The City of Glasgow is about thirty-five miles to the north-east.

Neighborhoods and sub-neighborhoods of Ayr include Alloway (Laigh Glengall, Rozelle), Belmont, Braehead, Castlehill, Craigie, Dalmilling, Doonfoot (Bellisle, Greenan), Forehill (Glencairn), Fort, Hayhill, Heathfield, Holmston, Kincaidston, Lochside, Masonhill, Newton-on-Ayr (Woodfield), Old Belmont (St. Leonard's), Seafield, Wallacetown (Hawkhill), White City, and Whitletts.

The land on which Ayr sits was inhabited by hunter-gatherers more than five thousand years ago. A Neolithic standing stone at the end of Stonefield Park in Doonfoot is believed to denote a place of sun worship by Stone Age people.

In 1197, King William the Lion ordered a castle to be built between the River Ayr and the River Doon, probably near Montgomerie Terrace, also known as Ayr Fort. In 1205, he created a royal burgh and market town at Ayr, laying out its streets and residential areas, and starting a market there.

Once the market was in operation, people had a reason to move there. A bridge was built across the River Ayr in 1237, connecting the town with the north side of the river. Beginning in 1261, an annual fair was held in Ayr. At that time, fairs were like markets, only much larger and held only once a year, so they attracted buyers and sellers from a large area.

Before long, Ayr had a wide variety of craftsmen, and a wool industry, including weavers and dyers. Due to its location, Ayr also supported fishing and shipbuilding industries. Ayr became a busy port town, exporting skins, hides, and wool, while importing wine, salt, and other goods.

The town was attacked and occupied by English forces from 1296 to 1312 during the Scottish Wars of Independence. In 1298, the forces of Robert the Bruce destroyed the original castle.

Between 1545 and 1647, a series of plagues resulted in the town's port being quarantined, although Mary, Queen of Scots visited Ayr in 1552 and 1563. Except for brief interruptions, Ayr remained a busy port town throughout the 16th century.

Ayr was used as a base and fortress for some of Oliver Cromwell's troops in 1652. They established a large fortress along the mouth of the River Ayr and built walls around the area just south of the river's mouth, most of which remain today. Saint John's Tower, at the centre of the fortress, was originally part of a large church, but it was knocked down during the construction of the fort, and the tower was used for military practice. It is now located in the Ayr Fort Area, and protected by Friends of Saint Johns Tower.

A separate burgh, known as Montgomerieston, was created on the lands occupied by the fort, but it has since been absorbed into the Burgh of Ayr, as was the village of Alloway to the south-east of Ayr. In 1873, Newton and Wallacetown were absorbed into Ayr. When elected county councils were created in 1890, the burgh of Ayr was deemed worthy of running its own affairs, removing it from the jurisdiction of Ayrshire County Council.

In 2000, Ayr made a bid for city status, losing to Stirling. The town tried it again in 2002 but lost to Inverness. In 2021 a South Ayrshire wide bid was submitted, which would include Ayr, but it was also unsuccessful, losing to Dunfermline.

The north side of Ayr Harbour still functions as a commercial port, exporting coal, while railway sidings lead down from the main railway line near Newton-on-Ayr Station. Ayr developed as a retail hub when its first department store, Hourstons, opened in 1896, and the 1970s brought some large shopping centres and retail parks.

Ayr became a resort town in the 19th and 20th centuries, the draws being its sandy beach and the construction of a rail link to Glasgow, which was completed in 1840. Just five miles north of Ayr is Toon, a golf and seaside resort, and Ayr is home to three golf courses in Bellisle, Seafield, and Dalmilling, along with a private golf course known as Saint Cuthberts.

Ayr is home to Ayrshire College, a campus of Scotland's Rural College, and a campus of the University of the West of Scotland. The town has several nursery schools and primary schools, four secondary schools, and Wellington School, an independent day school that offers both primary and secondary education.

The focus of this portion of our guide is on the town of Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland.

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