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.

01 The Shire

Troon - Troon

Towns & Villages

Troon is an attractive seaside town, a few miles from Prestwick International Airport in South Ayrshire.

01 The Shire

Prestwick - South Ayrshire

Towns & Villages

The town of Prestwick is situated in South Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland.

01 The Shire

Ayr - Ayrshire

Towns & Villages

The popular seaside town of Ayr lies on the south west coast of Scotland, around 37 miles from Glasgow.

01 The Shire

Dunure - Ayrshire

Towns & Villages

Dunure is a picturesque seaside village, around 5 miles from Ayr on the coast of the forth of Clyde.

01 The Shire

Maidens - Ayrshire

Towns & Villages

Maidens is a little coastal village situated on the Firth of Clyde at the southern end of Maidenhead Bay.

01 The Shire

Turnberry - Ayrshire

Towns & Villages

The village of Turnberry in South Ayrshire is now world famous due to the Turnberry Resort and golf course.

01 The Shire

Girvan - Ayrshire

Towns & Villages

Girvan is a large town situated in South Ayrshire and is a popular visitor destination.

01 The Shire

Ballantrae - Ayrshire

Towns & Villages

Ballantrae is an attractive coastal village in South Ayrshire situated 13 miles south of Girvan.

01 The Shire

Colmonell - South Ayrshire

Towns & Villages

Colmonell is a small village and civil parish in the Stinchar Valley, South Ayrshire, Scotland.

01 The Shire

Barr - Ayrshire

Towns & Villages

Barr is a small village in the South West of Ayrshire, around 8 miles from the town of Girvan.

01 The Shire

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.

01 The Shire

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.

01 The Shire

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.

01 The Shire

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.

01 The Shire

Cumnock - Ayrshire

Towns & Villages

The town of Cumnock sits at the confluence of the Glaisnock Water and the Lugar Water.

01 The Shire

Auchinleck - Ayrshire

Towns & Villages

Auchinleck is a small village in East Ayrshire. The name in Gaelic means "field of flat stones”

01 The Shire

Catrine - Ayrshire

Towns & Villages

Catrine is a village that lies beside the River Ayr in East Ayrshire.

01 The Shire

Kilmarnock - Ayrshire

Towns & Villages

Kilmarnock is one of the largest towns in Ayrshire, with a population of 46,350.

01 The Shire

Kilmaurs - Ayrshire

Towns & Villages

Kilmaurs is a picturesque village in East Ayrshire, lying just outside of Kilmarnock

01 The Shire