AYRSHIRE, south-western county of Scotland, bounded on the north by Renfrewshire, on the east by Lanarkshire and Dumfriesshire, on the south-east by Kirkcudbrightshire, on the south by Wigtownshire, and on the west by the Firth of Clyde. It includes off its coast the conspicuous rock of Ailsa Craig, Iom. W. of Girvan; Lady Island, 3m. S.W. of Troon; and Horse Island, off Ardrossan. Its area is I,142sq.m., its coast-line being Tom. long. In former times the shire was divided into the districts of Cunninghame (north of the Irvine), Kyle (between the Irvine and the Doon), and Carrick (south of the Doon), and these terms are still occasionally used.
The county boundary runs almost wholly over high ground. The uplands of the south (Black Craig, 2, 298f t.) extend over a larger area within Ayrshire than those of the north. They belong to the Silurian system of the southern uplands of Scotland, in which, as elsewhere, there are numerous intrusions of volcanic and igneous rocks, notably about Loch Doon, where a large granite mass is associated with fine wild scenery. The hills of the north are mainly of Old Red Sandstone, or of igneous rocks of Carbon iferous age. The boundary uplands embrace an undulating low land bordering the coast with younger palaeozoic rocks, affording fertile soils, and including a wide extent of the coal measures which are one of the foundations of the industrial wealth of cen tral Scotland. There are also, especially in the centre of the low land, red sandstone tracts which have been extensively quarried. The rivers of the county are short and unnavigable, but the tran quil beauty outside the industrial districts of Doon, Afton, Cess nock and Lugar, has been made famous in the poems of Robert Burns. The chief river is the Ayr. It rises at Glenbuck, on the border of Lanarkshire, and after a course of some 38m. falls into the Firth of Clyde at the county town which, with the county, is named frora it. The largest of many lochs is Loch Doon, 53m. long, the source of the river of the same name. From Loch Finlas, about tom. south-east of Ayr, the town derives its water-supply. The Nith rises just in Ayrshire.
Traces of Roman occupation are found in Ayrshire. At the time of Agricola's campaigns the country was held by the Damnonii, and their town of Vandogara has been identified with a site at Loudoun Hill near Darvel, where a serious encounter with the Scots took place. On the withdrawal of the Romans, Ayrshire formed part of the kingdom of Strathclyde and ultimately passed under the sway of the Northumbrian kings. Save for occasional intertribal troubles, the annals are silent until the battle of Largs in 1263, when the pretensions of Haakon of Norway to the sover eignty of the Isles were crushed by the Scots under Alexander III. A generation later William Wallace surprised the English garrison at Ardrossan, and burned the barns of Ayr in which the forces of Edward I. were lodged. Robert Bruce is alleged to have been born at Turnberry Castle, some 12m. S.W. of Ayr and he held the title of Earl of Carrick (now borne by the prince of Wales).
In 1307 he defeated the English at Loudoun Hill. Cromwell demolished the castle of Ardrossan and is said to have utilized the stones in rearing a fort at Ayr. Between 1660 and 1688 the sympathies of the county were almost wholly with the Covenant ers, who suffered one of their heaviest reverses at Airds Moss— a morass btween the Ayr and Lugar—their leader, Richard Cameron, being killed (July 20, 168o). The county was dra gooned and the Highland host ravaged. The Hanoverian succes sion excited no active hostility if it evoked no enthusiasm. The castles of Loch Doon, Turnberry, Duridonald, Portencross, Ardros san and Dunure are to be noticed, and there are ruins of celebrated abbeys at Kilwinning and Crossraguel, and of Alloway's haunted church, famous for their associations.
The population was
in 1921, and 285,182 in 1931, when Gaelic and English were spoken by 1,16o persons, and Gaelic only by four. The pop. of the chief towns in 1931 were : Ardrossan (6,888), Auchin leek (6,624), Ayr (36,784), Beith (5,977), Dairy (6,827), Galston (4,601), Girvan (5,292), Irvine (I2,032), Kilbirnie (8,193), Kil marnock (38,099), Kilwinning (5,324), Saltcoats (I0.173), Troon (8,544). The county, with Bute, returns three members to par liament, for the North Ayrshire and Bute, Kilmarnock and South Ayrshire divisions respectively. Ayr, the county town, and Irvine are royal burghs and belong to the Ayr group of parliamentary burghs. The county forms a sheriffdom, and there are resident sheriffs-substitute at Ayr and Kilmarnock.
With fertile if rather heavy soil, and the near neighbourhood of large towns, agriculture is specialized. Potatoes are extensively grown, the coast-lands supplying the markets of Scotland and the north of England. Of other roots, turnips and swedes are most widely cultivated, heavy crops being obtained by early sowing and rich manuring. Oats form the hulk of the cereal crop, but wheat and barley are also grown. High farming has developed the land enormously. Dairying has received particular attention.
Cheddar cheese of first-rate quality is made in Ayrshire, the manufacture having been set on foot by an adviser from Somer set in 1855. The Ayrshire cows are famous for the quantity and excellence of their milk. Great numbers of cattle, sheep and pigs are raised for the market, and Ayrshire horses are in high repute, but have decreased in numbers in recent years.
Ayrshire has the second largest Scottish coalfield. 'There is a large output also of iron ore, pig iron and fire-clay. The chief coal mining centres are Ayr, Dalmellington, Patna, Irvine, Stevenston, Beith, Kilwinning, Dalry, Dreghorn, Kilmarnock, Galston, Hurlford, Muirkirk, and New Cumnock. Ironstone occurs chiefly at Patna, Dairy, Dreghorn and Beith and there are blast furnaces at Curnnock, Stevenston, Dalmellington, and many other places. A valuable whetstone has been worked at Bridge of Stair on the Ayr—the Water-of-Ayr stone. At Catrine are cotton factories and bleachfields, and at Ayr and Kilmarnock extensive engineering works, and carpet, blanket and woollens, boot and shoe factories; cotton, linen thread, shoes, lace, woollens and other fabrics and hosiery are also made at Dalry, Kilbirnie, Kilmaurs, Beith and Stewarton. Irvine has im portant chemical works. Near Stevenston, works have been erected in the sandhiils for the making of dynamite and other explosives. There are large factories for lace and muslin at Galston, Newmilns and Darvel, and at Beith cabinet-making and tanning are considerable industries. Shipbuilding is conducted at Troon, Ayr, Irvine and Fairlie, which is famous for its yachts. The leading ports are Ardrossan, Ayr, Girvan, Irvine and Troon.
The L.M.S. railway serves the industrial towns, ports and seaside resorts. Its trunk line via Girvan to Stranraer commands the shortest sea passage to Belfast and the north of Ireland, and its main line via Kilmarnock communicates with Dumfries and Carlisle and so with England. For passenger steamer traffic to the other parts of the Firth of Clyde, Arran, Ireland, etc. Ardrossan is the principal port.
