Top things to do in Ayrshire

From the Southern Uplands to the Firth of Clyde, this coastal county in the south-west of Scotland is a fantastic place to get to know. Easily accessible from Glasgow, Ayrshire is a joy to discover for visitors with its iconic historic landmarks, beautiful coastline, winding rivers, and cool visitor attractions.

A land of charming contrasts, if you love the great outdoors, Ayrshire has much to offer. Follow treetop trails, go paddleboarding, mountain biking, sailing, and golfing, and that’s just for starters. Some of Scotland’s best restaurants are here too, many of which source their ingredients from the countryside and the sea of Ayrshire. For more ideas of the best places to stay on the west coast of Scotland, why not read our handy guide?

How best to experience the wonders of Ayrshire then? Why not treat yourself and your loved ones to a holiday cottage break in Ayrshire? We have a large selection of self-catering accommodation all across Ayrshire for you. Click on the button below to browse our properties.

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Best for young families | Heads of Ayr Farm Park

Many young children love meeting animals! At Heads of Ayr Farm Park, you and your kids can meet a menagerie of horses, donkeys, peacocks, rabbits, alpacas, llamas, turkeys, pigs, and all kinds of other animal lunatics. What’s more, there is an exotic animal section of the farm where you will encounter squirrel monkeys, tamarins, tapirs, emus, wallabies, camels, prairie dogs and so many more. You can enjoy lunch here too, so save a full day getting to know the creatures at this wonderful Ayrshire visitor attraction.

Best for literary fans | The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum 

Visit the birthplace of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, perhaps most famous for Tam O’Shanter. At the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum and Burns Cottage, you can see over 5,000 artefacts about the life and works of Burns. The museum is managed by the National Trust of Scotland, and you can visit Auld Alloway Kirk, the Burns Monument, and the Brig o’ Doon as well. If you are feeling hungry during your visit, you can enjoy authentic Scottish meals at the on-site café.

Best for garden lovers | Culzean Castle

Discover the history of beautiful Culzean Castle with its 260-hectare estate with woodlands, beaches, a deer park, cliff-top walks, and hidden follies. Once the home of the 10^th Earl of Cassilis and designed by Robert Adams, the castle is an architectural wonder packed with historic artefacts relevant to the area, and some dramatic features such as Adams’ oval staircase. It’s also a superb place to visit with children as there are play parks and an ice cream parlour. You can easily spend a whole day at Culzean Castle and still not see everything.

Best for historians | Scottish Maritime Museum (Irvine)

For all things to do with the seas and oceans around Scotland, add this all-weather visitor attraction to your must-see list of places to go in Ayrshire. Based in the former Linthouse shipyard building in Irvine, the Scottish Maritime Museum is known to some as the Cathedral of Engineering. It’s here that you can learn about Scotland’s place of importance in the world of marine engineering and shipbuilding. There are boats to see and interactive displays galore for visitors to discover; each telling the story of Scotland’s industrial past and its future.

Best for horse riding holidaymakers | Ayrshire Equitation Centre

If you love horses and want to go riding on your holiday, then a morning or afternoon at Ayrshire Equitation Centre should be on your itinerary. There are short courses available for everybody from 5-year-olds and upwards, including hacking and specific training. The location is great, as you can enjoy a ride along the beach or through the stunning Ayrshire countryside. It’s a real treat for visitors to the area.

Best for cyclists | Mountain biking in Ayr

Ayr is one of the very best places to go mountain biking in Southern Scotland besides the 7Stanes courses of neighbouring Dumfries and Galloway. There are several trails in Ayrshire that will satisfy everyone, from hardcore MTB fanatics to novices, with miles of tracks covering all kinds of woodland terrain as well as hiking trails.

Best for outdoor adventure | Adventure Carrick 

In love with outdoor activities? Adventure Carrick offers a high number of adventures for you to get involved with, whether it’s paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing, coasteering, archery, axe-throwing, abseiling, mountain biking, or bushcraft and survival courses. Enjoy any one of these courses all year round in the beautiful Ayrshire countryside and coast. There is also a range of holistic and wellbeing-themed activities available at Adventure Carrick.   

Best for gamers | Ayr Outdoor Escape Game

This game doubles as a walking tour of Ayr. On the trail you will be given ten different challenges to solve; you will also learn of stories and the history of Ayr from the point of view of the poet Robert Burns. In the game, you will encounter a series of landmarks that would have been known to Burns. The game is downloadable as an app to your phone via Questo so that it can be enjoyed by groups and individuals.

Stay at a self-catering holiday cottage in Ayrshire

Visit beautiful Ayrshire; we have a large collection of self-catering holiday cottages for you to pick from. Spend the day touring this lovely area of Southern Scotland and then retire to your home from home to relax and rejuvenate for another day of exploration. View our range of Ayrshire cottages and all across Southern Scotland today.