Ayr

Ayr

Ayr (Scots Gaelic: Inbhir Àir, Mooth o the River Ayr) is a toun an port lyin oan the Firth o Clyde in sooth-wast Scotland. Wi aboot 46,000 fowk, Ayr is the mucklest toun in Ayrshire, an haes been a ryal burgh syne 1205. Ayr is the centre o govrenment fur Sooth Ayrshire.

Tae the north o Ayr is the toun o Prestwick, kenspeckle fae gowf an planes, as its hame tae Glesga Prestwick Internaitional Airport. Allowa is in the area an aa, kent fae the makar Robert Burns.

In 2002, Ayr wis ane o fower Scots touns vyin fur city status tae mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee, but lost oot tae Stirlin.

History

In 1197, King William the Lion ordert that a new castle be biggit atween the River Ayr an the River Doon. It is believit that the castle wis a widden structur biggit aroond Montogomerie Terrace. Ayr wis later estaiblisht as a ryal burgh an mercat toun on 21 Mey 1205 bi King William the Lion.

On April 26, 1315, the first Scots Pairlament wis haudit in Ayr bi Robert the Bruce at St. John's Touer bi the sea. It wis aince kent as 'Inverair/Inverayr' an this uisage is aye kept in the Scots Gaelic form o the nam Inbhir Air.

Oliver Cromwell biggit a muckle waw aroond the toun, maist o whilk can aye be seen the day. St John's Touer, in that airt, wis aince pairt o a muckle kirk, but it wis knockit doon, an the touer is nou protectit by the "Freens O Saunt Johns Touer" (FROST).

The formation o the Kinrick o Great Britain throu the Acts o Union 1707 providit Ayr wi gey treddin opportunities an impruivements tae the toun's infrastructur, wi Ayr's textile, oo, linen an shaemakkin industries thrivin as a result. A smaw lichthoose wis biggit on the River Ayr in 1712, follaed bi a quay in 1713. Repairs tae the toun's Harbour an High Tolbooth teuk place atween 1724 an 1726, wi fundin providit bi the Convention o Ryal Burghs. Street lichtin wis instawed aroond the toun centre in 1747.