Ayrshire is a historical region and former county in southwestern Scotland. Located on the Firth of Clyde, Ayrshire ceased to be an administrative unit in 1975, when the area became part of Strathclyde Region. In 1996, the unitary authorities (local government areas) of East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, and South Ayrshire were created. They hold all local government powers within their borders. Ayrshire was traditionally divided into the districts of Carrick, Cunninghame, and Kyle.
Prehistoric stone circles show Ayrshire has been inhabited for thousands of years. In East Ayrshire, the remains of a Roman fort stand at Loudoun Hill, also the site of a 1307 Scottish victory over the army of King Edward I of England. Robert Bruce, King Robert I of Scotland, was probably born in Turnberry Castle, his mother’s home in Carrick. The poet Robert Burns was born in Alloway, a village in South Ayrshire. Reddish-brown and white Ayrshire dairy cattle are raised throughout the United Kingdom and the United States. The region’s rugged granite mountains, high meadows, and many prehistoric sites make it a popular tourist destination. The Isles of Ailsa Craig, Arran, and Cumbrae stand in the waters along the Ayrshire coast. See also Arran ; Bruce, Robert ; Burns, Robert ; East Ayrshire ; North Ayrshire ; South Ayrshire .
