55-671: Auchincruive is a former country house and estate in South Ayrshire , Scotland . It is located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) east of Ayr , on the north bank of the River Ayr . Auchincruive House was built in the 18th century on the site of an earlier mansion. In 1927, the estate became the West of Scotland College of Agriculture, and the house was renamed Oswald Hall . The college became the Scottish Agricultural College in 1990. In 2007
110-572: A castellated temple or tea-house, which stands on a nearby hill and was completed in 1778. Oswald was appointed as the British peace commissioner who negotiated the Treaty of Paris in 1783 when the American War of Independence came to an end. After the negotiations, he retired to Auchincruive where he died the following year. An east wing was later built onto the house, and alterations, including addition of
165-529: A bid for city status as part of the 2022 Platinum Jubilee Celebrations . The bid was based on the area's rich history and links to royalty, and received backing from organisations and businesses including Ayrshire College and Scottish Enterprise . The bid was ultimately unsuccessful, with eight other settlements across the UK, overseas territories and crown dependencies being awarded city status, including Scottish town Dunfermline . Geographically, South Ayrshire
220-498: A different succeeding council area. For most administrative purposes, the base level of sub-division in Scotland is now that of communities , which may elect community councils . The main role of these bodies is to channel and reflect local opinion to other bodies; they otherwise have very limited powers. There are around 1,200 communities in Scotland. Not all communities have councils; some have joint councils. Scottish communities are
275-591: A number of private establishments which are operated in conjunction with South Ayrshire Council, rather than managed and operated entirely by the council. South Ayrshire Council also owns and operates Dolphin House, an outdoor learning programme for upper primary school aged pupils across South Ayrshire which is located within the grounds of Culzean Country Park . In 2022, the education sector within South Ayrshire Council employed 1,165 full time equivalent teachers at
330-611: A port with ferry and freight services, and a yacht marina and since March 2024, Caledonian MacBrayne have operated a ferry service to Brodick on the Isle of Arran . In the 2001 census the population of Troon, not including the nearby village of Loans but including the Barassie area, was estimated at 14,766, a 4.77% increase on the 1991 estimate of 14,094. The population in 2024 is just over 15,000 South Ayrshire's five towns are as follows: The economy of South Ayrshire, like many other areas,
385-596: A research facility, while selling off the remaining part of the 246-hectare (610-acre) estate for housing and golf course development, were approved by South Ayrshire Council in January 2011. The plans involve the restoration of listed buildings and historic landscape features, and construction of 400–500 houses and a business research campus. Oswald Hall would become a hotel and conference centre, with Oswald's Temple used as additional accommodation. However, in December 2012 Oswald Hall
440-513: A total of 1,700 people in South Ayrshire were unemployed, an unemployment rate of 3.7% which is higher than the Scottish average unemployment rate of 3.5%. Professional Occupations make up the largest employment figures based on occupation in South Ayrshire, with an estimated 8,900 people (20.0%) of the population employed in the area. Other large sectors of employment across South Ayrshire include
495-501: A total of 458 children attending the school. Straiton Primary School had the smallest pupil roll, with a total of 18 children attending the school in 2024. As of 2024, there are a total of eight secondary schools within South Ayrshire: In addition to the eight secondary schools which are operated by South Ayrshire Council, Ayr is home to Wellington School , a private day school which educates children from 3–18. South Ayrshire
550-437: Is controlled by the length of day and by cloudiness. In general, December is the dullest month and May or June the sunniest. Sunshine duration decreases with increasing altitude, increasing latitude and distance from the coast. Local topography also exerts a strong influence and in the winter deep glens and north-facing slopes can be in shade for long periods. Industrial pollution and smoke haze can also reduce sunshine amounts, but
605-400: Is divided into 871 civil parishes which often resemble same-named but legally different ecclesiastical parishes. Although they have had no administrative function since 1930, they still exist and are still used for statistical purposes such as the census. Many former civil parish areas also continued to form registration districts until 1 January 2007. Many boundary changes have occurred over
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#1732877089460660-557: Is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" ( Scottish Gaelic : comhairlean ), which are all governed by single-tier authorities designated as "councils". They have the option under the Local Government (Gaelic Names) (Scotland) Act 1997 of being known (but not re-designated) as a " comhairle " when opting for a Gaelic name; only Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Council of the Western Isles) has chosen this option, whereas
715-432: Is expected to decrease by 17%, with the working age population of the area set to fall by 14% by 2043. The population aged over 75 years is expected to increase by 65% in South Ayrshire by 2043. South Ayrshire accounted for 2% of the overall Scottish population in 2022, with 20 of the most deprived data zones in Scotland being in South Ayrshire, making the area the 12th highest across Scotland. South Ayrshire's population
770-439: Is governed by South Ayrshire Council which has been under no overall control since 2003, in which time various coalitions and minority administrations have operated. Since the last election in 2022 , the council has been led by a Conservative minority administration which took office with support from two independent councillors and abstentions from Labour . The next election is due in 2027. The council's civic head takes
825-708: Is housed at the towns County Buildings located in Wellington Square. Ayr is the former county town of the historic Ayrshire county, with the political activity of the Ayrshire County Council being based at County Buildings. South Ayrshire was created in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 , which replaced Scotland's previous local government structure of upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts with unitary council areas providing all local government services. South Ayrshire covered
880-400: Is located on the western coast of Scotland, sharing borders with neighbouring local authorities East Ayrshire , Dumfries and Galloway and North Ayrshire . The climate in South Ayrshire, typical of that in western Scotland, is milder than that of eastern Scotland due to the stronger maritime influence, as the prevailing winds blow from the sea into South Ayrshire, which is located primarily on
935-607: Is mostly concentrated around the adjoining coastal towns of Ayr, Prestwick and Troon located to the north-west of the council, which represents 68% of the council's total population according to data derived from the 2011 census , with a combined population of 76,846. Other areas of significance include the towns of Maybole and Girvan which are located to the south of the council area in the district of Carrick . Largest settlements by population: 46,260 14,950 14,880 6,330 4,580 2,570 2,160 2,100 1,860 1,510 A list of settlements in South Ayrshire may be found below: Ayr
990-416: Is served by: Radio stations that broadcast to South Ayrshire are: Local newspaper is served by The Ayrshire Post . Provision for education in South Ayrshire is provided by South Ayrshire Council , the local authority for the area, offered via eight secondary schools, forty primary schools, two special needs schools and thirty-five Early Years Centres. In terms of early years provision, there are also
1045-547: Is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire Council , and the historic county town of Ayrshire . With a population of 47,982, Ayr is the 14th largest settlement in Scotland and largest town in Ayrshire by population. The town is contiguous with the smaller town of Prestwick to the north. Ayr submitted unsuccessful bids for city status in 2000 and 2002, and as part of the wider South Ayrshire area in 2022. Ayr
1100-501: Is the public administration, education and health sector. Compared with Scotland, proportionally there are more South Ayrshire residents employed in this sector than Scotland, while there are proportionally fewer employed in banking, finance and insurance sector than Scotland. Despite being a costal area, the smallest employment in South Ayrshire is in the agriculture and fishing sector. The council and its neighbours of East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire work together on economic growth as
1155-544: The Highland Council ( Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd ) has adopted its Gaelic form alongside its English equivalent, informally. The council areas have been in existence since 1 April 1996, under the provisions of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 . Historically, Scotland was divided into 34 counties or shires . Although these no longer have any administrative function, they are still used to some extent in Scotland for cultural and geographical purposes, and some of
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#17328770894601210-734: The Rhins of Galloway , Kintyre and the Hebrides . In February the mean daily minimum temperature varies from about 2 °C in most of the islands, 1 to 2 °C along most of the Solway Firth and lowland inland areas, but less than −1 °C in parts of the Southern Uplands and central Highlands. Inland, where the influence of the sea is less, January is the coldest month with mean daily minimum temperatures generally between −3 and 0 °C. The number of hours of natural sunshine in South Ayrshire
1265-770: The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS, Scottish Gaelic: Seirbheis Smàlaidh agus Teasairginn na h-Alba ). Prior to 1975 policing was the responsibility of the Cities and Burghs of Scotland (see List of burghs in Scotland ). Between 1975 and 2013 Scotland was subdivided into Police and fire service areas based on the regions and districts and island council areas that were also formed in 1975. The police and fire service regions used between 1975 and 2013 are listed below. Edinburgh City (E Division) Renfrewshire & Inverclyde (K Division) Ayrshire (U Division) Greater Glasgow (G Division) Lanarkshire (Q Division) Scotland
1320-452: The 2022 census. Between 2022–2023, 7,769 children were enrolled across South Ayrshire primary schools and 6,206 enrolled in the areas secondary schools. Additionally, South Ayrshire Council runs five out of school care services and two holiday childcare clubs. Based on figures from 2023–2024, a total of 6,596 pupils attend secondary schools across South Ayrshire, with Belmont Academy in Ayr being
1375-495: The Ayrshire Regional Economic Partnership, with support from the Scottish and UK governments and other private and public sector organisations. Across South Ayrshire in 2023, 47,500 people were classed as being economically active, with 44,700 people categorised as being in employment (36,800 employed by a business or organisation and an additional 7,500 people classed as self employed). In the same period,
1430-966: The United Kingdom as a whole voting to leave and 48.2% voting to remain. UK Parliament South Ayrshire forms part of two UK Parliamentary constituencies, listed below: Council areas Charles III William , Duke of Rothesay Swinney government The Rt Hon John Swinney MSP The Rt Hon John Swinney MSP Kate Forbes MSP Sixth session Alison Johnstone MSP Angela Constance MSP Dorothy Bain KC The Rt Hon Lord Carloway KC PC United Kingdom Parliament elections European Parliament elections Local elections Referendums Starmer ministry The Rt Hon Keir Starmer MP The Rt Hon Ian Murray MP For local government purposes, Scotland
1485-715: The United Kingdom. At the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum a majority of voters in South Ayrshire voted for the United Kingdom to remain a member of the European Union (EU), with 59% of voters in South Ayrshire voting for the United Kingdom to remain a member of the EU and 41% voting for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. With a turnout of 69.8%, 36,265 votes were cast for remain and 25,241 were cast for leave. 62% of Scottish voters voted remain whilst 38% voted leave, whilst nationally 51.8% of voters in
1540-692: The area having attractions including Burns Cottage , the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum , Turnberry Castle and Culzean Castle . The Royal Troon Golf Club is featured on the rota of courses used for the Open Championship , with the most recent Open Championship being held at Royal Troon in 2024 . Additionally, the Turnberry Golf Course has also hosted the Open Championship, the most recent being in 2009 . However, since
1595-413: The associate professional occupations sector (13.1%), the care, leisure and social care sector (10.2%) and managerial and directors occupations (9.1%). The average gross weekly salary for a full time employee in South Ayrshire in 2023 was £753.40, higher than the Scottish average gross weekly salary figure of £702.40. The tourism sector of South Ayrshire is a major contributor to the local economy, with
1650-453: The college announced that the site would be disposed of for redevelopment, and masterplan proposals were approved by South Ayrshire Council in January 2011. The house is protected as a category A listed building , along with other buildings on the estate. The estate is included on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland , the national listing of significant gardens. The house
1705-475: The council on matters concerning governance, legislation, policy and regulation. Additionally, the Chief Executive of the council is the lead officer during an emergency response as a result of an occurring significant civil emergency and also is the councils chief returning officer during parliamentary elections. The chief executive is supported by their depute, currently Lyndsay McRoberts, who also serves as
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1760-405: The councils Director of Education. At the 2014 Scottish independence referendum South Ayrshire rejected independence by an above-average margin of 57.9% "No" to 42.1% "Yes". With a turnout of 86.1%, there were 34,402 "Yes" votes and 47,247 "No" votes. Nationally 55.3% of voters voted "No" in the referendum compared to 44.7%, who voted "Yes" – resulting in Scotland remaining a devolved part of
1815-620: The councils. There are several joint boards for electoral registration and the purposes of property valuation for assessing council tax and rates . See also NHS Scotland Until 1 April 2014 the towns of Cambuslang and Rutherglen were in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area despite being located in South Lanarkshire. They are now part of NHS Lanarkshire. The Scottish Government has created seven "Regional Transport Partnerships", for establishing transport policy in
1870-626: The course came under the ownership of Donald Trump , the 45th President of the United States , The R&A , the governing body for golf said following the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol , that it had "no plans to stage any of its competitions at Turnberry" and would not do so "until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course itself". Other notable places of interest within South Ayrshire include: In terms of television, South Ayrshire
1925-445: The current council areas are named after them. There are also a number of other administrative divisions, some of which are handled by joint boards of the councils. At the most local level, Scotland is divided into civil parishes , which are now used only for statistical purposes such as the census. The lowest level of administrative subdivision are the communities , which may elect community councils . Traditionally burghs have been
1980-487: The decline in heavy industry in the Ayrshire area, primarily in Ayr in South Ayrshire along with Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire, has resulted in an increase in sunshine duration particularly in the winter months. Average annual rainfall totals range from less than 1,000 mm (39 in) in the upper Clyde valley and along the coasts of Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway to on average over 3,500 mm (140 in) over
2035-554: The four cities of Aberdeen , Dundee , Edinburgh , and Glasgow form separate areas from the surrounding countryside, with the Lord Provost of each city acting ex officio as the lord-lieutenant. Not shown: The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 resulted in the merger of local police and fire services on 1 April 2013 to form the Police Service of Scotland ( Scottish Gaelic : Seirbheis Phoilis na h-Alba ) and
2090-432: The higher parts of the west Highlands, approaching the maximum values found in the UK (over 4,000 millimetres or 160 inches further north). In 2022, the population of South Ayrshire stood at 112,450, with 47.8% male and 52.2% female. The population of South Ayrshire is projected to decrease by 6.5% to 105,191, whilst the population of Scotland nationally is projected to increase 2.5%. The number of children in South Ayrshire
2145-582: The key unit of the local government of Scotland , being highly autonomous entities, with rights to representation in the old Parliament of Scotland . Even after the Acts of Union 1707 , burghs continued to be the principal subdivision. Until 1889, administration was on a burgh and parish basis. The years following 1889 saw the introduction of a hierarchy of local government administration comprising counties , counties of cities , large burghs and small burghs. With effect from 16 May 1975 and until 31 March 1996
2200-399: The largest in terms of pupil numbers, with a total of 1,225 pupils attending Belmont Academy. In contrast, Carrick Academy has the smallest school roll, with a total of 391 pupils attending the school. A total of 7,441 children were enrolled in South Ayrshire's primary schools between 2023–2024, with Forehill Primary School having the largest pupil roll amongst the areas primary schools, with
2255-422: The local government divisions of Scotland consisted of an upper tier of regions each containing a lower tier of districts except for the single-tier island council areas . Since 1996 there has only been a single tier of government, and the former island council areas are of equal status to the other councils. Scotland has several other administrative divisions, some of which are handled by joint boards of
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2310-578: The pre-1975 administrative counties with Glasgow being the only current city to form a registration county. Sheriffdoms are judicial areas. Since 1 January 1975, these have been six in number: The Lieutenancy areas of Scotland are the areas used for the ceremonial lord-lieutenants , the monarch 's representatives. The areas are similar to the Historic Counties and the Registration Counties, but are not identical to either. Most notably,
2365-491: The regions. They broadly follow council area groupings. In the Eurostat Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS), Scotland is a level-1 NUTS region, coded "UKM", which is subdivided as follows: The current land registration system in Scotland divides Scotland into 33 Registration Counties , each coming into effect on various dates between 1981 and 2003. These areas in most cases resemble those of
2420-447: The river, as shown on General Roy 's map of 1750. In 1758 the estate passed to James Murray of Broughton, who sold it in 1764 to the merchant and slave-trader Richard Oswald , who built the present Auchincruive House. Robert Adam provided a design for a house to James Murray in 1764, although Oswald built the house, in modified form, in 1767. Adam's scheme for the interiors was carried out as planned. Adam also designed Oswald's Temple,
2475-412: The same area as the abolished Kyle and Carrick district, and also took over the functions of the abolished Strathclyde Regional Council within the area. The area's name references its location within the historic county of Ayrshire, which had been abolished for local government purposes in 1975 when Kyle and Carrick district and Strathclyde region had been created. In 2021, South Ayrshire submitted
2530-496: The southern part of Ayrshire . It borders onto Dumfries and Galloway , East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire . South Ayrshire had an estimated population in 2021 of 112,450, making it the 19th–largest subdivision in Scotland by population . With an area of 472 sq mi, South Ayrshire ranks as the 15th largest subdivision in Scotland. South Ayrshire's administrative centre is located in its largest town, Ayr . The headquarters for its associated political body, South Ayrshire Council ,
2585-527: The temple deteriorated, and in 2003 it was included on the Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland , its condition assessed as "very poor". By 2007, the Scottish Agricultural College , formed in 1990 from the merger of the West of Scotland College of Agriculture and other agricultural colleges, had decided to move its educational campus to a new site in Ayr. Plans to redevelop the core of the Auchincruive site as
2640-475: The title of provost . This is a largely ceremonial role, chairing council meetings and acting as the area's first citizen. Although an elected councillor, the provost is expected to be politically impartial. Political leadership is provided by the leader of the council . The head of the councils operational service is the Chief Executive Mike Newall who works with the elected representatives of
2695-558: The west wing, were made after the estate was inherited by George Oswald in 1819. In 1925 the estate was sold by the Oswalds to John Hannah, a local farmer, who bequeathed it in 1927 to the Secretary of State for Scotland , for use as the West of Scotland Agricultural College. Over the next 50 years, the college erected a number of buildings within the grounds to cater for their educational and research requirements. Oswald Hall continued in use, but
2750-510: The western coast of Scotland. The warm Gulf Stream also has a strong influence on western Scotland. With winds mainly blowing from the sea the annual mean temperatures are in the range 9.5 to 9.9 °C (49.1 to 49.8 °F) in coastal areas of South Ayrshire such as Ayr and Troon . The sea reaches its lowest temperature in February or early March so that on average February is the coldest month in some coastal parts of South Ayrshire along with
2805-422: The years and an area currently derived from an old parish might no longer contain a place previously within that parish. Similarly, county boundaries (as still used for land registration) have also changed over the years such that a parish mentioned historically (generally before the 1860s) as being in one county (or sometimes two due to straddling a border) might now be in a neighbouring county and consequentially in
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#17328770894602860-512: Was badly affected during the worldwide financial crisis from 2009 to 2012. Despite this, total Gross Value Added for South Ayrshire has seen a steady increase over the last 20 years, reaching a peak in 2015 of £2.4 billion. South Ayrshire's GVA represents 1.9% of the total Scottish Gross Value Added income which is consistent with the previous 20 years. By 2022, South Ayrshire Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimates stood at £2.710 million. The largest employment industry in South Ayrshire and Scotland
2915-417: Was established as a Royal Burgh in 1205 and is the county town of Ayrshire. It served as Ayrshire's central marketplace and harbour throughout the medieval period and was a port during the early modern period . Troon is the second largest town in South Ayrshire and is about eight miles (thirteen kilometres) north of Ayr and three miles (five kilometres) northwest of Glasgow Prestwick Airport . Troon has
2970-615: Was returned to its original name of Auchincruive House in May of 2020, the listed building records have also been updated to reflect this. The lands of Auchincruive passed from the Wallace family to the Cathcarts in 1374, although the first record of a house is in 1532, when a tower house stood on the site of the present building. The layout of the estate was formalised from 1723, to designs by William Boutcher, Sr. This included planting north and south of
3025-416: Was sold for $ 1.5m (£1.0m) to biotech company Neogen Europe to be used as its corporate offices, with its Managing Director, Dr Stephen Holmes, being a former scientist at the college. South Ayrshire South Ayrshire ( Scots : Sooth Ayrshire ; Scottish Gaelic : Siorrachd Àir a Deas , pronounced [ˈʃirˠəxk aːɾʲ ə ˈtʲes̪] ) is one of thirty-two council areas of Scotland , covering
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