Ayr Central Conservation Area Character Appraisal - South Ayrshire ...

Ayr Central Conservation Area Character Appraisal
Part One
Reasons for location
The natural harbour at the mouth of the River Ayr and the fordable nature of the river
immediately upstream were probably the principal reasons for the location of a town at Ayr.
The fords across the river enabled the convergence of several land routes at this point: north
from Irvine and Glasgow, north-east from Kilmarnock, east from Cumnock, south-east from
Castle Douglas, and south-west from Girvan and Stranraer.
Regional context
Ayr is situated on the south west coast of Scotland on the Firth of Clyde at the mouth of the
River Ayr with a population of 46,431 (census 2001). It is the administrative, business and
judicial centre of South Ayrshire Council and serves a mainly rural hinterland from Dundonald
in the north to Ballantrae in the south. It is identified in the National Planning Framework as
part of a Core Investment Area with the towns of Kilmarnock and Irvine in the neighbouring
Local Authorities. It is 35 miles south-south west of Glasgow and has strong economic and
cultural links with the Glasgow City Region. The town is connected by rail and road (the
A77) to Stranraer and Kilmarnock, the M77 to Glasgow and is a hub for the local bus service.
Ayr’s close proximity to Glasgow Prestwick International Airport makes it a key gateway to
Scotland, strengthened by the harbour links with Ireland and the Continent. Ayr is home to
three institutions of further education; Ayr College; University of the West of Scotland, Ayr
Campus; and the Scottish Agricultural College.
Geology
Ayr is situated within the relatively low-lying central part of Scotland between the Grampian
Highlands and the Southern Uplands known as the Midland Valley.
Defined in the north by the Highland Boundary Fault and in the south by the Southern Upland
Fault the Midland Valley has the structure of an ancient rift valley. The floor of the Midland
Valley comprises rocks of mainly Devonian and Carboniferous age of both sedimentary and
igneous origin.
Physiographically the Midland Valley is diverse and comprises areas of low-lying farmland
and upland moor.
Ayr is situated on the western edge of one of the largest lowland areas (below 180m) The
solid geology is the sedimentary formation Westphalian (Coal Measures) that extends under
the sea to the west. The drift geology is Pleistocene raised beach alluvium.
Topography
Ayr lies midpoint of a sweeping bay, characterised as a raised beach, which extends from
Troon in the north to the Heads of Ayr in the south. The topography is typical of a raised
beach being relatively level with a gentle fall from east to west. A distinctive aspect of the
coastal scenery of South Ayrshire is the pronounced platform created by the raised beach
and the dramatic cliff line of the Heads of Ayr.
Ayr has grown up on the floodplain of the River Ayr, which flows across the raised beach
from east to west dividing the town into northern and southern parts. To the east of the A79
Bridge crossing the River Ayr flows within a natural valley that is in places deep where the
erosive action of the river has worn down through the soft raised beach alluvium. East of
the A79 Bridge crossing the river is channelled between walls that protect the town from
flooding.
The topography of the Conservation Area and the potential additions is typified as being
relatively level with a gentle fall towards the coast.
11