Ayr We Go (Ayr in General)

Member Name: generalcoburn

Product:	Ayr in General
Date:	15/08/09 (24 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Beach, Nice Picnic Area at Low Green

Disadvantages: Highstreet Clone Town, Needs some Renovation, Difficulty Parking

Auld Ayr, a nostalgic sea side town with lots of history where you can go and relax with a stock of rock and a walk along the shore, take in the shops in the town and visit the attractions.

Or an outdated town with many closed businesses, little parking and a promenade with eyesore buildings in desperate need of renovation.

First of all this review won't give any hotel prices or places to stay etc... You can easily find out this information which suits your budget yourself, what I intend to do is help you decide if you want to visit, I am looking to capture the essence of a place.

There is a reasonable road network leading into Ayr and adequate signage to tell you where to park the problems begin when you find a car park and notice the neon full sign, further forraging will hopefully result in success.

Once on foot you most likely will head for the town centre which is pedestrianised except for when someone decides to drive through it, usually when you're not looking.

The shops in this area could be from any town in the uk, the usual highstreet fare dotted with one or two "shortbread and rock" shops, further up the new Ayr Central Shopping Centre is now open but again its a cloned highstreet special, it is nice with a pavement cafe and some seating though. Across the street in the kyle centre its much of the same in an enclosed mall of quite small/average size.

The Sandgate is probably the second busiest street in the town, Its very nice nearing the top end with some historical old buildings and has some interesting wares.

Heading for the beach you will be impressed by the courthouse building and the Pavilion, a great example of a traditional seaside dance hall, it now plays host to a large indoor kids play area, this is reasonable and has a good reputation. The outside playpark right on the beach is huge and gives a good choice of things for the kids to do, this is free.

One of the features of this area is the low green, a large grass area behind the promenade road which plays host to many summer activities like giant kite flying and pipe bands etc, the road along the prom is the most traffic calmed road I know, this is to deter the youngsters with their huge stereos with cars attached from aimlessly driving up and down, it didn't work.

Onto the beach itself, A glorious long golden stretch of sand, very little rubbish and some clean looking water, It has had a large clean up recently and looks hoovered, well worth a visit.

Eating and drinking wise in Ayr there are numerous restaurants and cafes some of which you wouldn't enter and some you'd enjoy, I'd recommend the wellington cafe at the very top of the sandgate for their perfect fish supper, there is a large niteclub scene and its well serviced there.

Around the area there is bags of history from Rabbie Burns house in alloway, to Dunure castle and the electric brae through to Turnberry Golf Course.

Ayr has some lovely buildings, streets and views it has some good eating places, there is a great beach and lots of history, shop wise there's nothing to offer an experience different from your local town and it would benefit from some major renovations in some areas like the cobbled area behind the lorne arcade to the few boarded up shops and cleaner toilets.

Should you visit ? Shop Locally, but if you fancy a day at the beach you will be pushed to find better, go its got character.

Summary: Have a nice day at the Beach