Scotland Guide
Southern Scotland
Ayrshire
The rolling hills and rich soil of Ayrshire ( 
www.ayrshire-arran.com ) make for prime farming country, and as such are not really top of most visitors' Scottish itinerary. Ayr, the county town and birthplace of Robert Burns, is handsome enough, but won't distract you for long. Most folk wisely stick to the coastline, attracted by the wide, flat sandy beaches and the region's vast number of golf courses. South of Ayr, the most obvious points of interest are Culzean Castle, with its Robert Adam interior and extensive wooded grounds, and the offshore islands of Ailsa Craig, home to the world's second largest gannetry.
Ailsa Craig
If the weather's half decent, it's impossible to miss the views of the island of Ailsa Craig, which lies ten miles off the south Ayrshire coast in the middle of the Firth of Clyde. The island's name means "Fairy Rock" in Gaelic, though the island looks more like an enormous muffin than a place of enchantment. It would certainly have been less than enchanting for the persecuted Catholics who escaped to the island during the Reformation. The island's granite has long been used for making what many consider to be the finest curling stones, and in the late nineteenth century, 29 people lived on the island, either working in the quarry or at the Stevenson lighthouse. With its volcanic, columnar cliffs and 1114ft summit, Ailsa Craig is now a bird sanctuary – home to some 40,000 gannets. The best time to make the trip is at the end of May and in June when the fledglings are learning to fly.
Several companies in Girvan offer cruises round the island, but only Mark McCrindle, who also organizes sea-angling trips, is licensed to land (May to late Sept 1–2 daily; 
01465/713219, www.ailsacraig.org.uk ). It takes about an hour to reach the island, after which you get enough time to walk up to the summit of the rock and watch the birds, weather permitting. The exact timings and prices depend on the length of trip, tides and weather; booking ahead is essential.