A Look Back At Ayrshire Harbours

The harbours and piers of Ayrshire have a long and interesting history. The old creeks where boats could be landed on the shingle shore, and the river mouth shelters were gradually developed to become busy ports, in some cases notable for the importation and export of goods. Docks at Ayr, Troon and Ardrossan vied for the west of Scotland trade, and the smaller harbours of Girvan, Dunure and Maidens became important fishing centres. Piers at Fairlie and Portencross were developed with the Victorian pastime of Clyde cruising, and in recent decades sailing yachts have resulted in the creation of marinas.