Ayrshire offers much more than just walking and cycling activities. There are many sporting, recreational and leisure opportunities throughout the county. As you browse the maps accessed from the Find A Path section you can click on the Activities button to learn more about specific activities in that area. Here are just some of the activities to be enjoyed in Ayrshire:

Ayrshire is perhaps most famous for its golf courses. From traditional Links to lush parkland courses there is something for every standard of golfer. Perhaps you want to follow in the footsteps of the legends at Turnberry, Troon and Prestwick, or maybe experience the many municipal courses across the county. You can hire equipment and enlist the expertise of a caddy, or gain some important tuition from one of the resident professionals. No break in Ayrshire is complete without a visit to one of its fine golf courses, if only to watch the golfers searching for their ball in the heather.

As well as the various paths and cycle routes around the county Ayrshire is on part of the National Cycle Route. Route 7 passes into Ayrshire from the Galloway Forest and travels through Maybole, Ayr, Prestwick, Troon, Irvine and Kilwinning. In addition a spur route has been formed linking Kilmarnock to the National Cycle route via a pathway to Irvine, route 73. You can also take an additional spur route 73 from Kilwinning to Ardrossan to catch the ferry to Arran.

Ayrshire is a traditional fishing area with fishing ports along the coats. Nowadays the commercial fishing boats are limited to harbours such as Girvan and Troon. You can still go sea fishing with a number of private operators. Inland there fine river and loch fishing sites. You can obtain a ticket for the day, get a few lessons in fly fishing, or tackle some rainbow and brown trout on a well-stocked private loch.

Canada may be the home of hockey but Prestwick is the home of the champion ice hockey team the Scottish Eagles. In 1998 they became the first ever British Team to win four trophies in one season. The Centrum in Prestwick is the venue for many of the big national hockey events and teams from as far afield as Bracknell and Sheffield battle it out on the oval ice at Prestwick. If you fancy a go yourself check with the venue for details of family skating times. You can also sharpen up your ice skills at the Magnum in Irvine, whether its figure skating, curling on just plain falling over.

The history and architecture of Ayrshire dates back thousands of years. On some of the walks you will encounter evidence of iron age forts, 16th century farm buildings, castles, keeps and fine country houses. The history of the region tells the story of the Covenanters, the smugglers, the rich landowners and the peasant farmers, one of which who grew to become Scotland's own Bard, Rabbie Burns. If you get the opportunity to read a bit about the history of Ayrshire and its people, your walks through the county will be even more enriched.

While you are in Ayrshire why not sample our 'other' national sport, football. Golf may be the biggest participation sport but when it comes to spectators, nothing beats the pull of football. Drop in to see Ayr United or Kilmarnock playing at home. Or watch some of tomorrow's champions honing their skills at one of the many youth fixtures each weekend throughout the season. Of course no visit to a match is complete without a Scotch pie.

Even if you are not a 'twitcher' birdwatching is an essential part of any walk along the paths and trails of Ayrshire. Take your binoculars and a simple bird identification book to add a further interest to a family day out. Ayrshire has a diversity of bird life due to its combination of shore, estuary, river, forest, moorland and loch features. In addition to indigenous species there are many migrants who visit en-route. Visit the harbour at Irvine, the mouth of the River Boon and walk along the River Ayr at Auchincruive for just a sample of the 200 or more types of bird that can be seen in Ayrshire.

Ayrshire is a popular equestrian area which centres around the Ayr Races. Events such as the Ayr Gold Cup in September and the Scottish Grand National brings thousands of race enthusiasts and top quality horses from across the country. If you are early enough you may see some of the finest race horses exercising along the beach at Ayr. Ayrshire is also home to one of Europe's top indoor equestrian centres near Dundonald.



The sea has always had a great significance for the people of Ayrshire providing employment, food, access to trade and links to the outside world. Nowadays you are more likely to see people having fun on the water. Walk along the seafront at Largs and you will see all types of craft from wind-surfers and sailboats to cruisers, ferries and, if you are lucky, the last sea-going steamship in the world, the Waverley. You may also see the local diving club setting off from the lifeboat station perhaps to dive on the wreckage of Sunderland Flying Boats just off the coast. Check with the local tourist board for details.