I stay around 8 miles from Ayr so we often take a trip down to the beach with the children for a little time out of the house. We stay in a village that is close to Ayr, Prestwick and Troon meaning we have a choice of beaches to visit and Ayr is by far our favourite.
Parking
Most of town centre is pay per hour for your parking so I was surprised on our first visit that along the length of Ayr beach roughly about two miles worth of parking space. This is completely free and unless you go on a really hot day you will find it rather easy to find a space.
Cleanliness
I find that Ayr is one of the cleanest beaches in Ayrshire each morning it is cleaned of litter and generally kept nice and fresh. The beach is lovely and sandy there are area of rocks and stones but these are minimal and on the whole the beach is full of lovely sand. This makes it perfect for building sand castles, having picnics and generally relaxing while the children enjoy themselves. We find although the water is not perfect it is great for paddling and on warmer days my children and I often go for a paddle in the sea .There are bins scattered around the area and also benches on the opposite side of the road to enjoy the lovely views and great for picnics. The steps and ramps that lead to the beach although a little steep are kept clean and clear meaning you can access the beach safely and it is a great welcoming. There is a lot of dog walkers that like to walk along Ayr beach and I was a little worried there would be dog mess everywhere but generally the owners are responsible and the mess is cleared up although I have seen a few people that have no care for others and let their dog do their business and then just walk away.
Views
When the weather is nice the beach offers lovely views across to Arran which when the sun is setting in particular really are outstanding. As long as you go when it is not too busy the whole area is perfect for relaxing and enjoying the views of both the beach, sea, Arran and the countryside surrounding. It is peaceful and lovely for walking along, cycling or picnics and fun.
Local amenities
Ayr beach is around a ten minute walk away from the town centre meaning you can enjoy the beach and then take a walk in to town for food or shopping. There is a kiosk that sits opposite the beach which sells snack, buckets and spades and sweeties meaning you do not have to go too far if you have forgotten something. Also close by is pirate Pete's which is an indoor play area so if the weather turns bad there is always something for the children to do this includes a small fair area next door to it that although only has a few rides is perfect for younger children.There is a large green area across the road from the main area of the beach which in the summer is hoist to fairs, the circus, and country dancing and is great for family fun like playing ball games or just generally playing about. There is also an arcade about a five minute walk away from the beach and a number of restaurants and fish and chip shops if you get hungry. One of the best things close by to the beach is the play park which is located just across the road it is huge and has lots of different sections for different age ranges.There is a play area with swings a small climbing frame with a slide and a few other rockers and such for the younger children to play. For the older children there is a zip line, a huge climbing frame with long shoots for them to slide down and lots of other activities including spinning chairs and swings.
My children absolutely love this park it is covered with sand which adds to the beach feel and really is a great park for any child we often drive to Ayr beach just for the park itself even of the weather is not nice enough to spend the day on the beach.
Negatives
My only downside is when the sun even shows slightly everyone runs for Ayr beach meaning even on a fairly warm day it is swamped with visitors and the space that we love suddenly disappears. This has an impact on all the local amenities meaning if it is a nice hot day we often visit Prestwick beach instead as it is a lot quieter and you are able to enjoy yourself a lot more.
Getting there
As it is a ten minute walks from Ayr town centre it is easily accessible by busses which run regularly from many different areas of Scotland. If you are driving it is perfect to get too from Troon, Prestwick, Irvine and many other local areas as well as from Glasgow and Edinburgh We found it to be sign posted well and easy to find once you enter Ayr. As the train station is located in the middle of Ayr town centre this means it is only a fifteen minute walk from the train station to the beach making it easy to get to from just about anywhere and as there are many things to do close by including golf you really can make a full day of it.
Overall
We absolutely love Ayr beach it is a lovely clean beach with plenty of space to enjoy yourself. Even when the tide is in there is a fair amount of beach left to enjoy and it is a really relaxing day out. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a beach in Ayrshire there is lots to do nearby if the weather turns bad. The beach and the park are our favourites although there is something for everyone nearby. I would say if you are ever in the area to check the beach out even if it is for a short time although we could easily spend a whole day there.
