North Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Àir a Tuath, ) is one of 32

council areas For local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" ( gd, comhairlean), which are all governed by single-tier authorities designated as "councils". They have the option under the Local Government (Ga ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. The council area borders

Inverclyde Inverclyde ( sco, Inerclyde, gd, Inbhir Chluaidh, , "mouth of the Clyde") is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the hist ...

to the north,

Renfrewshire Renfrewshire () ( sco, Renfrewshire; gd, Siorrachd Rinn Friù) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfr ...

and

East Renfrewshire East Renfrewshire ( sco, Aest Renfrewshire; gd, Siorrachd Rinn Friù an Ear) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. Until 1975, it formed part of the county of Renfrewshire for local government purposes along with the modern council areas ...

to the northeast, and

East Ayrshire East Ayrshire ( sco, Aest Ayrshire; gd, Siorrachd Àir an Ear) is one of thirty-two council areas of Scotland. It shares borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. The headquar ...

and

South Ayrshire South Ayrshire ( sco, Sooth Ayrshire; gd, Siorrachd Àir a Deas, ) is one of thirty-two council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire. On 30 June 2 ...

to the east and south respectively. The local authority is North Ayrshire Council, formed in 1997 and following similar boundaries to the district of

Cunninghame Cunninghame ( gd, Coineagan) is a former comital district of Scotland and also a district of the Strathclyde Region from 1975 to 1996. Historic Cunninghame The origin of the name (along with the surname ''Cunningham'') is uncertain. The endi ...

. Located in the west

central Lowlands The Central Lowlands, sometimes called the Midland Valley or Central Valley, is a geologically defined area of relatively low-lying land in southern Scotland. It consists of a rift valley between the Highland Boundary Fault to the north and ...

with the

Firth of Clyde The Firth of Clyde is the mouth of the River Clyde. It is located on the west coast of Scotland and constitutes the deepest coastal waters in the British Isles (it is 164 metres deep at its deepest). The firth is sheltered from the Atlantic ...

to its west, the council area covers the northern portion of the historic county of

Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...

, in addition to the islands forming Buteshire. It has a population of roughly people. with its largest settlements at Irvine and

Kilwinning Kilwinning (, sco, Kilwinnin; gd, Cill D’Fhinnein) is a town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is on the River Garnock, north of Irvine, about southwest of Glasgow. It is known as "The Crossroads of Ayrshire". Kilwinning was also a Civil Pa ...

History and formation

The area was created in 1996 as a successor to the district of Cunninghame. The council headquarters are located in Irvine, which is the largest town. The area also contains the towns of

Ardrossan Ardrossan (; ) is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in southwestern Scotland. The town has a population of 10,670 and forms part of a conurbation with Saltcoats and Stevenston known as the ' Three Towns'. Ardrossan is located on the east shore ...

, Beith, Dalry,

Kilbirnie Kilbirnie ( Gaelic: ''Cill Bhraonaigh'') is a small town of 7,280 (as of 2001) inhabitants situated in the Garnock Valley area of North Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland. It is around southwest of Glasgow and approximately from Paisle ...

Largs Largs ( gd, An Leargaidh Ghallda) is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" (''An Leargaidh'') in Scottish Gaelic. A popular seaside resort with a pier, the town mark ...

, Saltcoats,

Skelmorlie Skelmorlie is a village in North Ayrshire in the south-west of Scotland. Although it is the northernmost settlement in the council area of North Ayrshire, it is contiguous with Wemyss Bay, which is in Inverclyde. The dividing line is the Kelly ...

, Stevenston,

West Kilbride West Kilbride ( gd, Cille Bhrìghde an Iar) is a village and historic parish in North Ayrshire, Scotland, on the west coast by the Firth of Clyde, looking across the Firth of Clyde to Goat Fell and the Isle of Arran. West Kilbride and adjoinin ...

, as well as the Isle of Arran and Great and Little Cumbrae. The Isle of Arran covers nearly half of the council area's territory, but is home to less than 4% of the population. North Ayrshire is known for its rural countryside, coastlines, beaches and landmarks. The towns in the north of the area, Skelmorlie, Largs, Fairlie and West Kilbride are affluent commuting towns and with them being on the coast, are very popular with tourists during the summer months. Towns in the south include Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston. Towards the south of the area is Kilwinning and Irvine, the main settlement and largest town in the area. The inland towns of Dalry, Kilbirnie and Beith were steel towns with large steel mills, but these are long gone. Tourism is the main industry on Arran and Cumbrae; however, the number of holiday homes on the latter has begun to squeeze locals out of the housing market. Regeneration is currently taking place at Ardrossan Harbour and Irvine town centre, and there has been a rapid increase in the construction of new housing in recent years.

Kelburn Castle Kelburn Castle is a large house near Fairlie, North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is the seat of the Earl of Glasgow. Originally built in the thirteenth century (the original keep forms the core of the house) it was remodelled in the sixteenth century. ...

, Fairlie, is the home of the 10th Earl of Glasgow, Patrick Robin Archibald Boyle. The grounds have belonged to the Boyle family since the 1100s. In 2007, the castle was transformed by the Graffiti Project.

Isle of Arran

From the 17th to the late 20th century, Arran was part of the

County of Bute The County of Bute ( gd, Siorrachd Bhòid), also known as Buteshire, is a historic county and registration county of Scotland. The county comprises a number of islands in the Firth of Clyde, between the counties of Argyll and Ayrshire, the p ...

. After the 1975 reorganisation of local government, Arran became part of the district of

Strathclyde Strathclyde ( in Gaelic, meaning "strath (valley) of the River Clyde") was one of nine former local government regions of Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and abolished in 1996 by the Local Government et ...

Region. This two-tier system of local government lasted until 1996 when the

Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 The Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 (c. 39) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the current local government structure of 32 unitary authorities covering the whole of Scotland. It abolished the two-tie ...

came into effect, abolishing the regions and districts and replacing them with 32

. Arran is now in the North Ayrshire council area, along with some of the other constituent islands of the former County of Bute. For some statistical purposes Arran is within the

registration county A registration county was, in Great Britain and Ireland, a statistical unit used for the registration of births, deaths and marriages and for the output of census information. In Scotland registration counties are used for land registration purpose ...

of Bute, and for ceremonial purposes it forms part of the

lieutenancy area Lieutenancy areas are the separate areas of the United Kingdom appointed a lord-lieutenant – a representative of the British monarch. In many cases they have similar demarcation and naming to, but are not necessarily coterminate with, the co ...

Ayrshire and Arran Ayrshire and Arran is a lieutenancy area of Scotland. It consists of the council areas of East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and South Ayrshire. The area of Ayrshire and Arran is also a brand for tourist attractions. The area has joint electoral, ...

. In the House of Commons, since 2005 it has been part of the Ayrshire North and Arran constituency, represented since 2015 by

Patricia Gibson Patricia Gibson (born 12 May 1968) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician serving as SNP Spokesperson for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since December 2022. She served as the SNP Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities ...

of the SNP. It is marginal between the SNP and the

Scottish Conservatives The Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party ( gd, Pàrtaidh Tòraidheach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Tory an Unionist Pairty), often known simply as the Scottish Conservatives and colloquially as the Scottish Tories, is a centre-right political par ...

. It had been part of Cunninghame North from 1983 to 2005, and of Ayrshire North and Bute from 1918 to 1983. In the

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...

, Arran is part of the constituency of Cunninghame North, currently represented by Kenneth Gibson of the

Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...

(SNP). The Labour Party held the seat until 2007, when the SNP gained it by 48 votes, making it the most marginal seat in Holyrood until 2011, when the SNP increased its majority to 6,117 over Labour.

Economy

A View From Millport Isle Of Cumbrae - panoramio

North Ayrshire has a slightly higher level of unemployment compared to the Scottish average. North Ayrshire launched an Economic Recovery and Renewal Strategy in September 2020 focusing on economic recovery and a renewal approach which aims to sets out a comprehensive plan for an inclusive and green economic recovery for North Ayrshire. A £8.8 million Investment Fund will be used as a key element of a Green New Deal by: * Maximising renewable energy generation using the council's land and assets * The creation of a new Green Jobs Fund to ensure a just transition for North Ayrshire; * Investing in commercial estate including improving sustainability; * Tackling vacant and derelict land and buildings in town centres; * Supporting community economic development including through community regeneration and ownership * A tree-planting programme to support carbon absorption In May 2020, North Ayrshire Council became the first council in Scotland to become a Community Wealth Building (CWB) Council, setting out a new economic model focused on wellbeing and inclusion. North Ayrshire Council seeks to use Community Wealth Building objectives to support the recovery and renewal of North Ayrshire by creating an economy that works for people, place and planet. The North Ayrshire approach will see the creation of a new £660,000 Community Wealth Building Business Fund to provide assistance to local business and facilitating the development of co-operatives, employee ownership and social enterprises, supporting local supply chains, fair employment, digital adoption and the transition to a green economy. North Ayrshire is to benefit from the Ayrshire Growth Deal, an economic plan created by both the Scottish Government and

UK Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_es ...

. The £250 million Ayrshire Growth Deal is also central to the plans to support economic recovery through a bold and ambitious investment programme to create and secure jobs within the area of North Ayrshire.

Government

The SNP formed a minority administration in the North Ayrshire council area in May 2012, however, they were replaced by the Labour Party following a by-election in Irvine West in 2016. At the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

, North Ayrshire is covered by the

Central Ayrshire Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

and

North Ayrshire and Arran North Ayrshire and Arran is a constituency of the British House of Commons, located in the south-west of Scotland within the North Ayrshire council area. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) at least once every five years using the first-pa ...

Parliamentary constituencies, both of which are represented by MPs belonging to the

. In the

, the council area is divided into Cunninghame North and Cunninghame South, both represented by MSPs from the Scottish National Party.

Wards

As of 2017, the council area is divided into ten multi-member wards returning 33 members, composed as follows:Council Area: North Ayrshire
Scottish Government Statistics * Irvine West (4 seats) * Irvine East (3 seats) *

(4 seats) * Stevenston (3 seats) * Ardrossan and Arran (3 seats) * Dalry and West Kilbride (3 seats) * Kilbirnie and Beith (3 seats) * North Coast and Cumbraes (4 seats) * Saltcoats (3 seats) * Irvine South (3 seats)

Towns and villages

The main administration centre and largest settlement in North Ayrshire is Irvine, a new town on the coast of the

, with a population of 33,698. The second biggest settlement is Kilwinning which has a population of over 18,000. Other major population centres include

, and the '

Three Towns Three Towns is a term used to refer to several groups of towns. United Kingdom There are several groups of towns in the United Kingdom referred to as the Three Towns, many of which form contiguous settlements, or are in close proximity to each ...

' -

, Saltcoats and Stevenston. On the Isle of Arran, the largest village is Lamlash and there are numerous smaller villages. On

Great Cumbrae Great Cumbrae ( sco, Muckle Cumbrae; gd, Cumaradh Mòr; also known as Great Cumbrae Island, Cumbrae or the Isle of Cumbrae) is the larger of the two islands known as The Cumbraes in the lower Firth of Clyde in western Scotland. The island is ...

, the only town on the island is Millport.

Towns (mainland)

* Beith * Dalry * Irvine *

* Saltcoats * Stevenston *

Villages (mainland)

Irvine's steeples, North Ayrshire, Scotland

* Ardeer *

Auchentiber The hamlet of Auchentiber (Scottish Gaelic, ''Achadh an Tiobair'') is in North Ayrshire, Parish of Kilwinning, Scotland. Auchentiber is northeast of Kilwinning on the Lochlibo Road, from the hamlet of Burnhouse and from the village of Barrmil ...

Barrmill Barrmill is a small village in North Ayrshire, Scotland about east of Beith on the road to Burnhouse and Lugton. Locally it is known as the ''Barr''.Reid, Donald L. (2009). ''Discovering Matthew Anderson. Policeman-Poet of Ayrshire''. Beith : ...

Benslie Benslie is a small village in North Ayrshire, in the parish of Kilwinning, Scotland. Map reference NS 336 429. History This village, previously Benislay (1205),Eglinton Country Park archive. Beinslay (Timothy Pont 1604 - 08), Pont, Timothy (16 ...

Dreghorn Dreghorn is a village in North Ayrshire, Scotland, east of Irvine town centre, on the old main road from Irvine to Kilmarnock. It is sited on a ridge between two rivers. As archaeological excavations near the village centre have found a signifi ...

Drybridge Drybridge is a small village in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Drybridge is thus named because of the "dry bridge" over the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway, opened in 1812. The nearby "wet bridge" is the Laigh Milton Viaduct, the oldest surviving railway ...

* Fairlie * Gateside * Girdle Toll * Glengarnock * Longbar *

* Springside * Stanecastle

Suburbs (mainland)

* Barkip *

Broomlands Broomlands is district of Irvine in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Situated on a series of bends in the River Annick, Broomlands and its original features are now almost lost within the south- Bourtreehill and Broomlands housing scheme. Histor ...

Bourtreehill Bourtreehill is a large housing estate built by the Irvine Development Corporation (IDC) in the late 1970s which forms part of the Irvine New Town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. The estate has two main parts, known as Bourtreehill North and Bour ...

Burnhouse Burnhouse, sometimes known locally as The Trap from "Man Trap", is a small village or hamlet in North Ayrshire, Parish of Beith, Scotland. It lies on a crossroads of old B706 and the more recent A736 Lochlibo Road, between Lugton and Torranyard. ...

* Castlepark * Crosbie *

Chapeltoun Chapeltoun is an estate on the banks of the Annick Water in East Ayrshire, a rural area of Scotland famous for its milk and cheese production and the Ayrshire or Dunlop breed of cattle. Templeton and the Knights Templar The feudal allocatio ...

Cunninghamhead Cunninghamhead is a hamlet on the Annick Water in the Parish of Dreghorn, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The area was part of the old Cunninghamhead estate, and once contained several watermills. Cunninghamhead and the mills on the Annick Water The ...

Dalgarven The tiny village of Dalgarven in North Ayrshire, Scotland is located just north of Kilwinning on the road to Dalry, Ayrshire, Dalry. History In 1881 some two hundred people lived in the village, the mill being at its heart, with a Sunday schoo ...

* Drakemyre * Eglinton * Fergushill *

Fullarton Fullarton is a small area in Irvine, North Ayrshire. It is situated close to Irvine Bay and is next to several industrial estates, large supermarkets and retail stores and the town centre itself. Stagecoach Western buses operate the local bus s ...

Giffordland Giffordland is in North Ayrshire, Parish of Dalry (Cunninghame) in the former Region of Strathclyde, Scotland. Background Giffordland was a small barony, but the families associated with it played an active part in the history of feudal Sc ...

* Greenhills *

Hessilhead hamlet Hessilhead hamlet or Haselet is a small settlement or clachan in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is situated to the east of the town of Beith and stands on the course of the Dusk Water that once drove the local mill. Hazlehead or Hasslehead are also ...

* Highfield *

Hunterston Hunterston, by the Firth of Clyde, is a coastal area in Ayrshire, Scotland. It is the seat and estate of the Hunter family. As an area of flat land adjacent to deep natural water, it has been the site of considerable actual and proposed industri ...

* Kelburn *

Lawthorn Lawthorn is a hamlet near Perceton in Strathannick, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The settlement lies on the old Irvine to Stewarton toll road. History Lawthorn hamlet The Annick Water flows between the village of Perceton and the hamle ...

* Lylestone *

Meigle Meigle ( gd, Mìgeil, ) is a village in Strathmore, Scotland. It lies in the council area of Perth and Kinross in the Coupar Angus and Meigle ward. It lies on the A94 road between Perth and Forfar. Other smaller settlements nearby are Balk ...

Meikle Auchengree Meikle Auchengree is a hamlet near Kilbirnie and Longbar in North Ayrshire, Scotland. History Meikle Auchengree is east of Glengarnock in Dalry parish. The hamlet is situated at the north end of the Auchengree Road which runs between the B ...

Montgreenan Montgreenan is an estate in North Ayrshire, Parish of Kilwinning, Scotland. The Lugton Water runs through the policies and farmland of Montgreenan. Nearby are the hamlets of Torranyard and Auchentiber. The Lands of Montgreenan The name 'Gre ...

Nettlehirst Nettlehirst or Nettlehurst was a small mansion house (NS365504) and estate in the Parish of Beith, near Barrmill in North Ayrshire, Scotland. The house was built in 1844 and burned down in 1932. Nettlehirst House and estate The 1856 OS map sho ...

Perceton Perceton is a medieval settlement and old country estate in North Ayrshire, Scotland, near the town of Irvine. The ruined church in Perceton is one of the oldest buildings in the Irvine district. The earliest legible gravestone dates from 1698, t ...

Portencross Portencross ( gd, Port na Crois) is a hamlet near Farland Head in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Situated about west of Seamill and about south of Hunterston B nuclear power station, it is noted for Portencross Castle. It has two harbours and a ...

* Routenburn *

Seamill Seamill is a village in North Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland, about 5 miles north of Ardrossan and 8 miles south of Largs, on the east coast of the Firth of Clyde. It is sometimes considered part of West Kilbride, and sometimes conside ...

* Sevenacres * Shewalton *

Torranyard Torranyard is a small village or hamlet in North Ayrshire, Parish of Kilwinning, Scotland. It lies between the settlements of Auchentiber and Irvine on the A736 Lochlibo Road. History Torranyard is a hamlet at what is now a crossroads on the ...

Villages (Isle of Arran)

* Birchburn *

Blackwaterfoot Blackwaterfoot ( gd, Bun na Uisge Dubh ) is a village on the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. The village is within the parish of Kilmory. It is located in the Shiskine valley in the south-west of the island. It is one of the small ...

Brodick Brodick ( , gd, Tràigh a' Chaisteil ("Castle Beach") or ''Breadhaig'') is the main village on the Isle of Arran, in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. It is halfway along the east coast of the island, in Brodick Bay below Goat Fell, the tallest ...

Catacol Catacol ( gd, Catagal) is a small village on the Isle of Arran, Scotland. Geography Catacol is located on the north west side of the island, just a few miles along the coastal road from Lochranza that continues on to Blackwaterfoot. It derives ...

Cladach ''Note: ''Cladach'' is a general Scottish Gaelic word for "beach" or "shore" and occurs in many Scottish placenames'' Cladach ( gd, An Cladach) is a tiny settlement on the Isle of Arran, Scotland. The settlement is within the parish of Kilbride. ...

* Corrie * Dippen * Kildonan * Kilmory * Lagg * Lamlash * Lochranza *

Machrie Machrie ( gd, Am Machaire) is a village on the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. Machrie Bay can be found on the West Coast. The village is within the parish of Kilmory. It is most well known for its Standing Stones that are a loca ...

Pirnmill Pirnmill ( gd, Muileann nam Piùirneachan) is a small village on the north-west coast of the Isle of Arran, Scotland. The village is situated on the Kilbrannan Sound, facing Grogport on the Kintyre peninsula. Located within the parish of Kilmo ...

Sannox Sannox ( gd, Sannaig) is a village on the Isle of Arran, Scotland. The village is within the parish of Kilbride. The name comes from the name the Vikings gave to the area, ''Sandvik'', meaning the Sandy Bay. History Within North Glen Sannox it i ...

Shiskine Shiskine ( gd, An t-Seasgann) is a small village on the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. The village is within the parish of Kilmory. Sitting further up the "Shiskine Valley" from the village of Blackwaterfoot, the village takes its ...

* Sliddery *

Whitefarland Whitefarland ( gd, An Aoirinn) is a clachan on the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of ...

Whiting Bay Whiting Bay ( gd, Eadar Dhà Rubha, "between two headlands") is a village located on the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland south of Lamlash and south of Brodick. It is the island of Arran's third largest settlement behind Lamlash an ...

Settlements (Great Cumbrae)

* Millport

Places of interest

* Barrmill Park *

Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park is the collective name for areas of countryside set aside for conservation and recreation on the South Clyde estuary in Scotland. The park covers an area of of Inverclyde, North Ayrshire and Renfrewshire, stretchi ...

Eglinton Country Park Eglinton Country Park is located on the grounds of the old Eglinton Castle estate in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland (map reference NS 3227 4220). Eglinton Park is situated in the parish of Kilwinning, part of the former district of Cunni ...

, Irvine * Eglinton Tournament Bridge *

Irvine Harbour The harbours serving Irvine at Seagatefoot and Fullarton in North Ayrshire have had a long and complex history. Irvine's harbour was one of the most important ports in Scotland in the 16th century. Across from the main harbour at Fullarton on th ...

* Spier's Old School Grounds

References

External links

* {{Authority control Council areas of Scotland Highlands and Islands of Scotland Firth of Clyde