Finding a hotel in East Ayrshire

Unitary authority in southwest Scotland, created in 1996 from two districts of Strathclyde region. Its area is 490 square mles (1,269 sq. km.) ) nearly 70 per cent being devoted to agriculture and largely given over to dairy farming and the production of beef and sheep. The population is around 121,000. The administrative centre is Kilmarnock. It borders onto North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway.

Geography

The county is predominantly low-lying and undulating in the north but mountainous toward the south. It has Loch Doon and the major rivers are the Irvine, Cessnock, Afton and Doon. The highest points are Blackcraig Hill (2,298 ft) and Loudoun Hill.

Industry

Many of the settlements developed during the 19th century in association with coal mining and the manufacture of textiles. Today the main industries are textiles, light engineering, food and drink, printing, dairy farming, sheep, beef cattle.

History

East Ayrshire became a separate Local Government Area in 1996. Between 1975 and 1996 it formed the districts of Kilmarnock and Loudon and Cumnock and Doon Valley in Strathclyde Region.

Places of interest

Loch Doon, Loch Doon Castle, Sorn Castle, Scottish Industrial Railway Centre.