The Ayrshire Coast
By Alistair Keddie
30 Sep 2008
Ayrshire lies in the south west of Scotland and offers many opportunities for coastal photography. Though it's reasonably well populated and built up, in places it still has many secluded beaches, harbours, rocky coves and sea cliffs as well as a host of ruined castles along its length. The Ayrshire coast also has an abundance of offshore islands like Arran, the Cumbraes and Aisla Craig, an iconic pyramid of rock which juts from the Firth of Clyde and is visible on the horizon from most parts. These islands, along with views across to the Mull of Kintyre and, in places, Ireland, give the horizon quite a Hebridean feel and make them seem much remoter than they actually are, especially at dusk or in the twilight of dawn.
The Ayrshire coast faces due west which means it lights best in the evening and what a light it can sometimes catch! A strong low golden sun casting long and deep shadow which brings out the form, colour and character of the land. Its one of the things I identify most with this coast and definitely worth aiming for. It's not particular to any one time of year though it's probably best in Spring and Autumn. It's also a great coast at dusk and in the twilight particularly throughout the summer months when it stays light well into the late evening or in the early morning when the islands in the Firth of Clyde light up.
In the north of the county there are some interesting stretches of coast, notably around the little village of Portencross lying about 6 miles south of Largs at the end of a single track road. With good views onto Arran, a handful of seaside homes, cliff top walks, a ruined castle on the shore and the long sandy beach at Ardneil Bay it provides a good range of photographic opportunities.
South from here, the coast becomes more populous and is dominated by long sweeps of sand and dunes around Irvine, Troon and the town of Ayr itself. These can provide some wide open vistas are are often busy with people during the summer months. Continuing south, you reach the Heads of Ayr, tall sandstone and shale cliffs, amongst the highest in the area and which enclose a fine sand beach. From the Heads, there is a diverse mix of coast south to the beautifully positioned lighthouse at Turnberry with some of the highlights being the cliff top castle at Dunure, the shore around Croy, Culzean and Maidens and the coast around Turnberry itself which provides some of the best views onto Ailsa Craig.
Another stretch of coast worth visiting lies further south between the town of Girvan and the village of Ballantrae. There's a really nice road running down this stretch with plenty of fine sea views though parking is limited. The highlight for me lies at the tiny village of Lendalfoot about halfway between the two where you'll find some surreal seaside rock formations against the backdrop of Ailsa Craig. South of Ballantrae the road swings inland and the coast becomes rockier and less accessible with some beautifully isolated coves and views over to the Mull of Kintyre and Ireland and providing some stunning panoramic sunsets.
