Ayrshire & Arran

Ayrshire is a region on the west coast of Scotland, facing the Firth of Clyde, and is one of Scotland's most important agricultural areas, renowned for its dairy farming and the distinctive Ayrshire cattle breed. The region encompasses a varied landscape from the fertile coastal lowlands and sandy beaches of the Clyde coast to the upland moors of the interior. The Isle of Arran, often described as Scotland in miniature, lies in the Firth of Clyde and combines the rugged mountain scenery of the Highlands with the gentler farmland and coastlines of the Lowlands, with Goat Fell rising to 874 metres as its highest point. Ayrshire is celebrated as the birthplace of Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet, who was born in Alloway in 1759.