1st feature in a series of 7 cities! If you’ll recall, I asked JANEers where they’d like to see featured/ researched by me! First up at the request of Jan McQuarrie, the birthplace of her mother and grandmother…

32 miles South-West of Glasgow, sit the famed shores that Robert Burns, Scotland’s favorite son and author (born 2 miles outside town), wrote of. Ayr, Scotland. 

Proposed site for Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee, (lost out to Stirling), Ayr is a port town with a population of roughly 50,000. With a low lying and flat topography, the area is heavily grazed by dairy cattle. This pastoral town can be reached by Glasgow Central station rail with a half-hourly service (except on Sundays). Expect that much of the local sites are tied to the life of Robert Burns (Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, Burns Monument and Gardens, Burns National Heritage Park etc.) If you luck out on a pretty day, there are numerous nice walking paths, and shops. Looks like a “must dine” is Wellington Fish Restaurant, known for yummy and cheap fish ‘n chips! When it comes to places to stay in Scotland, I prefer to find ones that have local charm. (Jan McQuarrie requested I research B&B’s and Hostels in Ayr). I particularly like the Daviot House Hotel, a Victorian B&B located “220 yards from Ayr’s seafront and 660 yards from the shops of the center of town.” Prices start at about $50 per night and include free wifi, parking and best of all Scottish Breakfast! What does a Scottish Breakfast include? “Bacon, Sausage , Black Pudding Haggis, Fried Bread, Tomato, Mushrooms, & Tattie Scone Beans.” Not into haggis? You get 9 other breakfast options available including other more typical Scottish dishes such as soft boiled eggs and “soldiers” (toast points), beans on toast, or a dish we all love, pancakes!

(Photos courtesy of Daviot House Hotel)

Are you traveling with pets? Check out Doonbank Cottage, a dog friendly rental property. It looks like the adorable cottage from the movie The Holiday, with Jude Law, Kate Winslet & Cameron Diaz. It has lovely views, with 3 well appointed bedrooms and one bath.

(Photos courtesy of Doonbank Cottage)

If you are looking for more plush accommodations, consider staying at the beautiful Culzean Castle about 20 miles from Ayr, it is a must see for the area, and why not wake up there, right? I remember my grandmother talking about staying at a castle in Ireland, they had real linen sheets. Sometimes you just have to splurge in life, right?

(Photos courtesy of Culzean Castle)