Latest news with #InternationalAyrShow
Scottish Sun
14 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘Scotland's worst seaside resort' revealed as locals blast ‘ghost town' full of empty shops that's ‘only getting worse'
'People would come from everywhere to shop here or go to the beach. There's nothing to come for now' RESIDENTS of 'Scotland's worst seaside town' say life there is like "living in a ghost town Armageddon". Ayr, on Scotland's picturesque west coast, was voted the country's worst town by the sea and 10th worst across the UK. Advertisement 7 Ayr has been voted Scotland's 'worst seaside town' Credit: John Kirkby 7 Locals blasted the 'ghost town' full of empty shops Credit: John Kirkby 7 The rating came despite a soft sand beach with striking views over to Arran Credit: Alamy Despite striking views over to Arran, Ailsa Craig and beyond and a soft sandy beach that stretches for miles, Ayr was given a measly three stars for scenery, peace and quiet. The survey quizzed more than 3,800 Which? members asking them to rate their experiences at various coastal towns across the UK. Advertisement Despite its scenic location, good rail links, and being a prime spot for birdwatching and fishing from the harbour, Ayr came out the worst rated in Scotland. And surprisingly, the people who call Ayr home, say they find it hard to disagree. Life-long Ayr residents say the once-booming seaside town's fortunes have dwindled dramatically over the last few decades. Best pals Margaret Whyte, 61 and Mary Higgins, 57, say the town centre is at the heart of Ayr's failing fortunes. Margaret said: "It's like a ghost town, like Armageddon. So many shops lie empty, the place is run down. I'm not one bit surprised it's been voted the worst in Scotland. It probably is." Advertisement Top 20 Seaside Towns According to Which? Bamburgh Beer Portmeirion St David's Sidmouth Tynemouth Dungeness Tenby Aldeburgh Wells-Next-The-Sea Whitby Lynmouth Nairn Saint Andrews St Mawes Swanage Broadstairs Bude Lyme Regis Robin Hood's Bay Mary added: "It's terrible. It's depressing when you think of how Ayr used to be. People would come from everywhere to shop here or go to the beach. There's nothing to come for now." With a mere two stars given to Ayr for its tourist attractions, it's easy to see where they're coming from. Despite this, the town attracts thousands of visitors every year when it hosts the famous International Ayr Show with approximately 240,000 people visiting over the weekend. But people in Ayr say lack of year-round investment in the town centre means aside from Ayr Show weekend, no one has any reason to come to town. 7 .John and Margaret Green say Ayr is "not what it used to be" Credit: John Kirkby Advertisement John Green, 65, said: "Ayr's not what it used to be. There's nothing here, especially the main street. There's too many empty shops, but that's not unique to Ayr, it's the same everywhere." Margaret Green, 64, said: "When you compare Ayr to the likes of Hamilton which is a similar kind of place, it's quite different. Hamilton is still great with lots going on but Ayr just seems to get worse and worse. The beach is lovely, but the town centre lets it down." Elizabeth Blane, 59, was visiting from Australia and says she sees the heavy decline of her home town whenever she visits. 7 Elizabeth Blane says the town has "gone downhill" over the years Credit: John Kirkby She said: "I'm from Ayr but I've lived in Australia for 17 years and I'm back just now for a visit and I can see some big changes. It's gone downhill over the years. Advertisement "The amount of shops that are closed now. There's nothing but charity shops. It's sad because it used to be a great wee town." But it's not all doom and gloom. There are worse places, say some. 7 Carole Hunter says there are too many empty units Credit: John Kirkby Carole Hunter, 61, said: "I don't think Ayr is the worst because the beach is there and it's beautiful, but the town centre makes it seem like the worst in Scotland. "Considering it's the borough town for Ayrshire, basically the capital, the town centre should not be so bad. It's awful, especially when you compare it to Troon and Prestwick which have lovely high streets. All Ayr seems to have is abandoned buildings." Advertisement Married couple Bobby and Eileen Kelly say they still come through to Ayr from their home in neighbouring town Newmilns, for one very specific reason. 7 Bobby and Aileen Kelly reckon there should be more investment into the town Credit: John Kirkby Bobby, 70, said: "We are from Newmilns and we used to come through to Ayr for the shops but there's barely anything here now. We still come for Slaters. But having said that there's worse places. Ayr is not as bad as some." Eileen Kelly, 71, said: "What's happening to Ayr now is there is a huge divide between the people who have money and the people who have none. "There doesn't seem to be a lot invested in the town either." Advertisement In the Which? survey each town was scored out of 100, based on criteria like the quality of the beaches, scenery, food and drink, accommodation, tourist attractions and value for money. Results were also based on visitor overall satisfaction and how likely they would be to recommend the place as a holiday destination. While Ayr fared the worst, Nairn in the Highlands, near Inverness, came out on top in Scotland and 13th in the UK. This scenic sandy beach in a remote location is a popular spot for families. Dolphins are often spotted along the coastline and there are plenty of coastal paths in either direction. Advertisement The survey gave it five stars for its scenery and peace and quiet, four stars for its beach, seafront and parking. But it gained only three stars for its tourist attractions. St Andrews beach, near the East Neuk of Fife, followed behind Nairn in 14th place across the UK. The university town scored 76% for its stunning two-miles of sandy beach. Bottom 20 Seaside Towns According to Which? Ilfracombe Littlehampton Mablethorpe Ramsgate Skegness Fishguard Barton-on-Sea Cleethorpes Lowestoft New Brighton Ayr Great Yarmouth Weston-super-Mare Blackpool Burnham-on-Sea Fleetwood Southend-on-Sea Clacton-on-Sea Bangor Bognor Regis The town also received five stars for its food and drink, tourist attractions and scenery, four stars for its beach, seafront, accommodation and shopping. Advertisement Parking and value for money scored low, however, with just two stars each. Bamburgh in Northumberland, England, topped the UK-wide list with an impressive score of 84%. It received five stars for its beach, seafront, scenery and peace and quiet. Other top five locations included Beer, Portmeirion, Saint David's and Sidmouth all scoring in the 80s and high 70s. Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel said: 'While you may have your own favourite destination, as well as the top spots in Devon and Wales, our survey shows there are still plenty of beautiful hidden gems across the UK to explore. Advertisement 'Some seaside resorts offer better value for money than others, so it is worth looking at surrounding areas of popular spots if you are looking for a cheaper overnight stay.'
Daily Record
20-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
South Ayrshire bosses want up to £590k more for airshow after massive overspend
And one of the factors that may make a difference, according to Director of Communities and Transformation, Jane Bradley, is the weather. Officials have asked for up to an extra £590,000 to put on this year's International Ayr Show after revealing a massive shortfall in its budget for last year's event. And one of the factors that may make a difference, according to Director of Communities and Transformation, Jane Bradley, is the weather. In a report to be heard at the final full South Ayrshire Council meeting before the summer, councillors will be told that last year's two-day spectacular cost £1.185 million to stage after supplier prices, a larger site and new safety charges which drove costs higher than first predicted. Although sponsorship, stall fees and a £200,000 grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund helped, the 2024 show still finished £243,000 over its allocated budget. Finance staff later shaved that overspend down to £227,000 through year-end adjustments. An economic impact study put visitor spend at £7.9 million, up £700,000 on 2023, suggesting the event continues to attract crowds and cash into the town. For the 2025 show the core budget and external grant currently total £595,000. If costs mirror last year's £1.185m bill, finance chiefs say they will need authority to draw the difference—a maximum of £590,000—from reserves. Officers insist that the amount they do take from the reserves 'is fully expected to be significantly less' once new sponsorship deals and on-the-day income are counted. The report also points out that there is no certainty around the significant sum received from the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund. To illustrate the volatility, the report notes that if sponsors invest the same as they did in 2023 (£256k) they would require around £334,000, while hitting last year's £347k would be about £256,000 from reserves. Ms Bradley adds in her report: 'Given that the level of income can fluctuate, as evidenced by the differences between the income generated in 2023 and that generated in 2024, and that any income generated on the day will be heavily impacted and influenced by the weather, it is considered prudent to de-risk this element of the event by providing a commitment from reserves that excludes the netting off of income generated.' Councillors will consider the report on Thursday, June 26.
Daily Record
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Airshow Festival Village returns for two days of family entertainment
There will be a range of activities for all ages, including a climbing tower, laser tag, and axe throwing. The International Ayr Show's Festival of Flight village will bring a weekend of entertainment for the whole family this September. The event will take place on Friday, September 5 and Saturday, September 6 at Ayr's shorefront - with activities and attractions throughout the Low Green as well as breathtaking aerial displays. This year, there will be plenty of activities for all ages, including a climbing tower, laser tag, and axe throwing. Visitors can try the aircraft simulator or make their way to the fabulous lights and attractions of the fun fair. If you're coming to the airshow with the whole family, there's a wide range of activities to keep children occupied at the Family Fun Village – with face painters, glitter tattooists, a circus workshop, bubble football, a dinosaur show, a magic show and more. The airshow strategic partner, theSKYLAB, will return to the Festival Village with the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) marquee. With hands-on activities and representatives from companies from the Prestwick aerospace hub and across Scotland, attendees will be able to get a taster of all the impressive and interesting things that are going on in the world of STEM. Also returning will be the popular Army, Navy and RAF village. Organisers are especially pleased to welcome back the event charity partner to the festival site - the RAF Benevolent Fund. Representatives from the Fund will be happy to welcome festival goers to their marquee to chat about the invaluable support they provide to serving and ex-serving RAF personnel and their families. Attendees will be able to create the perfect memory of their visit by choosing a souvenir from one of the many vendors in our Local Trade Village, or from the airshow merchandise stall. There will be a food village with a wide variety of tasty treats to keep everyone fuelled up, plus a bar on site. Business owners are encouraged to register their interest in trading at the 2025 International Ayr Show via the online application form which is available on the aishow webpage. There will be a range of static exhibitions featured this year, showcasing vintage cars, vintage motorcycles, model aeroplanes, heritage emergency vehicles and more. There will also be a range of military museum exhibitions to view. With all this, plus daring aerial displays on both days, there's plenty to look forward to at the International Ayr Show – Festival of Flight. Leader of South Ayrshire Council, Councillor Brian Connolly, said: "After two successful years, The International Ayr Show – Festival of Flight has gone from strength to strength and I'm sure 2025 will be no different. With even more announcements to come, the line-up for both the aerial displays and Festival Village are promising a brilliant weekend." Depute Leader of South Ayrshire Council and Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Culture and Rural Affairs, Councillor Alec Clark, said: "We'll have an excellent range of activities on offer at the airshow this year – making it not only a worthwhile trip for all the aviation enthusiasts, but also a great day out for families. "It's exciting to have such a prestigious event to look forward to within South Ayrshire that draws in impressive crowds of both local people and visitors – just what we want and need for the area." Gavin Davey, Area Director for Scotland, Northeast England and Northern Ireland, at the Fund said: "We are delighted to continue our partnership with South Ayrshire Council at The International Ayr Show - Festival of Flight in September. "This outstanding event provides an invaluable platform to raise awareness of the vital support we offer to members of the RAF Family across Ayrshire, Scotland, and the wider UK. "We look forward to this year's event with great anticipation and are grateful for the continued warmth and enthusiasm shown by South Ayrshire Council and the local community. "The Ayr Show consistently offers a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere, and we are excited to strengthen our local engagement." CEO of The Skylab, Geoff Coxon, said: "The STEM village is a fantastic place to see what is happening at the amazing Prestwick aerospace hub and the rest of Scotland, with all of the companies bringing along the really exciting things they make. They will also bring interactive family activities such as mini drone flying, flight simulator, wind tunnel experiments and much more too. 'It is a great place to talk to the companies about career opportunities too. Even though you may not think it, there are so many transferable skills that be used in the aerospace industry, so you never know where your next career move will take you after the airshow. 'Our airshow is very special in that it is the only airshow in the UK where the flying display programme is specifically designed around STEM. So, all of the exciting displays you will see have real links with the engineers and companies in the STEM village. This way there is real context to what is happening in the STEM village on the ground. Make sure to listen out for the display commentaries that link all of these great companies, and their teams, to the displays from the Typhoon, Red Arrows and many others to come!"
