Ardrossan

The vision for Ardrossan is to create a good place to work, live and relax next to the sea, with a regenerated town centre serving the existing and incoming community. This will be achieved through regneration of Ardrossan town centre and the future development of Ardrossan North Shore and the harbourside in a co-ordinated and overall plan. 

Find out more about the Ardrossan town centre regeneration plan here.

Ardrossan for the Arran ferry

The Ardrossan ferry takes around 700,000 visitors to Arran each year. The popular Ardrossan-Arran ferry route, operated by Calmac Ferries, provides a vital holiday link from the North Ayrshire coast, well connected with Glasgow and the rest of Scotland.

David Hodge, Ardrossan:

The improvements around Ardrossan Harbour are a great thing and already we are seeing their effect. I'm committed to keeping the fishing industry alive in the Clyde estuary and a lively harbourside will really make a difference.

Links with the Sea

Ardrossan is a coastal town with a population of around 11,000. The historic harbour now provides the main ferry service to Arran and comprises a recently developed yachting marina. The town centre has declined in recent years, with derelict buildings which are gradually being restored . The beach area, historic castle site and promenade provide an attractive locale for visitors. The town has excellent rail links, having three railway stations, and is bound to the south by the town of Saltcoats.

Ardrossan in Scotland is a historic settlement. The headland has been occupied since neolithic times and the castle was an important local power base until the 16th century. However, the town today was shaped in the 19th century when a planned town was laid out to serve the docks that were developing in the area. There were great plans to link the docks to Glasgow by canal. While this did not happen, the port remained busy for more than a century and in 1925 the Shell depot was established. Since that time the port has declined and the only significant trade is the ferry to Arran. Major development work is now underway at Ardrossan North Shore, with an expanding marina and other commercial and residential development.