‘Scotland's worst seaside resort' revealed as locals blast ‘ghost town' full of empty shops that's ‘only getting worse'

Scottish Sun

6 hours ago

'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.
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Ayr has been voted Scotland's 'worst seaside town'
Credit: John Kirkby
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Locals blasted the 'ghost town' full of empty shops
Credit: John Kirkby
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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.
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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."
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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.
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.John and Margaret Green say Ayr is "not what it used to be"
Credit: John Kirkby
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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.
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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.
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"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.
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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."
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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'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.'