Ayr Pubs

Crumbs & Cocktails
On Smith Street in front of the Railway Station, used to be the Railway Tavern, then a few names after that. Late 70s there was a huge barman with reddish hair, Tommy? that kept things under control. Was good for darts, then later pool, also one of the first pubs in Ayr to have a Space Invaders machine.

Drouthy Neebors
On the corner of Smith Street and Burns Statue Square in front of the Railway Station, used to be Raffles, then an Irish themed pub after that. Was a sister pub of Rabbies, with the manager of Rabbies marrying the Manageress of Raffles, with them then opening Wellington's bar / diner at Wellington Square, I think that is correct.

Rabbies
On Burns Statue Square just down from the Railway Station, been one of the busiest Pubs in Ayr since the 1970s, not sure when it opened.

The Twa Dugs
On Killoch Place overlooking the Statue Square, was originally a Chinese Restaurant of Stevie Wong, then half restaurant half bar, then just a Chinese Bar named the Statue Bar. The Statue Bar got a bit of a name for pot, or at least where you could buy some, allegedly. This is a building from around the 1960s that replaced the 1800s -----ance Hotel, dont know the Hotels full name.

Tam O Shanter
On the High Street, been here since the 1700s, even Robert Burns drank in it. Don't know what its original name was.

Wee Windaes
On Newmarket Street just off the High Street, been here since the 1970s and probably much earlier, hosted by Jim McSherry a former Ayr and Kilmarnock footballer since the 1980s.

Billy Bridges
On the Sandgate at the bottom of the High Street, been this name for decades, don't know who Billy Bridges was, may now just be named Bridges.

Pubs from here are sometimes referred to as the Barbary Coast.

Central Bar
On New Bridge Street at the bottom of the High Street, next to the New Bridge, been here for many decades.

Anchor Bar
On South Harbour Street close to the New Bridge, has two doors, some people don't like pubs with two doors.

Smugglers
On South Harbour Street close to the New Bridge, seems to have been here many decades as well.

Ye Olde Fort Bar
On South Harbour Street a short walk along from the New Bridge, seems to have been here forever, the Steamboat Tavern was next door but that is now a gaming cafe. Pubs down this way made a lot of money off the fishermen who made good wages in the 60s and 70s.

The Ship Inn
On North Harbour Street a short walk along from the north end of the New Bridge, seems to have been here forever as well.

The Brig
On Main Street just over the New Bridge, another pub in Ayr that has been the same for decades.

The Campbelltown
On Main Street just over the New Bridge, across from The Brig. This pub may have been sold in early 2022?

Harvest Bar
On Main Street just over the New Bridge, two doors on from The Campbelltown. Seems to have been here for decades under this name.

The Burns
On River Street just over the New Bridge, round from The Campbelltown. Not sure how long this pub has been here and what names it has had.

Black Bull
On River Street along from the New Bridge, at the Auld Brig. This claims to be the oldest pub in Ayr.

The 19th Bar
On Main Street a short walk north of the New Bridge. A sports themed pub. Not sure when this pub opened or if it has had other names. There used to be few pubs in this area of the Main Street, but all seem to have closed.

Famous Pubs that have Closed

The Athol / Hussar
On Burns Statue Square two doors down from Rabbies, used to be the busiest pub in Ayr in the late 1970s, with a top darts team. The barman Ronnie Garrett and Bobby Johnston? took a bit of beating, 100s and 140s all the time or you had no chance. The pub was renamed a few times after that as it was turned into a bar / diner, now a restaurant named The Ghillie Dhu. Old Image of the Athol Arms around the 1930s, you need to zoom in to see it behind the Burns Statue.

Squires
On Killoch Place overlooking the Statue Square, part of the Ayrshire & Galloway Hotel. Was a popular night pub for a while, now the Meridian cafe / diner.

The Bucks Head
Looking down the High Street, now an ECig shop. Had an upstairs bar as well with great views down the High Street and up Kyle Street. Was here in the late 1970s, not sure how long before that.

The Kyle
On Kyle Street just round from the Bucks Head. Was the first of the large modern pubs in Ayr in the late 1970s early 1980s with pool tables and games. The building was knocked down and replaced by Ayr Central Shopping Centre in 2006, not sure when The Kyle actually closed, buildings on this street lay empty for years.

Isle of Skye
On Kyle Street just across from the Bucks Head. In the Old Royal Hotel building, last hosted by Jimmy MacDonald who did TV commercials back in the 1970s, normally beer commercials. The Old Royal Hotel building lay empty for years, finally knocked down in 2021 to be replaced by a modern building. There was also a Matha Dickies in this old hotel building for some time as well.

The Plough Inn
At the top of the High Street at number 237, just down from the Bucks Head on the left side, a large trendy upstairs pub in the late 1970s early 1980s famous for its flat beer, cellar must have been a long way from the bar. A lot of good looking women used it, so flat beer it had to be. The Plough Inn name can still be seen above the Greggs shop, then a bit right, above the first floor.

Matha Dickies
A short distance down the High Street in the former Ayr Arms Hotel, the light coloured building on the left. The most famous pub name in Ayr. Not sure when it closed, but the Kyle Shopping Centre used much of that building when it opened in 1988. Another pub of that name opened on Kyle Street, then when that closed, another used the name next to the Railway Tavern in a former Wine Bar in the 2000s, that seems to have closed recently. Old Image of the Ayr Arms and Matha Dickies around the 1970s.

Wallace Tower
Middle of the High Street under the Wallace Tower. Known for strange beer but good burgers. A young blind guy used to drink in there in the late 1970s, then get a bus home out of town. Not sure when it closed, but is now used as Council Offices.

The Cross Keys
On the High Street, also with a door onto Hope Street, well named as if you went in the High Street door sober and out the Hope Street door drunk, you were left thinking where the heck am I. Now the Grain Exchange, a small shopping centre.

The Auld Hoose
Just off the High Street on Hope Street, a real old little building that made a great old style pub, the Embassy Bar was next door that was a top darts pub. The Auld Hoose was knocked down around the 1990s, replaced by a modern building next to Greggs, now a Card Factory shop. Old Image of the two pubs.

The Steamboat
On South Harbour Street a short walk from the New Bridge, next to the Old Fort Bar. Had a good looking dark haired barmaid for years, think her name was Rita, also a crocodile nailed to the wall for some reason, think it was stuffed. Now a Gaming Cafe in white and red, the Steamboat was dark colours. Old Image of the Steamboat around the 1960s.

Geordies Byre
On Main Street a short walk from the New Bridge, may have closed after the woman that ran it for 42 years had an accidental death falling down stairs in 2018, named Evelyn Carden. This image is from 2022 so looks like it could just open up again.

Newton Arms
On Main Street a short walk from the New Bridge, was one of the first pubs in Ayr with a pool table, late 1970s, a time you played for a pint each game. Seems to have closed around 2014, now Ayrshire Housing with a strange paint job.

Big Brewery?
On Main Street across from the Newton Arms, was the best known of the pubs on the Main Street, think it had another name after that, then used as a furniture shop, then as an Indian Restaurant named Desi Curry up to about 2019. For sale in 2022.

There was a small pub next to this named the 110.

Hotels that have Closed

Station Hotel
At the Train Station overlooking Burns Statue Square, built in 1885, closed in 2012. Some people want it restored, others want it replaced by a modern Railway / Bus Station like the one in Dundee.

----ance Hotel
Either the -----ance Hotel or -----ange Hotel on Killoch Place looking over Burns Statue Square, probably built mid 1800s, knocked down around 1960 to be replaced by this 1960s building that now contains the Twa Dugs Pub.

Elms Court Hotel
On Miller Road just down from Burns Statue Square, built in the mid 1800s as two Villas, later converted to the Elms Court Hotel, closed in 2019 after a fire, demolished in 2022 to be replaced by Flats.

Kings Arms Hotel
At the bottom of the High Street on the right side, built in the mid 1800s, knocked down in the 1920s to be replaced by a new Woolworths, with Woolworths closing in 2007, with that building being demolished in 2017 to be replaced by a modern building in 2022. Images and Info

Gartferry Hotel
On Racecourse Road on Ayr south side, built in 1867 as a private home with the front wall built with stone from the old Tolbooth on the Sandgate, converted to the Gartferry Hotel in 1930 that closed around 2011 to be converted to flats and have more flats built in its huge garden, now known as Gartferry Court. More Information.

Old Racecourse Hotel
On Racecourse Road on Ayr south side, probably built as a private home then later converted to a Hotel, closed around 2014 to be converted to flats.

Belleisle Hotel
In Belleisle Estate on the south side of Ayr, built in the late 1700s, sold to the Council in 1926 to be used as a Wedding and Golf Hotel, closed around 2014 for restoration that ran into financial delays, caught fire in 2019, now waiting on funding to be restored.

Sundrum Castle Hotel
Four miles east of Ayr in a Country Estate, built from the 1300s for Sir Robert Wallace, Sheriff of Ayr, converted to a Hotel in 1792 that closed in the 1970s to be converted to apartments.