Girvan

Girvan is a seaside town on the west coast of Scotland. It has a population of around 8,000. It's a small town with a long, sandy beach and pretty fishing harbour.

Get in

By train

• 🌍 Girvan railway station. on the Glasgow - Stranraer line; the journey from Glasgow takes around 90 minutes and usually requires a change at Ayr. It takes around an hour to reach from Stranraer.  

By bus

From Glasgow, take one of the shuttle buses to Ayr and then catch a smaller local bus on to Girvan. Most the buses visit at least some of the surrounding villages and hamlets before reaching Girvan, so buses are a slow way to travel.

By car

Girvan is on the A77 route between Stranraer (about 45 minutes away) and Glasgow (about 90 minutes away).

Get around

Girvan is generally small enough to walk around. However, if you need transport, there are:

Buses

Local buses travelling through the town make several stops. Check the timetable for details.

Taxis

There are a small number of minicab firms that operate in Girvan and around.

See

• 🌍 Stumpy Tower (Auld Stumpy). was built in the first half of the 19th Century. Occupying a key position in Girvan town centre, it was built as the town’s jail. Auld Stumpy served this purpose until the 1870s when a new jail and police station were built.  

Do

• MFV Glorious, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Sails to Ailsa Craig offering trips around the island, as well as trips onto the island. It operates daily, all year round. 
• The beach is a good place for various sports in the summer. Kite surfers and windsurfers get a good combination of relatively calm seas and a stiff breeze. There's also a beach volleyball net.
• Fishing is popular - try the end of the pier, or off some of the rocky outcrops a couple of miles south of the town.

There aren't many 'attractions' as such in Girvan. The harbour is pretty and Girvan has a long, sandy beach, with a beautiful view over the Clyde. Girvan is also close to Culzean Castle and Turnberry.

• Hill walking. There are some 'marked' hiking trails starting at the south of the town. One of these leads over the hills to Barr; the trails are very quiet and you are unlikely to come across other hikers. However, the markers are often poorly spaced and the surfaces are challenging, particularly if its been raining. Take a map and sturdy footwear. free. 

Buy

Eat

• In the early summer, get a bag of new Ayrshire potatoes. Perfect when boiled up in salty water and served with plenty of butter.
• 🌍 Flavio's Fish & Chip Shop, ☎ [phone]. (updated May 2017)

Drink

Sleep

• The Queen's Hotel, Montgomerie St.. 
• the royal hotel, 36 Montgomerie St, ☎ [phone]. (updated Dec 2016)
• Woodland Bay Hotel, Woodland Farm, ☎ [phone]. with restaurant (updated Dec 2016)

Go next

You will need a car to make the most of attractions in the surrounding areas. They are:

• Galloway Forest Park - around 45 minutes drive from Girvan. Take the Barrhill road from the roundabout at the south of the town.
  
• Culzean Castle - around 20 minutes drive north of Girvan.
  
• Maidens Beach - around 15 minutes drive north of Girvan, Maidens is a small village with a good beach. Try walking further north along the beach to get to a footpath leading into Culzean..