Ayr

Auld Brig, Alloway Auld Kirk and Culzean over two Ayr days

Two days cover Ayr and the Burns country. Day one starts at the Auld Brig and the Auld Kirk, then takes bus 57 to Alloway for the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, Burns Cottage, Alloway Auld Kirk and the Brig o' Doon. Day two takes bus 60 to Culzean Castle, stopping at Dunure on the way back.

Day one, morning. Begin by the river at the Auld Brig, the narrow stone footbridge Burns mocked in The Brigs of Ayr. Cross to the Auld Kirk, finished in the 1650s, and walk to St John's Tower and the remaining walls of Cromwell's citadel.

Afternoon. Take bus 57 to Alloway. Start at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, then follow the poem trail to the Burns Cottage, the roofless Alloway Auld Kirk, the Burns Monument in its garden and finally the Brig o' Doon. Allow three to four hours.

Evening. Back in town, have a drink at the Tam O'Shanter Inn on the High Street, then dinner at one of the restaurants west of the station.

Day two. Catch bus 60 south to Culzean Castle, Robert Adam's cliff-top mansion, and spend the day on the castle and woodland paths. On the way back, stop at Dunure for the ruined castle on its headland above a tiny harbour. End with a sunset walk along Ayr esplanade.

Haggis, neeps and Ayrshire produce west of the station

Ayr food is Ayrshire farm produce: local beef and lamb, Ayrshire bacon and creamy cheeses, plus fish and chips on the seafront. Haggis with neeps and tatties is served all year and comes with a piper on Burns Night. Most restaurants sit west of the railway station, including The Stravaig on Miller Road.

Seafood comes in fresh along the coast, and fish and chips eaten on the seafront is a local ritual on fine evenings.

The dish tied to Ayr is haggis, the subject of Burns's own Address to a Haggis. It is served all year, but on Burns Night it arrives with neeps and tatties (mashed turnip and potato), a piper and a recited toast. Many pubs and hotels around town and in Alloway hold Burns suppers in late January.

For everyday eating, the streets west of the railway station hold most of the restaurants. The Stravaig on Miller Road gets strong reviews for food and service; Gyros on Fullarton Street is a cheerful Greek taverna; The Growler on Beresford Terrace is a relaxed, dog-friendly cafe-bar. The Stage Door Cafe beside the Gaiety Theatre does light meals before a show. For pubs, try the old Tam O'Shanter Inn or the converted church that is now the West Kirk.

Burns Night at the cottage, Grand National Saturday and the Gold Cup

Ayr's big dates are Burns Night on 25 January, best spent in Alloway, the Scottish Grand National at Ayr Racecourse in April and the Ayr Gold Cup in September. The weather is mild and damp, with July highs of 19C and over 100 mm of rain a month from October to January; May and June are driest.

Late January is when Alloway comes into its own. Burns Night on 25 January marks the poet's birthday, and the cottage where he was born is the most fitting place to spend it, with suppers, readings and toasts across town. Book well ahead.

Spring brings the Scottish Grand National, held at Ayr Racecourse in April since 1966, and the Ayr County Show in May. September is the month of the Ayr Gold Cup, a big sprint handicap, and the International Ayr Show brings flying displays over the seafront.

The weather is mild and damp all year. July highs average 19C, January highs only 7C, and the wettest months are October to January with over 100 mm each. May and June are the driest. Plan a coast day to Culzean in summer, when the castle is open.

Ayr is easily combined with other Scottish stops: Edinburgh is a couple of hours away, and the east-coast harbour of Stonehaven makes a contrast on a longer trip north.