A TIMELINE OF AYR HISTORY
By Tim Lambert
1197 A castle is built by the River Ayr
1205 King William the Lion creates a burgh at Ayr. The little town has weekly markets.
1230 Dominican Friars (Black Friars) come to Ayr
1261 Ayr is granted an annual fair. Ayr is a busy little port with a population of about 1,500.
1301-1312 Ayr is in English hands
1315 A Scottish parliament meets in Ayr
1534 Loudon Hall is first mentioned
1545 Plague strikes Ayr but the little port soon recovers
1647 Plague strikes Ayr again but it soon recovers. The little town has a population of over 2,000.
1652 Oliver Cromwell's men build a fort at Ayr
1760 Sir Thomas Wallace creates Wallacetown. Wool and linen are made in Ayr.
1788 New Bridge is built
1796 Ayr Academy is founded
1801 Ayr parish has a population of almost 5,500. Newton has a population of 1,700.
1823 The Burns Monument is erected
1826 The streets of Ayr are lit by gas
1830 The Town Buildings are erected
1840 The railway reaches Ayr
1842 Ayr gains a water supply
1893 The Carnegie Library is built
1901 Ayr has a population of 31,000. Electric trams begin to run in the streets of Ayr.
1911 A pavilion is built
1931 The trams stop
1936 McAdam's Monument is built
1951 The population of Ayr is 44,000
1965 Craigie College is founded
1971 Ayr by-pass is built