a royal borough, of great antiquity, and considerable extent, the county town of Ayrshire, and the seat of a justiciary court. It was erected into a royal borough by William the Lion, about the year 1180; and the privileges granted by that charter are still enjoyed by the town. It is pleasantly situated on a point of land, between the influx of the rivers Doon and Ayr into the Atlantic ocean. The principal street is a fine ornamented, broad, spacious way, with a row of elegant houses on each side. Its shape is somewhat of the form of a crescent, having the tolbooth and town-hall in the centre, with a fine spire, 135 feet high. In ancient times we find Ayr to have been a town of considerable trade. The merchants imported a great quantity of wine from France, and exported corn and other produce of the country. The rising trade of Glasgow proved very injurious to the trade of this town; but of late it has much revived. The sea shore is flat and shallow, and the entrance of the river Ayr, which forms the harbour, is subject to the inconvenience of a bar of sand, which is often thrown quite across the river, especially with a strong north-west wind. The water never rises above twelve feet; but from some improvements and extensive works now carrying on on the sides of the river, it is hoped the channel will be considerably deepened. There are erected two reflecting light-houses to conduct vessels safely into the harbour. There is great plenty of salmon in the two rivers, the fishings of which rent at upwards of 200l. Ship-building is carried on to a considerable extent, and about 60 vessels belong to the port, whose burden is nearly 6000 tons, and which are navigated by 500 seamen. The exports consist chiefly of cotton and woollen goods, pig-iron, coals; and the imports of grain, spirits, slates, &c. The trade is chiefly with Ireland. There is an extensive manufacture of leather and soap.

Ayr was in ancient times, however, not only distinguished for trade, but also for military strength. Here the heroic exploits of Sir William Wallace began, and here Edward I. fixed one of his most powerful garrisons. Oliver Cromwell, too, judging it a proper place to build a fortress, took possession of the old church, and converted it and the neighbouring ground into a regular citadel. On one of the mounts, within the walls of this fortress, stood the old castle of Ayr, mentioned in ancient histories, and the old church, the tower of which still remains, noted for the meeting of the Scottish parliament, when Robert Bruce's title to the throne was unanimously confirmed. Ayr is a very gay and fashionable place. It has well-attended races, and is sometimes the seat of the Caledonian hunt. In 1801, the population amounted to 5562, and in 1811 to 6291. There is a strong chalybeate spring, which is famous in scrophulous and scorbutic complaints. Tradition reports an engagement to have taken place in the valley of Dalrymple, between two kings, Fergus and Collus, in which both leaders lost their lives; the names of places in the neighbourhood seem derived from this circumstance, and a cairn of stones in the midst of the valley is said to point out the place of the engagement. History has only recorded two distinguished characters in literature, natives of Ayr: 1st, Joannes Scotus, surnamed Erigena, celebrated for his acumen of judgment, his readiness of wit, and fluency of elocution; and 2d, the Chevalier Ramsay, author of Cyrus's Travels, and other works. To these we may add the late Robert Burns, whose genius, at least, will bear a comparison with any of the former.

Newton of. While the borough of Ayr extends along the south side of the river Ayr, this small parish is situated on the north side of the same river. It is a burgh of considerable domain, having in that domain baronial jurisdiction; governed by a magistracy elected by freemen, but not having parliamentary representation. It is of very ancient erection, owing its privileges to Robert Bruce, who upon being attacked with leprosy, came to reside in this place, and was induced to establish a lazarus-house, and to confer considerable favours on the town, and on the small village of Priestwick, about two or three miles distant. In the Newton of Ayr are a number of very good houses. It has a tolerable good harbour, chiefly employed in the coal trade. Lying on the banks of Ayr, and the sea coast, the soil is mostly flat and sandy. Its extent is about three miles long, and one and a half broad. In 1811, the population was 2809.

a river in the parish of Muirkirk, in Ayrshire; which after a course of about eighteen miles nearly due west falls into the sea at Ayr, where its estuary forms a fine harbour. It is for a considerable course only a small rivulet; but joined by the Greenock and Garpel, tributary streams, it becomes a large body of water. It frequently shifts its bed, and does considerable damage by its encroachments. Its banks are steep and very romantic, and the number of seats which ornament them present a fine picturesque scenery. Sorn-castle, Auchineruive, and Auchinleck, may be mentioned as the chief beauties of the scene. The village of Catrine is situated on its banks. It forms the boundary between the districts of Ayrshire, denominated Kyle and Carrick.