Ayr

or Ayrshire, a county of southwestern Scotland. It is known best as the dairy district in which the Ayrshire cow originated. It is a productive county of varied resources. A countryside rhyme, the better understood if we bear in mind that "coo" mean cow and "woo" wool, assigns honors to the various districts of the county as follows:

Historically the shire is the former scene of many of the daring deeds of Wallace and Robert Bruce. It was overrun by Cromwell and saw its full share of stirring events in Covenanter times. In literature Ayrshire is celebrated as the "Land of Burns." His Bonnie Doon rose in its hills. His mountain daisy, "wee, modest, crimson-tipped flow'r," and his field mouse, "timorous beastie," were seen here.

is the county seat. The Tam O'Shanter inn now has above the door a picture of Tam "weel mounted on his gray mare Meg," and within are the very "chair and caups" used by Burns's heroes. The water Ayr and the Auld Brig are here, but the New Bridge has been replaced by a safer structure. In the near vicinity the traveler may see "Alloway's auld haunted Kirk" and may visit the thatched cottage where Burns was born. See Burns