Prestigious award for South Ayrshire Council beaches

Girvan, Maidens, Prestwick and Troon beaches have just received a prestigious Scotland's Beach Award for 2021!

The four beaches have been recognised by Keep Scotland Beautiful for their amenities, maintenance, biodiversity and cleanliness.

The awards are a benchmark for quality, celebrating clean, well-managed and sustainable beaches. All four beaches have demonstrated excellent management, environmental best practice, and maintenance of a high standard.

This is Girvan's first Beach Award in several years and underlines recent improvements. Not only is the beach well maintained with an array of facilities, the southern end is an important habitat for breeding birds. 

Maidens offers breath-taking scenery and unique geology and wildlife. There are three Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) within walking distance of the beach.

Prestwick is popular with families and for sailing, windsurfing and fishing. To the north, the Pow Burn estuary and sand dune system are a haven for wildlife. 

Troon amenity beach is easily accessible, with crazy golf, play park, toilets and refreshments all close at hand. Most of the beach is backed by sand dunes, which protect the town from coastal flooding.

Councillor Ian Cochrane, Environment Portfolio Holder for South Ayrshire Council said: "It's fantastic to have been recognised with these awards, they highlight the huge effort required to maintain large stretches of heavily used land.

"With more and more people looking to staycation this year, our beaches are set to attract thousands of visitors, so we will regularly remind people to dispose of their rubbish responsibly. 

"We are extremely grateful to all the community groups and individuals who go out of their way to help keep our beaches looking their best."

Published 14 June 2021