The Port of Ayr is the first commercial port encountered by vessels entering the Firth of Clyde. Together with our customers, ABP's Scottish ports of Ayr and Troon contribute over £40 million to the UK economy every year, including £28 million locally. Every year, the Port of Ayr handles 340,000 tonnes of cargo and we have the appetite, capacity and capability to handle more.
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Ayr Port Plan Marine Information Property Solutions Ayr Port Charges 2022 Pilotage Fuel SurchargeThroughout our network of 21 ports around Britain, our expert and highly-trained teams are ready to work in partnership to deliver the solutions your business needs.
Backed by a programme of ongoing investment, our ports provide leading facilities and equipment, operated by our expert teams who can safely and efficiently handle a wide variety of different cargoes.
ABP’s Port of Ayr specialises in handling dry bulks, including salt, animal feed, heavy lift and forest products, of which it handles around 25,000 tonnes each year.
As it is surrounded by the world-leading golf courses, the port is also an attractive destination for cruise passengers who also benefit from the ports’ extensive car parking and marshalling facilities.
We work flexibly and collaboratively with our customers to give them the facilities and the room the need to grow their businesses.
The port has a team dedicated to safely delivering the highest standards of customer service, ready to work in partnership to help our customers’ businesses to grow.

Connectivity
Situated on the West Coast of Scotland at the entrance to the Firth of Clyde, the Port of Ayr has easy access to rail networks and via trunk roads to the M77 for Glasgow, M8 for Edinburgh, and M74 for links to Northern England.
It is just 34 miles (55km) south west of Glasgow and close to Glasgow Prestwick Airport.
Delivering for customers
All ABP's ports offer the latest state-of-the-art facilities and equipment dedicated to handing a wide range of cargoes.
The Port of Ayr offers over 17,000sqm of storage for weather-sensitive cargoes and 2.7ha of open storage space.
As part of our continuous investment programme to deliver the best possible customer service, we recently procured a £700,000 Scottish-built 12.75m pilot vessel which will further enhance our Scottish ports’ ability to handle vessels in all weather conditions.
In January 2019, we announced a £2.2 million investment in a new state-of-the-art warehouse at the Port of Ayr offering flexible storage solutions for a range of customers. The new, 4,000sqm facility will be located on the west side of Griffin Dock.
In addition, in March 2018, the Port of Ayr became the first port in the UK to purchase the latest Liebherr Materials Handler crane, as part of our commitment to offer customers the benefits of the most advanced cargo-handling technology.
Port of Ayr provides
17,000sqm of specialist storage for weather-sensitive cargoProvides
2.7ha of open storageHandles over
340,000 tonnes of cargo per yearKey statistics and berthing information
Total port acreage = 40 acres
Normal acceptance dimension of vessels |
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Dock, Jetty or Quay | Quay length | Depth of Water | Length | Beam | Draught | Approx.dwt |
Griffin Dock | 610m | 6.0m | 95m | 18m | 5.8m | 3500 |
River berths | 549m | 6.7m | 110m | No restriction | 6.2m | 4000 |
Local Notices to Mariners in force are listed below.
2022
Ayr NTM 01/2022 – St Nicholas Buoy Operational
Ayr NTM 03/2022 Sanctions Against Russian Shipping
Ayr NTM 04/2022 – Dredging Operations Port of Ayr
Ayr NTM 05/2022 – St Nicholas Buoy Operational
Ayr NTM 06/2022 –suspension of dredging operations at Ayr
2021
01 Survey Operations Port of Ayr
02 Restrictions on Shore Leave for Visiting Ships
04 North Breakwater Light Operational
08 Dredging Operations Port of Ayr
09 Maritime Declaration of Health Update
Supplementary Questions In Addition to Maritime Declaration of Health Form
15 Port of Ayr Diving Operations
2020
07 Maritime Declaration of Health
15 Dredging Operations: Ayr Harbour
16 Pilotage Directions Revision
16.1 Pilotage Directions for ships to be navigated within the Ayr pilotage area
18 Pilotage Directions Revision
Pilotage Directions for ships to be navigated within the Ayr pilotage area
22 Dredging Operations: Ayr Harbour
26 St Nicholas Buoy Operational
27 HM Revenue & Customs - Notice 69 Report and Clearance by ships’ Masters
2017
01 Re-issue of boarding and landing of pilots
02 Re-issue of safe speed within harbour limits
03 Re-issue of escort towage for the port of Ayr
04 Re-issue of general awareness and guidance when navigating in restricted visibility - MGN 369
For ABP’s standard terms and conditions, please click here.