South Ayrshire Council

County Buildings

The Original County Buildings were constructed between 1818 and 1822 (architect, Robert Wallace). They included the administrative offices, the Sheriff Court and, at the western end, the County Gaol. With the increase in responsibilities of Ayr County Council resulting from the Local Government (Scotland) Act of 1929, however, it became clear that the original accommodation was inadequate. The prison, therefore, was demolished and work began on a large extension. The foundation stone of the new structure was laid on 10 July 1931 by the Duke of York (later King George VI), accompanied by his wife (the late Queen Mother). It is indicative of the skill of the local architect, Alexander Mair, that the new extension blended impressively with the original, which thereafter was devoted to Sheriff Court functions.

The new building housed the entire administrative work of the County, each department being provided with suites of rooms to suit its requirements. In planning the offices, the architect saw to it that the ranges accommodated one room and corridor only in depth, thus ensuring ample light and good ventilation. A dominant feature was the courtyard (35m from N to S and 22m from E to W). A smaller courtyard adjoined the original buildings and here were located the heating unit, the County Library and the caretaker's house, which looked out on to the Low Green. Below ground level, cellars were constructed to act as air raid shelters in the event of war.

Ayr County Council was superseded in 1975 by Strathclyde Regional Council, which located its headquarters in Glasgow. The County Buildings became a Sub-regional Office for Ayr Sub-region which corresponded exactly with the former Ayr County. Strathclyde Region in turn was superseded by South Ayrshire Council in 1996.

The Council restored the Members' Library and named the five Committee Rooms after the 5 Burghs in South Ayrshire - Troon, Prestwick, Ayr, Girvan and Maybole. The Provost's Room adjoins the Maybole Committee Room which can be used for small civic occasions.

Note how the main entrance on the west front is surmounted by a carved Coat of arms with the Motto of the County 'God Schaw The Richt'. The same Coat of Arms is beautifully depicted in the floor of the Entrance Hall. It combines the Coat of Arms of the Royal Burgh of Ayr (the three-towered royal castle of Ayr) and the three ancient districts of Ayrshire - Carrick (the red chevron on a silver field), Cunningham (the black shakefork) and Kyle (the blue and white chequred band).

The Hall also contains the War Memorial and the portraits of Col. John Ferrier Hamilton of Cairnhill and Archibald William Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton. The reception and switchboard was added in the 1990 and have since been remodelled.

From the Entrance Hall rise two semi-circular staircases, giving access to the Council Chamber and a suite of committee rooms. Six large windows with leaded stained glass light the staircases. The designs on the larger ones include the County Coat of Arms in their topmost panels and in panels underneath are pictorial representations of the chief industries. the remaining four windows bear the crests of the 16 Burghs of Ayrshire, four per panel, with representative activities depicted. The portraits on the north stair are George, 4th Earl of Glasgow and C.G. Shaw, while on the south are those of Rt. Hon. Sir James Ferguson, 6th Baronet of Kilkerran and Hugh Montgomerie, 12th Earl of Eglinton.

On the first floor, the Council Chamber (County Hall), the suite of Committee Rooms adjoining and the members' corridor were all finished in fumed oak. The finishings in the other rooms and corridors were of Borneo cedar wax polished. The Council Chamber was designed with sliding partitions, which enabled the committee rooms on either side to be taken in to provide additional floor space for social functions. In the County Hall the Ayr County Coat of Arms and the South Ayrshire Coat of Arms are displayed. Close by is the dining room and adjacent servery, the kitchen being located on the floor above. The portraits on this floor are of Lieut. Col. W.K. Hamilton-Campbell of Netherplace, John Hamilton of Sundrum, Mrs Peter Simpson, Skelmorlie, Col. H.R. Wallace of Busbie and James E. Shaw. Most of the furnishings, still in daily use, are original to the building. A board depicts in gilt the names of the Provosts of South Ayrshire since 1996.

South Ayrshire Council was granted a Coat of Arms in 1996 comprising of the shield of the former Kyle and Carrick District Council (1975 - 1996) which shows the chequered band of Kyle and the red chevron of Carrick now with a coronet to represent a unitary authority. The monarch's eldest son usually holds the title of Earl of Carrick and it is currently held by Prince Charles in direct line from King Robert the Bruce whose mother was Mary, Countess of Carrick. The left hand support is a blue dolphin that appears on the Burgh of Maybole Coat of Arms which was, in turn, derived from the Coat of Arms of the Marquis of Ailsa, whose family built Culzean Castle. The right hand support is a blue lion which alludes to King Robert I, Earl of Carrick before he became King. The original Arms of the Bruce family showed a blue lion on a silver background before they assumed the Arms of the Lords of Annandale.

The Motto 'Ne'er forget the People' was chosen from responses to a public competition in 1996 and is from the last line of the song 'Does Haughty Gaul Invasion Threat' by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)(born in Alloway, Ayrshire) in 1975.

The County Buildings, as well as being a beautiful historic building, are the venue for civil marriage ceremonies, civic receptions, conferences and seminars. As headquarters, they are the workplace for South Ayrshire's Councillors and staff - and the focus of local government and civic activity for South Ayrshire.