castle
Brodick Castle
A red sandstone castle and country park above Brodick Bay on Arran, with woodland gardens and a rhododendron collection.
22 km · about 25 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomScotland
Ardrossan
Scotland, United Kingdom · Europe
About Ardrossan
Ardrossan works well as a base: 5 minutes from Stevenston, 30km from Electric Brae.
Ardrossan is in Scotland, United Kingdom, with about 11,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Stevenston, about 4 km away.
Ardrossan (; from Scottish Gaelic Àird Rosain 'headland of the small promontory') is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in southwestern Scotland. The town has a population of 10,670 and forms part of a conurbation with Saltcoats and Stevenston known as the 'Three Towns'. Ardrossan is located on the east shore of theRead more
Firth of Clyde, and is the main terminal of Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services operating from mainland Scotland to the Isle of Arran.
The town is home to the Ardrossan Wind Farm, and is home to a number of businesses and organisations including Cunningham Housing Association. The town is served by two secondary schools – Ardrossan Academy and St Matthews Academy. A new 2–18 curriculum campus is currently under construction, and will include Ardrossan Academy and Winton Primary School & Early Years on the former Shell oil refinery site.
Where to Stay in Ardrossan
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Ardrossan?
Within an hour or so of Ardrossan: Brodick Castle (22 km), Goatfell (24 km), Arran Coast Road (A841) (29 km), Electric Brae (30 km).
Are there any good drives near Ardrossan?
The nearest famous roads are Arran Coast Road (A841), Electric Brae and Rest and Be Thankful (A83).
Where is Ardrossan?
Ardrossan is in Scotland, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Stevenston.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 10,500
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Scotland
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 55.6502, -4.8066
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Ardrossan
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
scenic viewpoint
Goatfell
Arran's highest peak at 874m, climbed from Brodick, with views over the Firth of Clyde and to Ireland on clear days.
24 km · about 30 min drive
coastal drive
Arran Coast Road (A841)
The 90km loop around Arran, taking in the Boguillie and the Ross road climbs — a classic day's drive or ride from the Brodick ferry.
29 km · about 35 min drive
famous road
Electric Brae
Famous optical-illusion stretch of the A719 on the Ayrshire coast where cars appear to roll uphill. Drivers have pulled over to test the gravity-defying slope since the 1930s.
30 km · about 35 min drive
ancient ruins
Machrie Moor Stone Circles
Six Bronze Age stone circles on open moor on Arran's west coast, including tall red sandstone pillars; a 30-minute walk from the A841.
35 km · about 40 min drive
museum
Riverside Museum
Glasgow's Zaha Hadid-designed transport museum on the Clyde, packed with classic cars, a recreated cobbled street of vintage vehicles, and the tall ship Glenlee moored outside.
39 km · about 45 min drive
natural wonder
Loch Lomond
Britain's largest freshwater lake by surface area, where Highland mountains meet Lowland shores in a landscape immortalised in song.
50 km · about 60 min drive
cafe
The Oak Tree Inn
A popular stopping point on the A82 beside Loch Lomond, where road trippers heading to the Scottish Highlands pause to take in one of Scotland's most beautiful lochs.
51 km · about 60 min drive
Driving roads near Ardrossan
- 24 kmGoatfellArran's highest peak at 874m, climbed from Brodick, with views over the Firth of Clyde and to Ireland on clear days.
- 29 kmArran Coast Road (A841)The 90km loop around Arran, taking in the Boguillie and the Ross road climbs — a classic day's drive or ride from the Brodick ferry.
- 30 kmElectric BraeFamous optical-illusion stretch of the A719 on the Ayrshire coast where cars appear to roll uphill. Drivers have pulled over to test the gravity-defying slope since the 1930s.
- 63 kmRest and Be Thankful (A83)The famous climb out of Glen Croe in Argyll with the old military road beside it; landslide-prone but a spectacular gateway to the west coast.
- 64 kmRest and Be ThankfulA famous viewpoint at the top of Glen Croe where 18th-century soldiers carved the name into a stone after completing the military road.
- 73 kmMull of KintyreThe southern tip of Kintyre, reached by a famously steep narrow road, with views across the North Channel to Northern Ireland.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
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