Home Report Prestwick

Prestwick is a town in South Ayrshire of about 15,000 residents. It lies on the west coast of Ayrshire about 30 miles southwest of Glasgow. It directly adjoins the larger town of Ayr to the south, and the small village of Monkton to the north. The town is the smallest in Scotland with an international airport – Prestwick Airport – which serves many European destinations as well as transatlantic and other international cargo flights. The town is a former Royal Burgh and remained primarily a village until the railway arrived in the 1840s. This attracted a growing number of middle classes from Glasgow for trips and many also started to build large Victorian houses along the coast.

The ease of transport the train provided certainly helped in the development of the town. However, where the industrial revolution was responsible for the growth and development of many towns across Scotland it was golf that set Prestwick on the path to what we know today. The golf courses that were established in and around the town cemented Prestwick as a popular resort. Golf cannot be discussed without specifically mentioning Prestwick Golf Club, formed in 1851, and designed by ‘Old’ Tom Morris who came from St. Andrews to design the course. Following the creation of the club and course the very first Open Championships were held at the club in 1860, as were the next 11. The club has hosted the Open Championships no less than 24 times with the last being in 1925. This in turn generated much of the attraction and development of the town.

In terms of amenities and things to do, besides plenty of golfing opportunities, Prestwick has the usual array of chains and independent shops, cafes, pubs and eateries, as well as other independents you would expect to see in towns in Scotland. Prestwick residents also benefit from proximity to Ayr; thus, they can nip down the road in mere minutes to enjoy the larger town’s amenities.

Prestwick today is predominantly a commuter town, with the majority of commuting residents traveling to work in Glasgow, and to a lesser extent Kilmarnock, Ayr, and Troon. Transport links are well developed to aid in this. Prestwick train station will allow for travel into central Glasgow in just under an hour. Road users can also utilise the A77/M77 route into the city which takes about 50 minutes to an hour. There are numerous bus services in and around the town for travel to other localities in South Ayrshire, as well as regular express coach services to and from Glasgow.

In terms of local schooling, Prestwick has four primary schools and one secondary. The primary schools are Glenburn Primary, Kingcase Primary, St. Ninian’s Primary and Heathfield Primary. Prestwick Academy is the local secondary school.