Prestwick

Coordinates: 55°29′44″N 4°36′51″W / 55.495551°N 4.614160°W / 55.495551; -4.614160

Prestwick
Scottish Gaelic: Preastabhaig
Prestwick  Prestwick shown within Scotland
Population	14,934  [1] (2001 census) est. 14,680[2] (2006)
OS grid reference	NS349255
Council area	South Ayrshire
Lieutenancy area	Ayrshire and Arran
Constituent country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	PRESTWICK
Postcode district	KA9
Dialling code	01292
Police	Strathclyde
Fire	Strathclyde
Ambulance	Scottish
European Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Central Ayrshire
Scottish Parliament	Ayr
List of places: UK • Scotland •

Prestwick is a town in South Ayrshire on the south-west coast of Scotland, approximately 30 miles (48 km) to the south-west of Glasgow. It adjoins the larger town of Ayr, the centre of which is approximately 2 miles (3 km) south.

Prestwick Airport is continually growing^{[citation needed]} and serves many European destinations as well as transatlantic and other international cargo flights. The town is renowned as the first home of the Open golf championship. This was first played on the Prestwick Old Course in 1860 and the first twelve Open Championships were played there, from 1860 to 1872 (the Championship was not played in 1871). The town also hosts two other golf courses, St. Nicholas and St. Cuthberts. St. Nicholas is a traditional links course south of the town.

Prestwick Freeman's Hall

Name

Prestwick's name comes from Old English, priest's farm — preost meaning "priest" and wic meaning "farm". The town was originally an outlying farm of a religious house. Incidentally, to the north of Prestwick is the small village of Monkton.

Transport

Aviation

Prestwick has been at the centre of Scotland's aviation industry since the 1930s^{[citation needed]}. Though a period of sharp decline in the 1980s and 1990s saw Prestwick Airport lose its status as Scotland's transatlantic gateway, it is once again a rapidly growing international airport that caters to a number of low-cost airlines, including Ryanair and Wizz Air. In addition, BAE Systems, Goodrich Corporation, Spirit AeroSystems and GE Aircraft Engines have maintenance/manufacturing facilities adjacent to the airfield. Ryanair also has maintenance facilities at Prestwick. Several celebrities often use the airport.

Although the US Air Force no longer has a base at the airport, Prestwick continues to handle many US military flights. Elvis Presley set foot in the UK for the only time here in 1960, when his US Army transport aircraft stopped for refuelling en route from Germany. In July 2005, the airport was the main transport hub for world leaders attending the G8 conference in Gleneagles.

Prestwick also has a Royal Navy Air Station, also known as HMS Gannet, where Sea King search and rescue helicopters are stationed. Prestwick is also a major air traffic control centre, with both the Scottish Air Traffic Control Centre (controlling 70% of UK airspace) and Prestwick Oceanic Area Control Centre (Shanwick Oceanic Control - responsible for air traffic over the eastern half of the North Atlantic) located at the NATS owned 'Scottish and Oceanic Area Control Centre'.

Railway

Prestwick is on the Ayrshire Coast Line between Glasgow Central and Ayr. Two trains per hour call at both Prestwick Town and Prestwick Airport stations. Glasgow is approximately 50 minutes from Prestwick by rail. The line continues south to the port of Stranraer on the Wigtownshire coast, but a change of trains at Ayr is usually required.

Road

The A79 road runs directly through the town, and is normally reached from the A77 trunk road between Glasgow and Stranraer, or from the A78 Ayrshire coastal route to Largs and Greenock.

The old ruined church of St Nicholas

Prestwick Old Parish Church

The remains of the old parish church are located near Prestwick railway station. Thought to have originally been built in the 12th century^[3], the small church building is now a ruin, and is surrounded by an ancient graveyard. Andrew Strath, "Keeper of the Green" at Prestwick Golf Club in the 1860s, is buried in the cemetery.^[4]

Neighbourhoods

Prestwick is firmly split into two main areas by the high street running down the middle of the town. Most people live in the east^{[citation needed]}. Here there is a mixture of council and private housing. The main neighbourhoods in the east end are Shawfarm, Marchburn, Glenburn, Powmill, Kingcase, Kings Meadow and St.Cuthberts.

The smaller western side is more carefully split into neighbourhoods. The coastal area of the town is more upmarket and includes the neighbourhoods of Maryborough Road and Marina Road.

Seafront

Prestwick has a 1 mile long esplanade alongside Prestwick Bay, part of the Firth of Clyde. It is a refreshing walk and has two children's playgrounds. At the north end Kid'zplay, an indoor activity centre, can be found next to the large play-area that was formerly a large open air swimming pool. Parallel to the esplanade is a line of large houses overlooking Arran. Only three of these houses are privately owned. The seafront bears the brunt of rough storms and gales and still has good water quality.

Education

Prestwick has four schools, three primary and one secondary, one of which is a denominational school, serving Prestwick and north of Prestwick. The schools are:

• Prestwick Academy
• Glenburn Primary
• Kingcase Primary
• St. Ninian's Primary - denominational (Catholic) Primary
• Heathfield Primary - Officially in Ayr, on border of Prestwick and Ayr.

Prestwick Academy is a secondary school fed by all these primary schools. St. Ninian's pupils can go on to Queen Margaret Academy or Prestwick Academy. The primary schools in the outlying villages of Monkton and Symington also 'feed' the secondary school.

History

From Robert the Bruce to James VI, King of Scots, numerous Kings have traversed the coastal walks in and around Prestwick^{[citation needed]} and Troon. Bruce is reputed to have been cured of leprosy by the waters of the well at St Ninians church. The well still exists behind the church.

Although it has been a Burgh of Barony for over a thousand years, in reality it was a village until after the railway arrived in the 1840's and the middle class from Glasgow started to build large houses along the coast.

Town twinning

Prestwick is twinned with

• Lichtenfels, Bavaria
• Vandalia, Ohio
• Ariccia, Italy

See also

• Prestwick Academy
• Prestwick Golf Club

References

External links

• S1 Prestwick
• About Prestwick
• Photo Tour of Prestwick
• http://www.prestwickonline.net
• Golf South Ayrshire
• South Ayrshire Council
• The Open Championship