North Ayrshire
§ This page gives an overview of the North Ayrshire local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. This is one of 361 LAD profiles on Baseview.
Overview ⁞ North Ayrshire spans part of the mainland and islands such as Arran and Great Cumbrae. It combines coastal resorts, industrial towns, and rural areas, with Ardrossan as a key ferry port to the islands.
North Ayrshire Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the North Ayrshire local authority district, based on the latest geographic data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It provides a clear view of the district’s extent and helps you understand how the area fits within the wider regional and national landscape.
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The administrative boundary of North Ayrshire can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of North Ayrshire.
Key Facts about North Ayrshire
What region is North Ayrshire in? North Ayrshire is in Scotland, a statistical region and also a country in United Kingdom.
Is North Ayrshire a city? No, North Ayrshire is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs North Ayrshire? The local government for this district is: North Ayrshire Council (Scotland Council Area).
▶ Official website of North Ayrshire Council 🔗 north-ayrshire.gov.uk
Which police force covers North Ayrshire? Policing in North Ayrshire is provided by Police Scotland 🔗 scotland.police.uk, which covers the whole of Scotland.
North Ayrshire in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, North Ayrshire is within an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) Scotland
- (ITL 2) ⇒ Southern Scotland
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ North Ayrshire and East Ayrshire
The International Territorial Levels are used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes to classify administrative areas. We have this listable page for easy browsing of ITL names and codes: International Territorial Levels.
Constituencies in North Ayrshire
North Ayrshire is divided into 2 parliamentary constituencies, listed below in alphabetical order.
A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies, 57 of them are in Scotland. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.
Wards in North Ayrshire
North Ayrshire is divided into 9 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Ardrossan
- Arran
- Garnock Valley
- Irvine East
- Irvine South
- Irvine West
- Kilwinning
- North Coast
- Saltcoats and Stevenston
In the UK, a ward is a subdivision of a local authority area, used mainly for electoral and statistical purposes. Defined by the ONS, wards represent the primary unit for local elections, each returning one or more councillors to the local council. Wards are also used as a key geography for presenting population and census data. We have this list page for easy browsing of all electoral wards: List of all Electoral Wards in the UK.
Post Towns in North Ayrshire
Below is a list of post towns in North Ayrshire, grouped by postcode area:
- KA ▸ Ardrossan (KA22) ⁞ Beith (KA14 / KA15) ⁞ Dalry (KA24) ⁞ Irvine (KA11 / KA12) ⁞ Isle of Arran (KA27) ⁞ Isle of Cumbrae (KA28) ⁞ Kilbirnie (KA25) ⁞ Kilwinning (KA13) ⁞ Largs (KA29 / KA30) ⁞ Saltcoats (KA21) ⁞ Stevenston (KA20) ⁞ West Kilbride (KA23)
- PA ▸ Skelmorlie (PA17)
The UK postal hierarchy begins with broad postcode areas (such as “CB” or “M”), which are divided into smaller postcode districts (such as “CB8” or “M1”) to support accurate mail routing. Each postal address is anchored by a designated post town, the official locality name used in the UK postcode system, which operates independently from Local Authority Districts —the administrative boundaries used for council tax and local government services. Because they serve different purposes, a property’s postal address and its local authority district do not always align exactly.
Built-up Areas in North Ayrshire
North Ayrshire covers 22 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Ardrossan
- Beith
- Brodick
- Dalry
- Fairlie
- Glengarnock
- Irvine
- Kilbirnie
- Kilwinning
- Lamlash
- Largs
- Millport
- Perceton
- Portencross
- Saltcoats
- Shewalton
- Skelmorlie *
- Springside *
- Stevenston
- Troon (South Ayrshire) *
- West Kilbride
- Whiting Bay
In the UK, a Built-up Area (BUA) is a continuous urban area of at least 20 hectares (0.2 km²), defined by the ONS as land where buildings are generally no more than 200 metres apart, such as towns, cities, or large villages. (Note: A BUA name marked with an asterisk (*) indicates that the area is situated partly in the district of North Ayrshire.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in North Ayrshire
North Ayrshire is served by a number of National Rail stations, providing rail connections to nearby towns, cities, and destinations across Great Britain. The railway stations listed below are located within the North Ayrshire Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- ScotRail ▸ Kilwinning (KA13 6NT) ⁞ Irvine (KA12 8NU) ⁞ Largs (KA30 8AN) ⁞ Glengarnock (KA14 3AT) ⁞ Saltcoats (KA21 5JT) ⁞ Dalry (KA24 4DE) ⁞ Ardrossan South Beach (KA22 8AU) ⁞ West Kilbride (KA23 9BP) ⁞ Stevenston (KA20 3DP) ⁞ Ardrossan Harbour (KA22 8BH) ⁞ Fairlie (KA29 0DJ) ⁞ Ardrossan Town (KA22 8AU)
This is a district-level view only. For a complete list of all National Rail stations across Great Britain, see the UK National Rail Stations Directory.