Ballantrae
South Ayrshire

Ballantrae
©2010 Gazetteer for Scotland

Situated on Ballantrae Bay on the South Ayrshire coast at the mouth of the River Stinchar, the resort town of Ballantrae lies 13 miles (21 km) south of Girvan. Created a burgh of barony in 1541, it developed in mediaeval times in association with a hospice for pilgrims and a castle built by the Kennedy family in the 15th century. Ballantrae was for many years a fishing port, with smuggling a popular activity along the deserted coastline nearby. Robert Louis Stevenson, author of The Master of Ballantrae, is said to have been stoned here in 1876 by locals who, he alleged, were upset by his clothing.

Nearby stands the village of Colmonell.

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