The Three Towns is a term used to refer to the neighbouring towns of Plymouth, Devonport and East Stonehouse in the county of Devon, England. [1] [2] [3] They were formally merged in 1914 to become the Borough of Plymouth. [4] In 1928, the Borough was granted City status by Royal Charter.
The term 'three towns' is also used [5] [6] [7] [8] in reference to the small towns of Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston in North Ayrshire (historically Cunninghame) which together form one contiguous settlement along the eastern shore of the Firth of Clyde with a population of around 32,000; most local amenities are shared across the localities. [9]
The term is also sometimes used to refer to the small towns of Great Harwood, Clayton-le-Moors and Rishton, situated to the north of Accrington in the Hyndburn district of Lancashire. [10] [11]
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Ayrshire is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Renfrewshire and Lanarkshire to the north-east, Dumfriesshire to the south-east, and Kirkcudbrightshire and Wigtownshire to the south. Like many other counties of Scotland it currently has no administrative function, instead being sub-divided into the council areas of North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and East Ayrshire. It has a population of approximately 366,800.
North Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It has a population of roughly 135,280 people. It is located in the southwest of Scotland, and borders the areas of Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire to the northeast and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the east and south respectively. North Ayrshire Council is a hung Council. North Ayrshire also forms part of the east coast of the Firth of Clyde.
Hyndburn is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Accrington. The borough, which takes its name from the River Hyndburn, had a population of 80,734 at the 2011 Census.
Cunninghame is a former comital district of Scotland and also a district of the Strathclyde Region from 1975–1996.
Saltcoats is a small town on the west coast of North Ayrshire, Scotland. The name is derived from the town's earliest industry when salt was harvested from the sea water of the Firth of Clyde, carried out in small cottages along the shore. It is part of the 'Three Towns' conurbation along with Ardrossan and Stevenston.
Campbell Martin is a Scottish journalist and politician.
Kilwinning is a town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is on the River Garnock, north of Irvine, about 21 miles (34 km) south of Glasgow. It is known as "The Crossroads of Ayrshire". Kilwinning was also a Civil Parish. The 2001 Census recorded the town as having a population of 15,908. At the 2011 Census, Kilwinning had a population of 21,456.
The Ayrshire Coast Line is one of the lines within the Strathclyde suburban rail network in Scotland. It has 26 stations and connects the Ayrshire coast to Glasgow. There are three branches, to Largs, Ardrossan Harbour and Ayr, all running into the high level at Glasgow Central.
Ardrossan is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in southwestern Scotland. The town has a population of roughly 11,000 and forms part of a conurbation with Saltcoats and Stevenston known as the 'Three Towns'. Ardrossan is located on the east shore of the Firth of Clyde.
Ayrshire Bus Owners Ltd was a prominent independent co-operative bus operator in Ayrshire, Scotland. Based in Ardrossan, it provided local bus services around the towns of Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenston, Kilwinning, Irvine and Dreghorn, as well as the company's trunk route from Ardrossan to Kilmarnock. It also provided express coach services from Ardrossan to Glasgow throughout the 1980s.
Stevenston is a town and parish in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Along with Ardrossan and Saltcoats it is one of the 'Three Towns', all of similar size, on the east coast of the Firth of Clyde; the easternmost parts of Stevenston are about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) from western parts of Kilwinning, with the A78 trunk road running between the settlements.
Saltcoats Victoria Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Saltcoats, North Ayrshire. Nicknamed the Seasiders, the club were originally formed in 1889 and play at Campbell Park. They currently compete in the West of Scotland League Conference A.
North Ayrshire and Arran is a constituency of the British House of Commons, located in the south-west of Scotland within the North Ayrshire council area. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) at least once every five years using the first-past-the-post voting system of voting.
Saltcoats railway station is a railway station serving the town of Saltcoats, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The station is managed by Abellio ScotRail and is on the Ayrshire Coast Line.
Cunninghame North is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it is one of ten constituencies in the West Scotland electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to ten constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.
The Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway (L&AR) was an independent railway company built to provide the Caledonian Railway with a shorter route for mineral traffic from the coalfields of Lanarkshire to Ardrossan Harbour, in Scotland.
The A78 is an A road in Scotland. It connects Greenock and Prestwick on a route which follows the northern section of the Ayrshire coast.
Irvine Bay is on the eastern shore of the Firth of Clyde, on the coast of North Ayrshire in the West of Scotland. The area is famous for its long sweeping sandy beaches and views across to the Island of Arran. In fact, Irvine Bay itself is a 14-mile stretch of sandy coastline with a range of leisure facilities, including good access to golf and sailing facilities.
St. Matthew's Academy is a Roman Catholic secondary school in the Scottish town of Saltcoats, North Ayrshire. The Head Teacher is Stephen Colligan. He is supported by four Depute Head Teachers.