Southwest Coast

Ayrshire

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(Scottish Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir) is a historic county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. It is also, under the name the County of Ayr, a registration county. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine.

Like the 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.

The electoral and valuation area named Ayrshire covers the three council areas of South Ayrshire, East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire, therefore including the Isle of Arran, Great Cumbrae and Little Cumbrae.

The three islands were part of the County of Bute until 1975 and are not always included when the term Ayrshire is applied to the region. The same area is known as Ayrshire and Arran in other contexts.

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Galloway

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(Gaelic: Gall-Ghàidhealaibh) is a region in southwestern Scotland comprising the former counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire.

A native or inhabitant of Galloway is called a Gallovidian or a Galwegian. The place name Galloway is derived from the Gaelic i nGall Gaidhealaib ("amongst the Gall Gaidheil"). The Gall Gaidheil, literally meaning "Stranger-Gaidheil", originally referred to a population of mixed Scandinavian and Gaelic ethnicity that inhabited Galloway in the Middle Ages.

Galloway is bounded by sea to the west and south, the Galloway Hills to the north, and the River Nith to the east; the border between Kirkcudbright and Wigtown shires is marked by the River Cree.

The definition has, however, fluctuated greatly in size over history. A hardy breed of black, hornless cattle named Galloway cattle is native to the region, in addition to the more distinctive 'Belted Galloway' or 'Beltie'.