Quality of life. It is a unique combination of happiness, health, comfort and your ability to enjoy the community you live in. And it can give your business a competitive edge when attracting and retaining your staff and growing your business in an economy moving towards hybrid and flexible working.

  • One of Scotland’s most sought after and award-winning tourist locations: world-class golf, Scotland’s premier sailing and powerboat centre, 12 sandy beaches and 225km of dramatic coastline across mainland and islands
  • Your perfect choice of rural, coastal or urban location, only 30 minutes from international airports, top universities and Scotland’s largest city
  • Award winning food and drink producers, arts, culture and museums on your doorstep, including The Largs Viking Festival, Tidelines Book Festival, live music at Harbour Arts Centre and the Scottish Maritime Museum
  • Homes fit for the future and celebrating our historic past with space for our communities, young and old, to flourish
  • Active support for businesses to become green exemplars and some of the best air quality levels in Scotland

We value North Ayrshire for its sense of community, its heritage and culture, its people and its beauty. And so will you.

 

Back to nature

Spending time in natural environments can benefit health and well-being, with coastal areas topping the list of where people feel happiest to live. With 12 sandy beaches and 225km of dramatic coastline across mainland and islands, North Ayrshire has a rich landscape which justifies its position as one of Scotland’s most sought-after tourism locations. The Isle of Arran, North Ayrshire’s largest island just 55 minutes by ferry from the mainland, has been voted top European Island, and makes the global top ten islands to visit.

A wealth of leisure choices

North Ayrshire’s coast and countryside is a natural backdrop to a wide range of sporting activities, as well as over 30 castles. Home to world-class golf facilities that have hosted the Scottish Open, the area has 21 golf courses – including Dundonald Links which will again stage the Women’s Scottish Open in 2022. It has been a major water sports centre for over a century, and has seven high-quality sailing clubs, including ScotSail, Scotland’s premier sailing and power boating centre.

Reflecting the coastal nature of the area, Irvine is home to the Scottish Maritime Museum, whilst Largs is home to the annual Viking Festival. North Ayrshire also offers the opportunity to eat and drink local, award-winning food which is produced throughout the area – fish, gin, cheese, bacon and ice cream are all available at farmers markets, delis and restaurants on the doorstep.

Connected communities

Our communities play a vital role in supporting our health and wellbeing, our quality of life. North Ayrshire offers communities a choice of both rural and urban locations, as well as the opportunity to live within a stunning coastal landscape, or on the islands of Arran and Cumbrae.

We’re investing in new schools and new homes for the future, and benefit from offering a huge range of choice in affordable housing where our communities, young and old, can flourish.

Nearly 2000 new homes will be built in the next five years, including sustainable demonstrator houses meet the highest sustainability ratings, as we move towards our target of carbon net zero by 2030 for council houses.

A further £100m is being invested to ensure North Ayrshire’s young people get the best start in life, including a new Education and Community Campus in Ardrossan, new primary schools at Montgomerie Park and Moorpark in Kilbirnie, and the new Lockhart Campus in Stevenston. Schools that we can all be proud of and where children and young people feel safe and secure so they can learn, play, and grow.

And our communities are connected. Connected to local and global markets, to schools and universities, and through a wealth of cultural and heritage opportunities.

What this means for investors and businesses

Research displaying the effects of happiness on overall productivity are now so numerous that the concept is widely accepted. But our commitment to quality of life it goes beyond having an effective talent pool for businesses within the area.

North Ayrshire puts wellbeing of its communities at the centre of policy and strategy; focusing efforts to create places and people that thrive, both at home and at work.

By putting wellbeing at the centre of workplaces in North Ayrshire and through working with likeminded businesses, we’ll extend our overall commitment to happy and healthy people.

Building green businesses

Not only does North Ayrshire have among the best air quality levels in Scotland; it’s businesses are leading the way in becoming Green Exemplars, with more businesses than anywhere else in Scotland working with Zero Waste Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Zero Support Service. Active support through audits, training and funding are all available to help businesses in their journey towards reducing their impact on the environment.