Editing Ayr (section)

===Population growth===
[[File:Ayr, Alloway Street.jpg|thumb|left|Alloway Street in Ayr, c. 1904]] 

In 1801, the parish of Ayr had a recorded population of just under 5,500, with the adjoining burgh of Newton to the north having a population of just under 1,700 people. By 1826 Ayr's streets were lit by gas and by 1842 Ayr had a water supply, with sewers being dug soon after.<ref name=LocalHistories/> Ayr was connected to [[Glasgow]], and thus the rest of Great Britain, by rail in 1839, with the first service operating in August 1840 to [[Ayr railway station (1839–1857)|a terminus on North Harbour Street]]. This led to a significant expansion in Ayr's tourist industry due to its attractive, sandy beach and links to Robert Burns. In 1857 a line was built from [[Dalmellington]] to export iron from Waterside and a new station was built to replace the old station called "[[Ayr railway station|Ayr Townhead Station]]". In 1877 a line was built between Newton and Mauchline for the export of coal.<ref name=PictorialHistory/> By 1851 Ayr's population was 21,000<ref name=LocalHistories/> and by 1855 between 60,000 and 70,000 tonnes of coal were being exported to Ireland from Ayr's Harbour each year, with imports of hide and tallow coming into the harbour from [[South America]] and beef, butter, barley, yarn and linen being imported into the harbour from Ireland. In 1854, 84,330 tonnes of goods were exported from the town and 36,760 tonnes were imported into the town. Other prominent industries in Ayr at this time included fishing, tanning and shoemaking, with several sawmills, woollen mills and carpet weavers located in the town as well. Timber and tobacco were also traded between Ayr's Harbour and North America.<ref name=HistoricAyr>{{cite book|title=Historic Ayr: A guide for visitors|last=Reid|first=David|publisher=The Ayrshire Archaeological and Nautral History Society in association with Kyle and Carrick Civic Society|location=Rotherham|date=April 1998}}</ref>

The Burgh of Ayr Act 1873 resulted in Newton and Wallacetown being absorbed into the Burgh of Ayr.<ref name=PictorialHistory/><ref name=OS1909/> Newton's more industrial character has left the town today divided into two distinct areas, with areas south of the River Ayr incorporating a mixture of affluent Victorian residential suburbs and modern suburban developments, in contrast to more deprived and industrial areas to the north of the river.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://simd.scot/2016/ |title='Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2016' |access-date=21 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180502195514/http://simd.scot/2016/ |archive-date=2 May 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  When elected [[county council]]s were created in 1890 under the [[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889]], the burgh of Ayr was deemed capable of running its own affairs and so was excluded from the jurisdiction of Ayrshire County Council, although the county council chose to meet at [[County Buildings, Ayr|County Buildings]] in the town.<ref>[[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889]], sections 8 and 105</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Notes on local and current topics |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ |access-date=30 December 2022 |work=Irvine Herald |date=24 January 1890 |page=4}}</ref> The Carnegie Library was opened in Ayr on 2 September 1893. By the turn of the century, Ayr's population was around 31,000 people.<ref name=LocalHistories/> The [[Burns Statue Square drill hall, Ayr|Burns Statue Square drill hall]] was completed in 1901<ref name=blb>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/200405997-1-7-burns-statue-square-ayr-ayr#.WUcM6GjysdU|title=1–7 Burns Statue Square, Ayr|publisher=British listed buildings|access-date=19 June 2017}}</ref> and the [[Wellington Square drill hall, Ayr|Wellington Square drill hall]] was probably completed shortly after that.<ref name=built>{{cite web|url=https://www.scotlandsfirstworldwar.org/media/8285/built_heritage_ww1_29nov2013compressed.pdf|title=The Built Heritage of the First World War in Scotland|publisher= Historic Scotland & RCAHMS|first=Dr Gordon J |last=Barclay|date=1 September 2013|page=56}}</ref>

On 26 September 1901, a tram service was opened between Prestwick Cross in Prestwick and St Leonards in Ayr. This was expanded south the following year to Alloway, and east in 1913 to the Racecourse at Whitletts. The tram service was eventually shut due to expensive repair costs, with the last tram running on [[New Year's Eve]] in 1931.<ref name=PictorialHistory/>