Troon

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Troon
Troon (Gaelic)



OS grid reference:	NS345255



Population:	14,766 (2001 Census)



Council area:	South Ayrshire
Constituent country:	Scotland
Sovereign state:	United Kingdom

Police force:	Strathclyde Police
Lieutenancy area:	Ayrshire and Arran
Former county:	Ayrshire

Post town:	Troon
Postal:	KA10
Telephone:	01292


Scottish Parliament:	Ayr
UK Parliament:	Central Ayrshire
European Parliament:	Scotland

Troon is a town in South Ayrshire, Scotland (and also a village on the outskirts of Camborne in Cornwall). It is situated on the west coast, about eight miles north of Ayr and three miles northwest of Glasgow Prestwick International Airport. Lying across the Firth of Clyde, the Isle of Arran can be seen. Troon is also a port with freight and ferry services—the P&O Express to Larne and a yacht marina. In May 2006, a ferry service to Campbelltown was added.

In the 2001 Census the population of Troon, not including the nearby village of Loans but including the Barassie area, was estimated at 14,766—a 4.77% increase on the 1991 estimate of 14,094 (source: General Register Office for Scotland).

Troon is famous for its Royal Troon golf course, one of the hosts to the Open Golf Championship. The course is chosen to host this annual event roughly every seven years.

Troon harbour played a notable part in the development of the town for many years. It was home to the Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, which constructed many vessels for worldwide customers but mainly small passenger and various merchant vessels. The fishing fleet from Ayr moved to Troon harbour and a revitalisation of the abandoned section of the harbour started. An approach road was constructed to connect to a P&O terminal which operates a service to Ireland. The Seacat high speed ferry service briefly operated from Troon harbour but has now ended.

The name "Troon" is derived from the Gaelic an-tSron, meaning "the nose" or "the bill" and a look at a map shows how it got this name. In various deeds, the spelling is given as "Trune", "Trone", "Truyn", and "Trwyn".(source: I.M. McIntosh, Old Troon, 1969). Troon has its own secondary school, Marr College.

Troon is also the birthplace of C.K. Marr, who left a considerable fortune upon death to the people of Troon. For further information see http://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/MERC/page6.html