Effective communications links are a major factor in today’s business environment. North Ayrshire is ideally located and well equipped to provide rapid and efficient movement of goods. The area is linked to a highly sophisticated network of road, rail, sea and air communication channels allowing manufactured products to be transported quickly to global markets.

The proximity of Glasgow Prestwick International Airport – Scotland’s cargo hub - means that for North Ayrshire companies the global market is right on their door step. Many world renowned companies such as GlaxcoSmithkline now serve their world markets from a North Ayrshire base.

 

Select Transport Roads Air Rail Ferry Bus Web Links

Roads
The major trunk road, the A78, is the artery connecting centres of population and business. It is close to the M77 motorway link to Glasgow and central Scotland which makes travel to the city and the rest of Scotland easy, providing a fast but pleasant drive through some of the best scenery in the country.

North Ayrshire will benefit from the Scottish Parliament's recent announcement to invest in a new by-pass in 2002, further enhancing the fast and efficient communication and transport links within North Ayrshire. The area has been given a huge economic boost by the announcement in December 2002 that the A77, the main link to Glasgow, will be upgraded too.

Air
Air travellers are well provided for with national and international departures from two of Scotland's largest airports - Glasgow (within 25 miles) and Prestwick, a mere 7 miles from Irvine. There are commuter flights to the rest of the UK, Europe and around the world which make North Ayrshire easily accessible to global markets. New routes are being continually developed, with Gothenburg in Sweden being the latest in October 2003.

Glasgow Prestwick International Airpost is the largest freight airport in Britain, and the business location for a large number of aerospace, electronic and global freight companies, and is growing year on year.

The recent announcement by major budget airline Ryanair to invest £10 million to establish their maintenance repair facility at Prestwick demonstrates the confidence the industry have in the growth and long-term prosperity of the airport.

Rail
Train services throughout North Ayrshire are fast, efficient and frequent, linking major towns; Glasgow - with a half-hourly service; Edinburgh; the industrial heartland of Scotland; and beyond to the rest of the UK and the Continent.

The Mossend Eurocentral freight terminal provides North Ayrshire companies with a direct rail link to the Channel tunnel and beyond.

Ferry
Island ferry services are provided by Caledonian MacBrayne whose fleet links the mainland with 23 west coast islands. Sailings from Ardrossan to Arran takes 55 minutes, and from the western side of the island connections can be made to the Mull of Kintyre on the smaller Lochranza to Claonaig ferry. There is a short crossing at Largs to the island of Cumbrae which takes 15 minutes.

The 'Seacat' high speed ferry two-and-a-half hour crossing is a service linking Troon and Belfast. Alongside this, the extensive sea network is completed by the presence of Clydeports two facilities within North Ayrshire at Ardrossan and Hunterston - a unique Scottish deep water port.

Ardrossan
Ardrossan Harbour is Clydeport’s main centre for ferry traffic on the west of Scotland central belt, an ideal distribution point to the Irish market and local estuary and west coast ferry crossings. The port has three berths, one dock and a basin. The port is equipped with two roll-on/roll off berths, one of which is used by Caledonian MacBrayne, for their Isle of Arran ferry service. The inner harbour has been developed into a modern marina complex offering berthing facilities.

The two roll-on/roll-off berths, have extensive back up car parking , a complimentary ferry terminal and a passenger rail terminal. There is A class road access to motorway links throughout Scotland.

The port offers safe harbour in a modern marine complex. The port is open 365 days, 24 hours each day, 7 days per week

Ardrossan
Eglinton Dock Marina
Length	789m
Depth	5.2m
Width	17.7m
Eglinton Tidal Basin
Length	360m
Ro/Ro Berth	10
Length	125m
Depth	5.2m
Berth	12
Length	155m
Depth	6.0m
Ro/Ro Berth	16
Length	78m
Depth	4.0m
Ro/Ro capacity	50.0 tonne
Ro/Ro Berth	10
Cranage	By arrangement
Storage	Total Area 22 hectares

Facilities
Passenger ferry terminal
Passenger rail connection
Marina complex
Trailers, trucks, vans and cars, park area

Services
Pilotage by arrangement
Port Security
HM Customs approved harbour

Hunterston
This bulk terminal deepwater port is one of the finest facilities in Western Europe. Located on the west coast of Scotland, with a jetty head that extends into 26m of water, the outer berth can discharge the largest cape size vessels afloat.

At the inner berth vessels up to 95,000 dwt can be accommodated and can be automatically outloaded or transhipped to the UK, Irish and European markets. Discharging rates at up to 50,000 tonnes of coal SHINC are now the fastest in the UK, ensuring efficient, cost effective movement of materials.

As well as transhipment, a dedicated twin head automated rail loading station offers economic and environmentally friendly transportation for imported product. The site has a lower rail vehicle loading area where haulage has easy access to the national motorway network.

The stockyard extends to 120 acres and is operated by 3 stacker/reclaimers, coal is stacked at a rate of 3,000tph and reclaimed at 2,000 tph. The terminal operates 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Hunterston
Berth
Outer Quay length	443m
Inner Quay length	300m
Outer Vessel dwt	350,000
Inner Vessel dwt	70,000
Outer draft	23.0m
Inner draft	19.8m
Channel depth	26m sea and inner channel
Under Keel clearance	2 mtrs
Tidal range	3m
CRANAGE
Unloading	2X1,400 tph per crane (coal)
Unloader	outreach50 m
Maximum air draft	49.28 m
Loading	1X2,000 tph (coal)
Loader outreach	31.5m
Air draft	Not applicable
STORAGE
Total Area	200 hectares
Storage	120 hectares
RAILHEAD LOADING
36 wagons of 30 tonnes gross in less than 45 minutes
WHEELED SHOVEL
40 lorries of 26 tonnes every hour
BUNKERS
By road, by barge by arrangement
FRESH WATER
Available on request
LARGEST VESSEL
m.v.'Ocean Vanguard'

Facilities
Outer and inner deep water berth
Stockyard capable of 6.5mt throughput
Stockyard overflow area
Forward loading area
Marine platform construction yard
Coal stock pens for on site merchants

Services
Bulk material handling, blending, onward transportation by sea, rail or road
Sampling and monitoring
Pilotage
Towage
Port Security
HM Customs
Agency

Bus
Bus services throughout North Ayrshire are plentiful with the local services connecting all towns. An excellent network of express services feed into Glasgow with onward connections to all parts of Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Ryanair
Caledonian MacBrayne Ferries
Glasgow Prestwick International Airport
Clydeport