Ayr is a small town 30 miles south west of Glasgow on the west coast of Scotland. It has long been an attraction for tourists and holiday makers, with it’s lovely beaches and beautiful scenery, especially looking out over the sea to the western isles. There are a number of famous agate hunting locations, all of which have unearthed superb pieces over the last hundred years, by many collectors including Heddle.
Heads of Ayr
Just south of Ayr there starts a long stretch of beaches where many lovely agates of all types can be found. The primary type of agate found here, however, are scenic or onyx agates. These come in greys, pinks and white, with often combinations of all these colours.
Dunure
The beaches stretch some 10 miles to the south of Ayr, leading to Dunure where more brightly coloured agates can be found. These are often orange and yellow in colour, and are similar to the type found at Middlefield in Fife. These agates are usually fortification and range in size from 2-10cm.
Burn Anne
This location is very famous in Scotland for producing superb vein and jasper agates of wonderful bright colours such as orange and red. The location is 18 miles north east of Ayr and good specimens from this location are much sought after. It is also possible to find some nice fortification type agates from here and these are often grey and pink tinged.
Scottish Gemstones 