New statistics show the region of Ayrshire has lost half of its pubs since 2010

The study analyzed Office for National Statistics figures of pubs and bars in 318 councils in the UK between 2010 and 2025.

New statistics show an alarming rate in the number of Ayrshire pub closures over the past 15 years.

East Ayrshire has lost a crazy 50 percent of its boozers since 2010, the biggest percentage fall of any council area in Scotland.

And South Ayrshire is not far behind. This area had 90 pubs in 2010. Now it has only 50, which represents a reduction of 44.4 percent.

And in North Ayrshire, that part of the region lost 23.5 per cent of its local pubs.

The study, by sports betting & statistics site The Punters Page, analyzed Office for National Statistics counts of pubs and bars in 318 councils in the UK between 2010 and 2025.

East Ayrshire pub count fell from 80 in 2010 to 40 in 2025. South Ayrshire places second in Scotland, losing 44.4 percent of its pubs in Scotland borders third, losing 40.0 percent.

The North Ayrshire pub count fell from 80 to 60 between 2010 and 2025, representing a fall of 23.5 per cent.

Across the region, punters and their beers have mourned the loss of pub favorites such as the Portmann Hotel (Kilmarnock), Mulligans (Ayr) and the likes of The Old Revels Bar (later known as The Black Rose) in Kilwinning, which is set to close in 2023.

More recently, Kilmarnock favorite Fanny of Gaslight has closed three times in the past few years, the most recent closure being just last week.

And in Irvine, the Kings Arms closed around 2015 and eventually made way for apartments.

Largs has experienced similar closures. The Waterside (was the Clachan), The Sheiling, Royal Oak have all pulled down the shutters in recent years.

Commenting on the results, James Byrne, Head of Content at The Punters Page, said: “The venue has long been where people gather to watch football, racing and the big games together, and any closure takes that shared space away from a town or village.

“If your area still has a pub, the best way to keep it in use is to keep it in use, from match days to quiz nights, because a busy pub is much harder to close than a quiet one. East Ayrshire losing half its pubs in 15 years is a stark reminder of how quickly the social fabric of a community can unravel.

According to statistics, Scotland has 2,565 pubs and bars, 650 less than in 2010 and a fall of 20.2 percent.

Aberdeen, Edinburgh and West Dunbartonshire have the same number of pubs as in 2010, the joint best record in Scotland.

The Scottish Beer & Pub Association, the voice of Scottish breweries and pubs, has been approached for a response to the findings.