Welcome to Saltcoats

Saltcoats is located on the west coast of Scotland overlooking the Firth of Clyde, in the county of Ayrshire, approximately 403 miles north-north-west of London and 25 miles south-west of Glasgow.

The town has a population of around 12,000. Administratively it is within the unitary council region of North Ayrshire which covers an area of approximately 885 sq kms.

Originally developed around its harbour, which was used to export coal to Ireland, it is a popular seaside resort for the people of Glasgow with its harbour now used primarily by leisure craft. There are some notable historic buildings, including the 18th-century church which houses the local museum, and at low tide the stumps of fossilized trees can be seen in the harbour - the remnants of a prehistoric forest.

The town was made a burgh of barony in 1528. It has a long history as a salt mining town; salt was extracted for curing fish for the fishing industry. It was the first place to manufacture magnesium sulphate (Elsom Salts) which was a by product of the salt extraction process. During the first half of the 20th century Saltcoats was a popular tourist destination, especially for Glaswegians, during the summer.

Historically, the local economy has been based on such activities as salt panning, fishing, ship building and weaving. Today, the service industry, including tourism, is the largest sector of the local economy, employing around 59% of all workers.

The name Saltcoats derives from the ancient practice of boiling sea water to extract salt, which its habitants once carried out in their beachside houses known as "salt cots".