The River Ayr ( ; ) is a river in Ayrshire, Scotland. At it is the longest river in the county.
The river was held as sacred by pre-Christian cultures. The remains of several prehistoric sacrificial horse burials have been found along its banks, mainly concentrated around the town of Ayr.
Etymology
The name Ayr may come from a pre-Celtic word meaning "watercourse". Ayr could also be of Brittonic derivation, perhaps from the element *ar, an ancient river-name element implying horizontal movement. The town of Ayr was formerly known as Inver Ayr meaning "mouth of the Ayr" (see Inver), but this was later shortened to just Ayr.