Things you didn't know about Ayrshire...

"The King" only ever touched down on UK soil once, and that was here in Ayrshire, at Prestwick Airport, in 1960. He was en route from Frankfurt back home to the US.

While the rest of the world commemorates the Scottish poet, born in the Ayrshire town of Alloway, on January 25th, his home county takes a full week to celebrate in his honour. Usually during May or June, the week is called Burns an' a' That, and always culminates in a gala concert at Culzean Castle.

The world's best-known whisky, selling over 120 million bottles worldwide each year, had humble beginnings here in John Walker's grocer's shop, in the Ayrshire town of Kilmarnock.

The historic meeting took place on Wednesday October 17, 1860 on the sand hills of Prestwick. Ayrshire is also home to the first purpose-built golf course, the Turnberry, which opened in 1906.

Legend has it that the Scottish king was cured of leprosy after drinking from the well at St Ninian's Church at Kincase, Ayrshire. He later set up a lepers' hospital on the site.

They say that's why Ayrshire potatoes taste so good.

Seventy per cent of the UK's air traffic control operations are directed from Prestwick in Ayrshire.

It runs from the mainland Ayrshire towns of Ayr, Girvan and Largs to the islands of Ailsa Craig, Cumbrae and Arran.

At the Electric Brae, between the Ayrshire towns of Dunure and Croy Bay, there is an upward slope that appears to be sloping down (due to an optical illusion created by the land configuration either side of the road). A car with the handbrake off, therefore, will appear to move slowly uphill.