Ardrossan (/ɑːrˈdrɒsən/; from Scottish Gaelic Àird Rosain 'headland of the small promontory'[2]) is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in southwestern Scotland.

The town is the main terminal of Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services operating from mainland Scotland to the Isle of Arran.

Ardrossan's roots can be traced to the construction of its castle 'Cannon Hill', thought to be in around 1140, by Simon de Morville.

[3] The castle stood until 1648, when Oliver Cromwell's troops had it destroyed, taking much of the stonework to Ayr to build the citadel at Montgomerieston.

Exports of coal and pig iron to Europe and North America were the main trade from the town's port, which became a centre for shipbuilding.

Fishing vessels and small cargo boats were the mainstay of the shipyard until the 1950s, when the yard ceased to exist as a result of foreign competition.

[8][9][10] The link to the Isle of Man no longer operates, having first been moved to Stranraer until all Scottish services terminated.

Shell-Mex operated an [oil refinery] on behalf of the Air Ministry, from a Second World War aviation-fuel canning factory, and the harbour was expanded for the company's tanker ships to berth.

[11] The harbour has been redeveloped as a marina, and the passenger and vehicle ferry to Brodick is operated by Caledonian MacBrayne.

[14] In 1921 Ardossan was the European site for the first successful reception of medium wave radio signals from North America.

Using a wavelength of about 230 to 235 metres (a frequency near 1.3 Megahertz) an amateur radio group in Connecticut sent Morse code signals to a station set up in a tent.

The last ship to sail the route was MV Lion, which was the largest car ferry to operate from Ardrossan.

Its length was mostly overhung by a few feet, by the rock face, which had formed a rock-shelter, which the excavation showed had been occupied at intervals over a considerable period.

The railway workings had cut a longitudinal section in the mound, which overlay a 1 ft layer of raised beach sand.