Ayrshire is a vibrant county, and yet it is an area of sharp contrasts. There are rocky beaches, sandy shores, busy industrial towns, sleepy hamlets, fertile land and gently rolling hills. Then there is the secret place the locals like to keep to themselves: Loch Doon. As a result, Ayrshire has long been popular with tourists from across the world. Most come for the culture, golf or to research their ancestry. Whoever they are, they will invariably send a postcard home. An encyclopaedia could be written about Ayrshire, but this book presents only a snapshot, nothing more. An Ayrshire Postcard Album illustrates Ayrshire's communities with a collection of rare postcards, many from Frank Beattie's collection, others donated from institutions across the county. They include images of ancient castles, great mansions, humble cottages, village streets, and working people. Naturally, the album includes memorials to Ayrshire's great achievers - William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, Johnnie Walker, Robert Burns, Bill Shankly and Keir Hardie.