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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Troon
Give Troon 1–2 nights: a beach-and-golf stop 50 min by train from Glasgow, best May–Sep. Skip if you want city sights or a car-free island base.
Troon is a small Victorian seaside town on the Ayrshire coast, 40 miles from Glasgow, built as a coal port and now known for Royal Troon golf, two long beaches and a rail line that runs south to Prestwick and Ayr. The town centre is walkable in an afternoon; most visitors come for a beach day, a round of golf or as a base for Arran and the rest of Ayrshire. It is a quiet, safe place where one or two nights is enough.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wet, dark, many places shut); avoid Open week if you want quiet and cheap rooms
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £55–85 excl. bed · Mid £90–150 excl. bed · High £160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 · Police non-urgent 101 · NHS non-urgent 111
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a cafe | £3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | £12–18 |
| Fish and chips | £10–15 |
| Pint of beer | £4.50–6 |
| Local bus single | £2–3.50 |
| Train Troon to Glasgow, one way | £8–10 |
| Round of golf, links course | £40–250 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GLA · Glasgow
- About 40 min to Glasgow city centre, then 50 min by train to Troon; allow 2–2.5 h door to door.
- PIK · Glasgow Prestwick
- Closer, about 15 min by train from Prestwick to Troon, but few routes; check what flies there.
Typical fares
- Train Troon to Glasgow Central
- about £9, 50 min
- Train Troon to Ayr
- about £4, 15 min
- Taxi within town
- £5–8
Get around
The town is compact and flat: walk everywhere in the centre, 10–20 min between the station, harbour and South Beach. Trains run from Troon station south to Prestwick and Ayr and north to Glasgow Central roughly every 30 min; Barassie halt covers the north beach. Local buses link Troon with Irvine, Kilmarnock and Ayr. Taxis are cheap for short hops; book ahead late at night.
See and do
Known for
- Royal Troon Golf Club and the Open
- South Beach and Barassie beach
- Victorian red sandstone town centre
- Base for Arran and Ayrshire coast
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ayr | Train from Troon, about 15 min | About 30 min |
| Prestwick | Train from Troon, about 8 min | About 20 min |
| Ardrossan | Train via Kilwinning, about 40 min, or bus via Irvine | About 1 h |
| Largs | Train via Kilwinning, about 1 h, or bus via Irvine | About 1.25 h |
| Kilmarnock | Bus 10 from Troon, about 55 min | About 1 h |
| Irvine | Bus 14 from Troon, about 35 min | About 45 min |
Sleep
- Town centre (Portland St / Templehill)
- Walk to beach, station, pubs and restaurants; best for a car-free night or two.
- South Beach
- Seafront hotels and guesthouses, quieter, 10–15 min walk to the station.
- Barassie
- North end near the golf links and its own rail halt; good for golfers with a car.
- Loans / Monktonhill Road
- Country-house hotels a mile or two out; you need a car or a taxi.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hellohel-LO |
| Thank you | Thanksthanks |
| Cheers (thanks / goodbye) | Cheerscheers |
| Where is the station? | Where's the station?wheres the STAY-shun |
| Can I pay by card? | Card OK?card oh-KAY |
| The bill, please | Can I get the bill?can I get the bill |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- Open week (when the championship is at Royal Troon) fills every room and doubles prices: check dates before booking.
- Some ferries to Arran have been diverted to Troon during harbour works at Ardrossan: check the operator before you plan a crossing.
- 5G coverage is patchy; 4G works across town and the approach roads.
- Beach weather is unreliable even in summer: pack a waterproof and expect wind on Barassie.
A quiet, low-crime seaside town; the real risks are cold water and strong currents on the beaches, wind and rain on the coast path, and late-night walkers on unlit seafront stretches.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Troon yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Royal Troon Golf Club and the Open
- South Beach and Barassie beach
- Victorian red sandstone town centre
- Base for Arran and Ayrshire coast
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- VisitScotland — Ayrshire and Arran: www.visitscotland.com/places-to-go/ayrshire-arran
- ScotRail: www.scotrail.co.uk/
- Royal Troon Golf Club: www.royaltroon.co.uk/
- Dundonald Castle: www.dundonaldcastle.org.uk/
- Wikivoyage: Troon, revision 5295076 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5295076
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Troon
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Troon. US and most foreign consulates are in Edinburgh; embassies are in London.
English is spoken everywhere. Card and contactless are accepted almost everywhere; keep a little cash for small cafes.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/troon). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.