Ayrshire Archaeological and Natural History Society 
AANHS home
Welcome
Season’s Greetings: 
Hoping that you all have a joyful Christmas, happy Hogmanay,
and all the best for the New Year and a good 2026.
Wishing you warmth, and well.
TALKS:
Our talks resumed on Thursday 9th October 2025, at 7:15pm, in our new location at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), Ayr KA8 0SX, and we look forward to seeing you in the future.
The next one will be on the 8th of January 2026, and delivered via Zoom.
The list and dates is on our Programme page.
Doors Open Days was this September on the 13th and 14th.
and we are looking forward now to next year’s opportunities. https://www.doorsopendays.org.uk/regions/ayrshire
Our winter 2024-25 series of lectures concluded with a bonus lecture on the 27th March: Killochan and Kirkmichael, two fine Ayrshire houses, by James Brown. We meet at Alloway in the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum and Centre, with online live Zoom streams for members unable to attend in person, and this season’s talks covered a wide range of interesting subjects. Our talks will resume in October 2025, hosted in a new location, at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), Ayr KA8 0SX.
As always, please see the Programme page for details, and also check the Society’s Facebook site for speaker, or other last minute changes, and other events.
Please note: To pay the membership fee for the 2025-26 season please see our How to Join page.
Our individual membership fee to £20.
However there is also be a new membership category of couple / family (*for 2 persons at the same address) for £30.
New Payment options, via Stripe. Please scan the appropriate QR code for the link, or click on it.
<< Individual, £20 or Family*, £30 >> 
Wishing you all the best until we meet again.
This website has information about Ayrshire and its history,
as well as details of our talks and presentations, publications, and useful links.
For the latest news see our Facebook Page click the link
The Society has almost 200 members, most in Ayrshire but also throughout Britain and the world. Meetings are held during the winter months either in person, or online via Zoom. Members of the public are freely welcome to attend these meetings to see if they would like to become a member.
In the summer months, trips are organised to various places of interest. The Society is one of the few which publishes regularly. At least one Monograph is usually issued each year, free to members, and on sale to the general public.
To Join Us,
or make a donation to help our work,
please see the How to Join/Donate page.
Even if you are not yet a member you can still benefit from the resources available on this website. People living here and abroad can gain valuable information about this historic county.
We are a registered charity, run by volunteers, and rely on membership and donations for financial support. Please consider giving a donation to help us continue to promote the history and natural history of Ayrshire. Please send a donation to our Treasurer at the address on our How To Join page. Thank you!
Our PayPal Buttons on the Join/Donate Page make it easy to join, renew membership and donate.
Aims of the Society: to …
- promote interest in archaeology, history, natural history with particular reference to Ayrshire
- encourage the study of these subjects and stimulate research
- promote the conservation of the heritage of Ayrshire
- publish regularly material relevant to the Society’s objectives
- co-operate with appropriate organisations
The Society is affiliated to the following organisations:
- Ayrshire Federation of Historical Societies
- Archaeology Scotland (formerly the Council for Scottish Archaeology)
- British Association for Local History
- Ayr Arts Guild
- and is a Registered Charity, SC044758, with the Scottish Charity Regulator.
History of the Society
The society’s origins go back to 1877. The AANHS was founded in 1947 to promote the study of Ayrshire history and natural history. Read more in our Society’s history page.
The Society’s Constitution was adopted in 2014, and can be viewed at Constitution.
ACCOUNTS
AANHSs most recent accounts, and earlier ones, are available on our the Society’s Accounts page.
Ayrshire Archaeological and Natural History Society 