AANHS home

Welcome

Welcome to 2026, and more archaeology and natural history in Ayrshire.

Details of any additional events or excursions will be posted nearer the time, so please watch for them, and in the meantime enjoy the resources on this site and the archaeology and natural history of Ayrshire.

TALKS:
We hope that you have enjoyed this season’s talks.
In person talks were at our new location at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), Ayr KA8 0SX, and some also gather there to watch online ones together and meet socially. They are also zoomed to members unable to attend.

We look forward to seeing you in the future:
Our talks resume in October, and before then, at the same venue,
come to the Social gathering on Friday 7th August 2-3pm .

The new list and dates will be on our Programme page when finalised.

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Please note: To pay the membership fee for the 2026-27 season please see our How to Join page, after 7 September.
Our 2025-2026 individual membership fee was £20.
With the new membership category of couple / family (*for 2 persons at the same address) being £30.

Details of the 2026-27 fee will be posted soon, so please wait until then to join or renew.

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

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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!

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Our PayPal Buttons on the Join/Donate Page make it easy to join, renew membership and donate.

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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.

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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.

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ACCOUNTS
AANHSs most recent accounts, and earlier ones, are available on our the Society’s Accounts page.

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