Background History
Hourstons was opened by David Hourston in 1896 and was Ayr's first department store. His sons took over the business upon his death in 1917, by which time it had become established as one of the largest retail draperies in Scotland, and it was famed for its tearooms, smoking rooms and roof garden. In 1949 the store was bought by House of Fraser and rebranded as Arnotts. The original building was extended in the early 1960s, with the addition of a large, three story wing to the back and a further four story wing adjoining this. The store traded as Arnotts up until 1989, when it was sold again and reverted to the Hourstons name. It continued to enjoy the retail boom of the '90s and early '00s, with the shop being much loved by its staff and customers alike for its quirky "Are you being served?" atmosphere. By this point it was one of the go-to places for clothing, furniture and household accessories, with everything under one roof.
However, by the 2010s the spectre of online shopping had emerged and despite best efforts, the store entered a decline with customer numbers gradually falling as more people embraced internet shopping. In early 2019 it was announced that the store was to close with the loss of jobs for all 83 staff. After 123 years of trading, this came as a massive blow to the town and was symbolic of the wider decline of high street retail.
Following closure, it was announced that the local council had acquired the building along with the adjoining Arran Mall shopping arcade, with plans to convert the site into a swimming pool and leisure complex. By 2021 this had gained traction, with a firm being selected for design of the new complex, which would incorporate parts of the original building. However, by 2022 the political make-up of the council had changed and the leisure centre plans were cancelled. There was much frustration in the local area by this point, as the building had been closed for three years and was already showing signs of dilapidation, along with the attached Arran Mall, which was now nearly devoid of traders. The following year it was announced that a "Living Well Village" would be built on the site, with the now shuttered Arran Mall and parts of the Hourstons building being demolished to make way for new care residences along with a day centre and associated facilities. However, the aim would be to retain the original frontage of the Hourstons building and have it as an attractive entrance to the new facility. Demolition work is set to begin this year.
The Explore
This one took a lot of waiting and patience but eventually a brief window of opportunity to explore appeared. Initially the interior was disappointing, being in a fairly stripped state with mounds of waste materials piled up awaiting disposal. However, venturing further into the old parts of the building revealed some nice original features such as Victorian fireplaces and a tiled staircase, mostly in the non public facing areas. There were three main floors that were used for the various shopping departments, with a restaurant on the top floor. The floors were blended between the original 1890s building and the larger 1960s sections, with the '60s aesthetic being visible in the staircases, doors and lifts. There was also a very dark basement below the 1890s section which looks like it was the stock room and plant area. At the time of closure, many of the interior fittings of the shop were sold off, but there were still hints of its former use sitting around such as perfume stands and branded clothing adverts. There was a fair amount of water damage in sections, clearly the roof had been leaking for some time and the whole place smelled strongly of damp. There was quite a lot of decay for a place that had only been closed for five years, along with some signs of vandalism. Despite its fairly stripped state, this was still an interesting explore.
The store in the 1980s, during the Arnotts years. Photo credit: Ayrshire Post
Much of the interior looked like this.
This bright space was once the store's restaurant.
These signs were repeated throughout the store, showing the large variety of product types on offer.
The basement stock room.
Beautiful Victorian tile found in a fire escape staircase.
The flat rooftop.
Hourstons was opened by David Hourston in 1896 and was Ayr's first department store. His sons took over the business upon his death in 1917, by which time it had become established as one of the largest retail draperies in Scotland, and it was famed for its tearooms, smoking rooms and roof garden. In 1949 the store was bought by House of Fraser and rebranded as Arnotts. The original building was extended in the early 1960s, with the addition of a large, three story wing to the back and a further four story wing adjoining this. The store traded as Arnotts up until 1989, when it was sold again and reverted to the Hourstons name. It continued to enjoy the retail boom of the '90s and early '00s, with the shop being much loved by its staff and customers alike for its quirky "Are you being served?" atmosphere. By this point it was one of the go-to places for clothing, furniture and household accessories, with everything under one roof.
However, by the 2010s the spectre of online shopping had emerged and despite best efforts, the store entered a decline with customer numbers gradually falling as more people embraced internet shopping. In early 2019 it was announced that the store was to close with the loss of jobs for all 83 staff. After 123 years of trading, this came as a massive blow to the town and was symbolic of the wider decline of high street retail.
Following closure, it was announced that the local council had acquired the building along with the adjoining Arran Mall shopping arcade, with plans to convert the site into a swimming pool and leisure complex. By 2021 this had gained traction, with a firm being selected for design of the new complex, which would incorporate parts of the original building. However, by 2022 the political make-up of the council had changed and the leisure centre plans were cancelled. There was much frustration in the local area by this point, as the building had been closed for three years and was already showing signs of dilapidation, along with the attached Arran Mall, which was now nearly devoid of traders. The following year it was announced that a "Living Well Village" would be built on the site, with the now shuttered Arran Mall and parts of the Hourstons building being demolished to make way for new care residences along with a day centre and associated facilities. However, the aim would be to retain the original frontage of the Hourstons building and have it as an attractive entrance to the new facility. Demolition work is set to begin this year.
The Explore
This one took a lot of waiting and patience but eventually a brief window of opportunity to explore appeared. Initially the interior was disappointing, being in a fairly stripped state with mounds of waste materials piled up awaiting disposal. However, venturing further into the old parts of the building revealed some nice original features such as Victorian fireplaces and a tiled staircase, mostly in the non public facing areas. There were three main floors that were used for the various shopping departments, with a restaurant on the top floor. The floors were blended between the original 1890s building and the larger 1960s sections, with the '60s aesthetic being visible in the staircases, doors and lifts. There was also a very dark basement below the 1890s section which looks like it was the stock room and plant area. At the time of closure, many of the interior fittings of the shop were sold off, but there were still hints of its former use sitting around such as perfume stands and branded clothing adverts. There was a fair amount of water damage in sections, clearly the roof had been leaking for some time and the whole place smelled strongly of damp. There was quite a lot of decay for a place that had only been closed for five years, along with some signs of vandalism. Despite its fairly stripped state, this was still an interesting explore.
The store in the 1980s, during the Arnotts years. Photo credit: Ayrshire Post
Much of the interior looked like this.
This bright space was once the store's restaurant.
These signs were repeated throughout the store, showing the large variety of product types on offer.
The basement stock room.
Beautiful Victorian tile found in a fire escape staircase.
The flat rooftop.
