The lieutenancy area was created in 1975 when the historic county of
Ayrshire was abolished for local government purposes. The last
Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire was made the first
lord-lieutenant of a new lieutenancy area covering the four
districts of
Cumnock and Doon Valley,
Cunninghame,
Kilmarnock and Loudoun, and
Kyle and Carrick. This area corresponded to the historic county of Ayrshire plus the
Isle of Arran and
The Cumbraes from
Buteshire. The lieutenancy area was not given a separate name, with the lord-lieutenant being described as "Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant in
Strathclyde Region (Districts of Cunninghame, Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Kyle and Carrick and Cumnock and Doon Valley)." Further local government reform in 1996 saw the four districts within the lieutenancy area reorganised and renamed to become the three
council areas of
East Ayrshire,
North Ayrshire, and
South Ayrshire. The lieutenancy area remained unchanged, but was named "Ayrshire and Arran", with the post holder thereafter being called the
Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran. ==References==