Ayrshire Bestseller Inspires French Students to Visit Scotland’s West Coast

A bestselling Ayrshire book has inspired a group of university students from France to visit Scotland’s west coast and experience the places they had only read about.

Eight students and their lecturer from the University of Strasbourg travelled to Ayrshire after studying Ayrshire Stories: Tales from the West Coast, a collection of regional tales by Monkton-based author Dr Aaron Mullins.

The group are enrolled in an English language course titled Tell Me a Story, which helps older students improve their English by reading and analysing books written in the language. After spending last year studying Aaron's work, they decided to see Ayrshire for themselves.

Their visit began at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum and Cottage in Alloway, followed by stops at the Burns Statue in Ayr and the Alloway Tunnel, where they admired the colourful murals celebrating Scotland’s national poet. They then enjoyed a drive along the Ayrshire coast to visit Maiden's Beach.

Each student carried a copy of Ayrshire Stories, and their trip was made extra special when Dr Mullins met them in person to sign their books.

“It’s one thing to read about these places,” said one student. “But being here, seeing the sights, the sea, and the people, it makes you feel part of the story.”

Their lecturer, Madame Denise Donnio, described the visit as “a way to bring language and literature to life,” adding: “The students were captivated by how vividly the book portrayed Ayrshire. This trip connected the words on the page with the real communities behind them.”

Ayrshire Stories: Tales from the West Coast became a number one Amazon bestseller, overtaking Stephen King in the horror charts and Jeffrey Deaver in crime to top the charts in multiple categories. The book features fiction from across North, South and East Ayrshire, including tales from local writers in Ayr, Prestwick, Troon, Cumnock, Muirkirk and Dalry.

“As a psychologist and fiction writer, I’ve always been fascinated by how stories connect people,” said Dr Mullins. “To see students from France travel here because of a book I wrote about Ayrshire is incredibly humbling.”

The trip has been hailed as a celebration of Ayrshire’s cultural reach, showing how local stories can resonate far beyond Scotland’s borders. The trip from The University of Strasbourg will now become an annual event that will bring visitors to Ayrshire for years to come.

Ayrshire Stories: Tales from the West Coast is available in paperback and eBook formats from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ayrshire-Stories-Tales-West-Coast/dp/B0DFJ48RL1