Auchinleck has much been associated with the coal mining industry but the closure of the collieries at High House in 1983 and nearby Barony in 1989, as well as the closure of the Curries soft drinks factory, almost wiped out Auchinleck's reason for existence. Visitors to the town in the 1990's described it as a throwback from twenty years before, with youth culture and drugs taking the place over.

Cumnockis a town in East Ayrshire. The town sits at the confluence of the Glaisnock Water and the Lugar Water. There are three neighbouring housing projects which lie just outside the town boundaries, Netherthird, Craigens and Logan, with the former ironworks settlement of Lugar also just outside the town, contributing to a population of around 13,000 in the immediate locale. Cumnock housed many miners, and also served as the market town for the other, smaller towns in the district, like Auchinleck, Ochiltree, Lugar, Muirkirk and New Cumnock (parts of which, incidentally, are said to be older than Cumnock)

Darvel is a small town in East Ayrshire, located at the eastern end of the Irvine Valley and is sometimes referred to as "The Lang Toon" due to its quaint appearance on Ordnance Survey maps.

Galston is a town in East Ayrshire, which has a population of 5194, (2001). It is situated in wooded countryside 4 miles up-river from Kilmarnock and is one a group of small towns located in the Irvine Valley between the towns of Hurlford and Newmilns. Loudoun Academy, the secondary school for the Loudoun area, is located in Galston. The area of Loudoun is also home to the famous Loudoun Castle theme park.

Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, with a population of 44,170.[1] It is roughly equidistant between Glasgow and Ayr, and is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'

Mauchline is a town in the county of East Ayrshire. In the 2001 census it had a recorded population of 4105. It lies by the Glasgow and South-Western railway line, 8 miles (13 km) east-southeast of Kilmarnock and 11 miles (18 km) northeast of Ayr. It is situated on a gentle slope about 1 mile (2 km) from the River Ayr, which flows through the south of the parish of Mauchline. In former days Loch Brown was about 1 mile west of the town, but was drained when the railway line from Kilmarnock was built.

New Cumnock is a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland in what used to be a coal mining area. The town is 5.7 miles (9.2 km) south east of Cumnock, and 21 miles (34 km) east of Ayr. Public transport links include the New Cumnock railway station on the Glasgow South Western Line. The population of New Cumnock is falling and many houses are being demolished as they cannot be filled. New Cumnock also has a drug rehabilitation centre.

Stewarton is a town located in East Ayrshire. In comparison to other towns in the region it is comparatively large - bigger than the surrounding towns of Kilmaurs, Fenwick, Dunlop and Lugton, with a population of over 10,000. It is 300 feet above sea level