Loudoun

For the county in Virginia, USA, see Loudoun County, Virginia. For the Countess of Loudoun, see Barbara Huddleston Abney-Hastings, 13th Countess of Loudoun.

Loudoun Castle, Galston in the 1890s.

Loudoun (Scottish Gaelic: Lughdan) is an area of East Ayrshire, Scotland, east of Kilmarnock. The word Loudoun is a derivative of the Celtic Pagan God name Lugus.^{[citation needed]}

Loudoun is a parish and is named after the former village which stood north of Galston.^{[citation needed]} The area is commonly referred to as the "Irvine Valley", for the River Irvine which flows through it. The parish covers the burghs of Newmilns and Greenholm and Darvel.

Loudoun Kirk, the burial place of the Campbells of Loudoun is nearby. The village has vanished, however plans to rebuild the lost village are under consideration by the council. Loudoun's most prominent geographical feature is Loudoun Hill, site of several minor battles during Scotland's history. The ruins of the 19th-century Loudoun Castle stand to the north of Galston. Between 1995 and 2010, a theme park was operated in the castle grounds.

See also

• Ley tunnel

External links

• Its page in the 'Gazeteer for Scotland'