Kilmarnock

For other uses, see Kilmarnock (disambiguation).

Kilmarnock Scottish Gaelic: Cill Meàrnaig Scots: Kilmarnock, Killie
File:246624198 4d6636064fhry.jpg A view over Kilmarnock.
Population
OS grid reference	NS429381
Council area	East Ayrshire
Lieutenancy area	Ayrshire
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	KILMARNOCK
Postcode district	KA1-KA3
Dialling code	01563
Police	Scotland
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
UK Parliament	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
Scottish Parliament	Kilmarnock and Loudoun Central Scotland
Website	http://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/

Kilmarnock (Scottish Gaelic: Cill Meàrnaig; locally known as Killie) is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,170. It is located roughly between Glasgow and Ayr, and is the 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'.

History

The name comes from the Gaelic cill (kirk), and the name of Saint Marnoch or Mernoc who is also remembered in the name of Portmarnock in Ireland, and Inchmarnock. It may come from the three Gaelic elements mo (my) Earn (name of the saint) and the diminutive ag, giving Church of My Little Earn. It is believed by some that the saint founded a church there in 322. There are 12 Church of Scotland congregations in the town, plus other denominations. In 2005, the Reverend David W. Lacy, minister of the town's Henderson Church, was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

The core of the early town appears to have lain around what is now the Laigh Kirk (Low Church), although the oldest parts of the current building are no earlier than the 17

century, extending north and northwest. A comparatively modest settlement until the industrial revolution, Kilmarnock extended considerably from around 1800 onwards. This resulted in formal, planned developments such as King Street, Portland Street, Saint Marnock Street, and latterly John Finnie Street; the latter often suggested as one of the finest Victorian planned streets in Scotland.

Rugby Park

As the Second Division championship flag was raised high above Rugby Park on August 26, 1899, (seen above) few of the cheering Kilmarnock supporters could possibly have foreseen the rich history which was to be unfurled with the Saltire.

Rugby Park - now transformed into an 18,000 all-seater stadium - has born witness to every one of the club's achievements over the past century.

Kilmarnock FC

Kilmarnock Football Club early roots can be traced back to 1869 when young cricketers who played on Barbados Green (now the Howard Park) decided that they needed something to occupy their time during the winter months when cricket was not an option. This is when the first club meeting took place and the club founded.

At that time Killie found themselves playing a form of primitive football-rugby at their first ground, near South Hamilton Street. This sport was by no means anything like the football that we know and love now, it was more like a type of Rugby; hence their ground was named Rugby Park.

It has played host to spectacular European evenings, Scottish Cup celebrations and, of course, the surge towards the remarkable championship triumph of 1965. Rugby Park also did it's "bit" towards the war effort, as it was used as a munitions "dump" during World War II.

Mementoes were presented to the players and a special commemorative publication was commissioned to mark the occasion.

A near-capacity crowd turned out to urge on the team as they overturned a 1-0 deficit from the preliminary-round first leg in Iceland.

To mark that special evening in the history of Kilmarnock Football Club a special programme for the night was issued. (Right).

"The centenary is a significant landmark for the club and, by laying the new pitch at a cost of £500,000 this summer, we are stating our commitment to stay at Rugby Park for another 100 years," said former Club Director Ian Welsh. The relaying of the turf, which has been accompanied by the installation of a state-of-the-art drainage system, is the first pitch upgrade for 50 years.

The supporters, particularly a young element who have been reared on Premier League and, latterly, continental fare, responded by purchasing a record 5,400 season tickets for the 1994/95 campaign

Geography

Areas of Kilmarnock include:

• Altonhill.
• Annanhill.
• Barnweill.
• Beansburn.
• Bellfield.
• Bonnyton.
• Caprington.
• Gargieston.
• Grange Estate.
• Fisher Grange.
• Hillhead.
• Howard Grange.
• Loanhead.
• Longpark.
• Kirkstyle.
• New Farm Loch.
• Onthank.
• Riccarton.
• Shortlees.
• Southcraig.
• Townholm.
• Wardneuk.
• Wellpark.

Economy

Map of Kilmarnock town centre in 1819.

Kilmarnock Cross in 1849.

Kilmarnock's traditional industries were based around textiles and heavy engineering; carpets (manufactured by BMK) from the early 1900s, locomotives (Andrew Barclay and Sons) from 1837 through 1970, and valves (Glenfield and Kennedy) which are still in production.

The carpets manufactured in Kilmarnock were internationally known for their quality and intricacy since the late 1800s. Many locations around the world chose to install BMK carpets. Famously, RMS Titanic was carpeted using carpets manufactured by Stoddard Carpets, the parent company and successor to BMK. Primarily due to a move by the UK market towards laminated and hard-wood flooring, but also partially due to a long decline in the industry in the area as well as cheaper, but noticeably less hard-wearing foreign competition, carpet-making finally ceased in Kilmarnock in early 2005.

Archibald Finnie and his family lived at Springhill House (now a nursing home) near the Grange Academy. They owned many coal mines, pits and other companies in Springside and other places. John Finnie Street is named after one of the family. Shoes were also a major product for some time, with Saxone having a factory in the town on the site of where the Galleon leisure centre now stands.

Kilmarnock had one of the earliest tram railways in the world, running to Troon over the (recently restored) Laigh Milton viaduct. The Glasgow and South Western Railway also set up their works here, producing nearly 400 locomotives by the time it was absorbed by the LMS in 1923. Some work continued, but heavy repairs were sent to Saint Rollox. Locomotive repairs finished in 1952, and the works closed in 1959. Nevertheless locomotives are still made by Hunslett-Barclay, as well as the maintenance of existing diesel and electric multiple units. From 1946 tractors were also built in Kilmarnock, with a large Massey-Harris factory present on the outskirts of the town. It later became Massey-Ferguson, before closing in 1978.

Glenfield and Kennedy still survives albeit with a fraction of its former workforce, which at its height numbered in the thousands. Kilmarnock however is still home to the world famous Johnnie Walker's brand Scotch whisky. On the outskirts of the town is Scotland's first privately run prison, HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Regeneration

Portland Street, 2006.

Dean Castle Gatehouse.

The September 11 memorial plaque at the Dean Castle.

The textile and manufacturing sectors across Scotland suffered significant decline in the postwar period, and in particular from the 1960s, in the face of greater foreign competition. Kilmarnock was no exception, with the closure or significant reduction of many of its traditional large employers: Glenfield and Kennedy, Massey Ferguson, BMK, and Saxone. Although significant attempts have been made to halt this decline and attract new employers, Kilmarnock saw a continuing net loss of jobs in the five years to 2005.

Although traditionally a main shopping area for most of the surrounding districts, patterns have changed over the last 20 years; traditional centres such as Ayr have been joined by new developments at Braehead and East Kilbride.

This difficult economic climate is most visible in the town centre, the eastern part of which has been extensively redeveloped, with important historic buildings such as King Street Church and the Town Hall being demolished, and Duke Street (the link from Kilmarnock Cross to the Palace Theatre and out to the London Road) built over.

More recently Portland Street, which formed the northerly part of the main shopping area, lay abandoned for many years due to a decline in retail trade and in the face of possible comprehensive redevelopment. The street has now been redeveloped, but has not yet regained its former degree of popularity, with a Gala Bingo and a J.D. Wetherspoons taking up much of one side of the street and the rest largely occupied by chain stores.

In 2004, the Rough Guide to Scotland described the town as "shabby and depressed, saddled with some terrible shopping centres and a grim one-way system". The town, however, contains several parks such as Howard Park, Dean Park, and Kay Park, and residential areas including London Road, Dundonald Road, McLelland Drive, and Howard Park Drive. The town also boasts a collection of gift shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants within the very desirable Bank Street area, whilst offering retail options within its retail parks at Queen's Drive and Glencairn Square.

According to the local press in November 2007, the new SNP council have drawn up a Top Ten Hit List on 'eyesore' buildings in the town, and their owners and have revealed plans to crack down hard on property owners who have left their buildings fall into disrepair. A plan of action is being carried out to get something done with each of these sites. Many of the buildings in disrepair are irreplaceable listed buildings such as the former ABC cinema (previously the King's Theatre) on Titchfield Street.

Dean Castle Palace.

A four-star hotel recently opened next to Rugby Park, the home of Kilmarnock F.C., and new restaurants, such as Merchants and the award winning Jefferson Restaurant have opened in the town centre.

Regeneration activities have been discussed for Kilmarnock town centre; in early 2006, an application to Historic Scotland's Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme was successful, and as of July 2006 an application under the Heritage Lottery Fund's Townscape Heritage Initiative Scheme was pending. Work has pretty much finished on a quality housing development on the gapsite of the former Kilmarnock Infirmary north of the town centre.

In the past there have been major efforts to improve the quality of life for residents in the town's worst housing estates, especially in parts of Shortlees, Longpark and Onthank. Though the physical rehabilitation of housing in these areas has partly tackled the underlying problems of social exclusion, Onthank is arguably that most successful area of regeneration in question.

Much new quality housing has been constructed on the northern fringes of the town, in order to service the demand for commuter housing. With a journey time of 20 minutes from Kilmarnock to Glasgow (roughly half that of the existing train service), the M77 has transformed the link between Glasgow and Kilmarnock. The upgrading of the A77 route to Glasgow to the M77 motorway in 2005 has made Kilmarnock more accessible for commuters, and recent house price increases have reflected this.

Landmarks

File:Church445.jpg

Laigh Kirk.

• Johnnie Walker; burial place at the kirk yard of Saint Andrew's Glencairn Church.
• The Dick Institute.
• Kilmarnock War Memorial; Elmbank Avenue (1926-1927), B-listed, architect James Miller.
• Dean Castle; the original keep dates from around 1350, and the palace from around 1460.
• Burns Monument; from 1879.
• Dean Park.
• Kay Park; the 30 acre park was purchased, laid out, and gifted to the town by Alexander Kay. It opened in 1879 and is the home of the Burns Monument.
• Howard Park Kilmarnock; previously 'Barbadoes Green', to where the roots of Kilmarnock Football Club can be traced back. "Lady's Walk in Howard Park commemorates the grief-stricken walks taken by the young widow of The Earl of Kilmarnock who was sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered in London in 1746, later commuted to beheading. His widow sadly died a year after his execution.
• Kilmarnock railway viaduct; built between 1843 and 1850.
• Kilmarnock railway station; from 1846.
• The Laigh Kirk and Kirkyard.
• Sandbed Street Bridge; circa 1762; the oldest surviving bridge in Kilmarnock.
• Palace Theatre; the imposing Corn Exchange, whose red-sandstone Italianate tower, by James Ingram, dominates the cross at London Road and Green Street, was opened on 16 September 1863 as a multi-use concert hall.
• Kings Hotel.
• George Hotel.
• Bank Street.
• John Finnie Street; from 1864.
• King Street; from 1804.
• Clydesdale Bank; from 1975.
• Kilmarnock Cross.

Transport

View from Kilmarnock railway station onto John Finnie Street.

The Kilmarnock railway viaduct.

The partial 'suspension' bridge over the Dean Ford, at the Kilmarnock Water.

In 1812, the famous Kilmarnock and Troon Railway opened, mainly to carry coal from the area to the harbour at Troon, but also carrying passengers.

In 1904, Kilmarnock had its own tramway system built. The name of the company was Kilmarnock Corporation Tramways. An electric power station was built in the south bank of the River Irvine at Riccarton. Overhead power lines and tram lines were laid. With continued upgrading and expansion, the tram network at its peak went from Ayr Road in Riccarton at its southerly point, to Knockinlaw Road in Beansburn in the North. At Kilmarnock Cross, the line had an easterly spur that stretched along London Road, through Crookedholm and finally terminating at Hurlford. There had been proposed extensions along Portland Road, up John Finnie Street, West Langlands Street and eventually towards Crosshouse, but by this time, increasing costs and the far more flexible motor bus had made inroads and the trams ceased operation in 1926 during the General Strike. The council decided not to restart the service and the infrastructure was soon dismantled. Today the town is served by Kilmarnock railway station.

Kilmarnock has excellent road links to Glasgow, with the most recent via the M77. The latest upgrade was instigated in 2004, and involved extending the M77 a further 9 miles (15 km) south to the village of Fenwick, near Kilmarnock. This replaced the dangerous 4-lane unsegregated dual carriageway of the A77 that dropped to a two lane single carriageway for the bend just north of the Mearnskirk turn-off, and the A77/B764 (Eaglesham) junction (causing vehicles to queue dangerously on the outside lane on a bend to enter the B764 from the south) which were prone to fatal accidents. The scheme also included the Glasgow Southern Orbital (GSO) which bypasses the B764 Eaglesham Moor road to East Kilbride. It was completed in April 2005.

In 2006, Junction 2 was rebuilt in conjunction with the building of the adjacent Silverburn Shopping Centre. The northbound off-ramp and southbound on-ramp are now routed via the access roundabout to the shopping centre.

Much of the original section of the A77 that carried the traffic now accommodated by the M77 has been converted into a two lane single carriageway and a parallel cyclepath.

Kilmarnock lies on the main road between Edinburgh, Livingston, South Lanarkshire, and Ayrshire (Irvine).

Education

Kilmarnock has 17 schools; 13 primary and four secondary. There is also a college in the town, Kilmarnock College, formerly Kilmarnock Technical College.

The secondary schools are:

• Kilmarnock Academy.
• Saint Joseph's R.C. Academy.
• Grange Academy.
• James Hamilton Academy.

The primary schools are:

• Saint Columba's R.C. Primary.
• Saint Matthews R.C. Primary.
• Mount Carmel R.C. Primary.
• Loanhead Primary.
• Hillhead Primary.
• Kirkstyle Primary.
• Bellfield Primary.
• Shortlees Primary.
• Silverwood Primary.
• New Farm Primary.
• Annanhill Primary.
• Gargieston Primary.
• Onthank Primary.

Sports

The Dean Ford over the Kilmarnock Water at the Dean Country Park.

The town is host to a football club named Kilmarnock F.C., the oldest professional club in Scotland. Their home ground is the curiously named Rugby Park. The reason for the name of the ground is that when founded, the club played both football and rugby. The club has the largest supporter base of any team outwith Scotland's four major cities. Rugby Park was also one of the first football grounds in Scotland to have floodlights installed. In recent years the stadium has been modernised, firstly to bring it in line with the all-seating regulations, then rebuilt totally to make a new ground. It has also hosted international football matches as well as music concerts, the most recent one was when Elton John performed here in June 2005. Derek Olgavie is also a regular appearance in the Palace Theatre.

The town also regularly plays host to professional wrestling shows, promoted by the British Championship Wrestling promotion.

There are two golf courses in the town, Annanhill Golf Course and Caprington Golf Course, which has both an 18 hole course and a nine hole course. Both these courses are council owned and run by East Ayrshire Council.

The local leisure complexes include the Galleon Centre: with a 25 metre swimming pool, baby pool, ice rink, squash courts, sauna, gym, games hall, bar area, bowling green and the New Northwest Centre (formerly the Hunter Centre) which contains an up-to-date community gym and various local medical facilities.

A leisurely stroll around the town will reveal many fine buildings. Kilmarnock boasts a large number of listed buildings. The Dick Institute, opened in April 1901, was severely damaged by fire only eight years after it opened. Some of the museums collections were lost in the fire. It reopened two years after the fire in 1911. The Dick Institute was used as an Auxiliary Hospital in 1917 during World War One.It is now shared by the Arts and Museums Service, and the Libraries, Registration and Information Service. The two Art Galleries and three Museum Galleries house permanent and temporary displays of Fine Art, Contemporary Art and Craft, Local and Industrial History and Natural Sciences. The Lending Library, Audio Library, Junior Library, Reference Library, and Learning Centre are all housed on the ground floor.

Culture

The first collection of work by Scottish poet Robert Burns, Poems, chiefly in the Scottish dialect was published here in 1786. It was published at the current site of the Burn's Mall, dedicated to his work. This edition is known as the Kilmarnock Edition.

Two areas of Kilmarnock, Ellerslie and Riccarton, are associated with William Wallace and his father. Claims have been made that this is the true origin of his birthplace, and recently these have been largely substantiated. The claim that Wallace was born in Elderslie near Paisley no longer seems tenable.

John Bowring, renowned polyglot and fourth governor of Hong Kong, was Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock in 1835.

In the castle of Kilmarnock, Dean Castle, there is an exhibition of armour and weapons, and the Van Raalte collection of musical instruments.

Robert Burns

Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796) (also known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland's favourite son, the Ploughman Poet, the Bard of Ayrshire and in Scotland as simply The Bard) was a poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best-known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is also in English and a 'light' Scots dialect, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also wrote in standard English, and in these pieces, his political or civil commentary is often at its most blunt.

Notable people

• Ian Deans; notable Scottish-Canadian NDP politician representing Hamilton, Ontario.
• William and John Sloane; founders of W. & J. Sloane in New York City.
• Margaret McDowall; member of the Scottish swimming team and silver medal winner at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.
• Hugh McIlvanney; sports journalist.
• William McIlvanney; writer, born 1936.
• Sir John Boyd Orr; biologist, politician and Nobel Peace Prize-winner.
• Robert Dunsmuir; Hudson Bay Company coal miner and then coal baron, richest man in western Canada and builder of Victoria's Craigdarroch Castle; born at Hurlford, southeast of Kilmarnock.
• Scottish Canadian comedian Colin Mochrie (of "Whose Line is it Anyway?" fame) spent the first several years of his life in Kilmarnock (born 1957, emigrated 1964).
• Malcolm Wallace; father of Scotland's hero, William Wallace, was born in Riccarton.
• James Robinson; played William Wallace as a boy in the motion picture Braveheart.
• Malky McCormick; cartoonist.
• Jamie Allan Kerr; master craftsman.
• Lindsay McKenzie; actress.
• Doctor William Findlay (pen name George Umber); author.

Twin towns

• Alès, France.
• Herstal, Belgium.
• Kulmbach, Germany.
• Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain.
• Sukhumi, Georgia.

References

Bibliography

• Beattie, Frank (1994) Greetings from Kilmarnock, Ochiltree : R. Stenlake, ISBN 1-87207-441-3
• Beattie, Frank ((2003) Kilmarnock Memories, Sutton Publishing, ISBN 0-7509-3236-8
• Brinkhoff , T. (2007) City Population: Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Scotland, Online statistics [accessed 8 July 2007]
• Malkin, John (1989) Pictorial History of Kilmarnock, Darvel : Alloway, ISBN 0-907526-42-X
• Smellie, Thomas (1898) Sketches of Old Kilmarnock, Section II, limited edition of 250 copies, Kilmarnock : Dunlop & Drennan

External links

• The History of Kilmarnock by Archibald McKay, 1858
• The Lordship and Barony of Kilmarnock
• Webcams of the town
• Kilmarnock F.C.
• 2001 census key statistics for Kilmarnock