Dreghorn
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Dreghorn is a small village near Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland, not to be confused with the town and army barracks just south of Edinburgh. Dreghorn's closest neighbours are Bourtreehill and Broomlands. It is the birthplace of John Boyd Dunlop, inventor of the pneumatic tire. Dreghorn is incorporated in Irvine-New-Town. The name Dreghorn may derive from hunting terminology and speaks a little bit about the character of the typical Dreghorn hunter. After a good long hunting session would follow a good long drinking session, where they would fill their hunting horns with ale and drink even the dregs! Another theory is that it's an old Scots name meaning 'farm at the bog' [1].
The village boasts a rather unusual parish church, now called Dreghorn and Springside Parish Church (Formerly Dreghorn and Perceton). It is built in the shape of an octagon and is often referred to the 'Thrup'ny Bit' after pre-decimal three penny coin [2]. Other places of worship are few, the only other existing church being the Ebenezer Hall (Brethren) situated next to the village's Primary School. The congregational chapel is now gone and the second Church of Scotland building (Perceton and Dreghorn Parish Church) was shipped brick by brick to Japan!
During recent housing expansion, a large prehistoric site was discovered behind the current main street, suggesting that there has been a settlement in Dreghorn for at least 5000 years [3] making it the oldest continuously inhabited village in Scotland.
Dreghorn's historical main industries were farming and coal mining. All of the coal mines around Dreghorn were closed during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Dreghorn is still surrounded on two sides by farm land. The new communities of Broomlands and Bourtreehill cover the sites of mines.
Dreghorn has a strong community spirit and with its proximity to larger towns such as Irvine, Kilmarnock, and Ayr, it is a popular location for young families to travel to work from.
Maid Morvilles mound is located to the left of the bridge over the Irvine, commemorating the tragic drowning of a member of this family who were the overlords of the baillie of Cunninghame. It is sadly neglected and needs to be restored.
[edit] See also
- Dreghorn Barracks, an armed forces facility in Edinburgh
