Kilbirnie

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Kilbirnie
Scots:	Kilbirnie
Location

OS grid reference:	NS313551
Statistics
Population:	8500

Administration
Council area:	North Ayrshire
Constituent country:	Scotland
Sovereign state:	United Kingdom
Other
Police force:	Strathclyde Police
Lieutenancy area:	Ayrshire and Arran
Former county:	Ayrshire
Post office and telephone
Post town:	KILBIRNIE
Postal district:	KA25
Dialling code:	01505
Politics
Scottish Parliament:	Cunninghame North
UK Parliament:	North Ayrshire and Arran
European Parliament:	Scotland

Kilbirnie (from the Gaelic Cille Bhraonaidh) is a small town of around 8500 inhabitants situated in North Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland. Historically the town built up around the flax and weaving industries before iron and steelmaking took over in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

It has a secondary school that teaches pupils from Beith, Glengarnock and Dalry, as well as several primary schools.

The River Garnock runs through the region. It flows from the base of the Hill of Stake in a southery direction, traversing Kilbirnie and Glengarnock, and making its way to Irvine Harbour where it enters the sea.

Landmarks of interest include Kilbirnie Loch, a mile and a half long and nearly half a mile broad. It is a well-used local amenity catering for diverse sporting activities such as fishing, jet skiing and rugby (played on the playing fields at the loch shore edge).

Archaeological digs conducted in the 19th century have shown that the area was inhabited during the Bronze Age. This was ascertained from the revealing of a crannog with a connecting causeway, which emerged from the Kilbirnie Loch, under the downwards pressure exerted from the iron slag being dumped into the loch from the steelworks. Finds from around the area of the crannog include four hollowed-out canoes, inside one of which were two bronze vessels – one a three-legged pot, the other a lion shaped ewer.

The town is also home to famous Junior Football side, Kilbirnie Ladeside.