Kilmarnock

Kilmarnock
Scottish Gaelic: Cill Mheàrnaig
Scots: Kilmarnock, Killie
Glasgow Road, Kilmarnock.
Kilmarnock  Kilmarnock shown within East Ayrshire
Population	44,734 (2001 Census)
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	Strathclyde
Fire	Strathclyde
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
Scottish Parliament	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
	Central Scotland
Website	http://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/
List of places: UK • Scotland •

Kilmarnock (Scottish Gaelic: Cill Mheàrnaig) is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734.^[1] It is roughly equidistant between Glasgow and Ayr, and is the second largest town in Ayrshire.^[2] The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'.^[3]

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Economy 3.1 BMK Carpets 3.2 Railway Manufacturing 3.3 Johnnie Walker 4 Regeneration 5 Landmarks 6 Transport 7 Education 7.1 College 7.2 Secondary schools 7.3 Primary schools 8 Sports 9 Culture 10 Notable people 11 Twin towns 12 See also 13 References 13.1 Bibliography 14 External links

History

The name comes from the Gaelic cill (church), 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', Ernán (name of the saint) and the diminutive ag, giving Church of My Little Ernán. It is believed by some that the saint founded a church there in the 7th century. 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 17th century, extending north and northwest. In 1668 the town was largely destroyed by an accidental fire. About 120 families lost most of their possessions and were forced to live destitute in the fields surrounding the town. These tradespeople had no other way of making a living and had already been driven to the edge of poverty by having troops stationed with them as part of the anti-Covenanter measures. Parish churches throughout Scotland collected money for the relief of these homeless citizens.^[4]

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.

Geography

Areas of Kilmarnock include:

• Altonhill
• Annanhill
• Barnweil
• Beansburn
• Bellfield
• Bonnyton
• Caprington
• Crookedholm
• Gargieston
• Grange Estate
• Hurlford
• Hillhead
• Howard Grange
• Loanhead
• Longpark
• Kirkstyle
• New Farm Loch
• Onthank
• Riccarton
• Shortlees
• Southcraig
• Springhill
• Townholm
• Wardneuk
• Wellpark

Economy

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

BMK Carpets

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.

Railway Manufacturing

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 London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923. Some work continued, but heavy repairs were sent to St. 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.

Johnnie Walker

Kilmarnock is home to the world famous Johnnie Walker brand of Scotch whisky. However the owner of Johnnie Walker, Diageo, has announced that they will be closing the bottling plant in the town by the end of 2011—thus ending a 189 year link with the whisky brand and the town.^[5][6] In September 2009, owner Diageo confirmed the plant in Kilmarnock would close, despite local protests.^[7]

Originally known as Walker's Kilmarnock Whisky, the Johnnie Walker brand is a legacy left by John ‘Johnnie’ Walker after he started to sell whisky in his grocer’s shop in Ayrshire, Scotland. The brand became popular, but after Walker's death in 1857 it was his son Alexander Walker and grandson Alexander Walker II who were largely responsible for establishing the scotch as a popular brand. Under John Walker, whisky sales represented eight percent of the firm’s income; by the time Alexander was ready to pass on the company to his own sons, that figure had increased to between 90 and 95 percent. ^[8]

Prior to 1860 it was illegal to sell blended whisky.^[9] During that time John Walker sold a number of whiskies — notably his own Walker’s Kilmarnock. In 1865 John’s son Alexander produced their first blend, Walker’s Old Highland.

Alexander Walker first introduced the iconic square bottle in 1870. This meant fewer broken bottles and more bottles fitting the same space. The other identifying characteristic of the bottle is the label, which is applied at an angle of 24 degrees. The angled label means the text on the label could be made larger and more visible.^[10]

From 1906–1909 John’s grandsons George and Alexander II expanded the line and introduced the colour names. In 1908, when James Stevenson was the Managing Director, there was a re-branding of sorts. The whisky was renamed from Walker's Kilmarnock Whiskies to Johnnie Walker Whisky. In addition, the slogan, "Born 1820 – Still going Strong!" was created, along with the Striding Man, a figure used in their advertisements to this day.

Regeneration

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. Plans to improve the derelict building at the top of John Finnie Street that was destroyed by a fire in the early 1990s have been submitted to the council to include a new 4 star hotel, a nightclub and new shops and cafes. Work is estimated to be completed in 2011.

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. 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 motorway 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.^[11]

Landmarks

• On the outskirts of the town is Scotland's first privately run prison, HM Prison Kilmarnock.
• John 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.^[12]
• Dean Castle; the original keep dates from around 1350, and the palace from around 1460.^[13]
• Burns Monument; from 1879.
• Dean Park.
• Kay Park; the 30-acre (120,000 m²) 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.^[14]
• Howard Park Kilmarnock; previously 'Barbadoes Green', to where the roots of Kilmarnock Football Club can be traced back.^[15] 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 died a year after his execution.^[16]
• 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.^[17]
• 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.^[18]
• Kings Hotel.
• George Hotel.
• Bank Street.
• John Finnie Street; from 1864.
• King Street; from 1804.
• Clydesdale Bank; from 1975.
• Kilmarnock Cross.

Transport

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 M77 motorway now completed from Fenwick to its junction with the M8 at the Kingston Bridge. A new south side motorway will connect this point to the M74 near Calderpark when the latest phase of development is complete, eliminating some of the heavy traffic currently travelling on the A71 through Hurlford, Galston, Newmilns, Darvel and Strathaven to join the M74 at Stonehouse.

Kilmarnock lies on the intersection of 3 main roads: the A71 which runs from Edinburgh to (Irvine), the A76 from Dumfries to Kilmarnock, and the A77/M77 from Stranraer to Glasgow, showing the significance of its location as an early market town.

Education

Kilmarnock has 1 college; 17 schools; 13 primary and four secondary. There is also a college in the town, Kilmarnock College, formerly Kilmarnock Technical College. The schools are managed by East Ayrshire Council.

College

• Kilmarnock College

Secondary schools

• Kilmarnock Academy
• Saint Joseph's R.C. Academy

The new school was rebuilt in the playingfields of the former building and opened in April 2008 - also includes the newly formed St Andrews Primary School

• Grange Academy

The new school was rebuilt on the playing fields of the former building and opened in August 2008

• James Hamilton Academy

Primary schools

• Saint Andrews R.C. Primary

St Andrews opened in August 2008 when the former St Columba's and St Matthew's Primary schools merged and is based in the grounds of the newly built St Joseph's Academy in New Farm Loch.

• Mount Carmel R.C. Primary
• Loanhead Primary

Founded c.1903 and located at Elmbank Drive. Around 120 pupils, aged 4-11, are educated under the direction of the headteacher Mrs Smith who succeeded Mrs Jan Cuningham.

• Hillhead Primary
• Kirkstyle Primary

Fairly new, located on top of a Coal Mine at Carron Avenue. Headteacher Dianne McKinnon who succeeded Elizabeth Devlin after she retired in July.

• Bellfield Primary
• Shortlees Primary
• Silverwood Primary
• New Farm Primary
• Annanhill Primary
• Gargieston Primary
• Onthank Primary

Sports

The town is host to Kilmarnock F.C., a member of the SPL and the second oldest professional football club in Scotland.^[19] Their home ground is Rugby Park. The irregular etymology 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 and music concerts, most recently Elton John in June 2005.

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 a community gym and various local medical facilities.

Culture

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.

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.

John Bowring, 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.

The BBC produced a reality TV programme, The Scheme, featuring a housing estate in the Kilmarnock area.^[20]

Notable people

• John Boyd Orr; biologist, politician and Nobel Peace Prize-winner.
• Des Browne; local MP, former UK defence minister and Scotland minister.
• Willie Coffey; local MSP.
• Ian Deans; notable Scottish-Canadian NDP politician representing Hamilton, Ontario.
• Robert Dunsmuir; important coal miner and industrialist for the Hudson's Bay Company.
• William Findlay (pen name George Umber); author.^[21]
• Alexander Fleming; discoverer of penicillin, attended Kilmarnock Academy.
• William Hewitt; Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 2009
• John Kelso Hunter; 19th century oil painter and author.
• David Lacy; Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and a local minister.
• Malky McCormick; cartoonist.
• Iain McDowall; crime writer.
• 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.^[22]
• Lindsay McKenzie; actress.
• Colin Mochrie; Scottish-Canadian comedian (of Whose Line is it Anyway? fame) born in Kilmarnock in 1957
• William and John Sloane; founders of W. & J. Sloane in New York City.
• Malcolm Wallace; father of Scotland's hero, William Wallace, was born in Riccarton.
• David Robertson (1920s footballer) who played for the Kilmarnock F.C. and Queen of the South F.C. before emigrating to New York where he played for the U.S. National team.
• Kirsty Wark; TV News and current affairs personality.
• Gordon Smith; Former professional footballer and recently resigned SFA Chief Executive
• Iain Lauchlan: Actor and creator of The Tweenies

Twin towns

Kilmarnock - as part of East Ayrshire Council - is twinned with five cites and has received awards from the Council of Europe for its work in twinning.^[23][24]

• Alès, France.
• Herstal, Belgium.
• Joué-lès-Tours, France
• Kulmbach, Germany.
• Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain.

The former Kilmarnock and Loudoun District Council was also twinned with Sukhum, Georgia. Following a review of links this link is now considered as a friendship link.^[25]

See also

• Kilmarnock FC
• The Scheme (TV series)

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
• Kilmarnock College