Maybole is a town and former
burgh of barony
A burgh of barony was a type of Scottish town ( burgh).
Burghs of barony were distinct from royal burghs, as the title was granted to a landowner who, as a tenant-in-chief, held his estates directly from the crown. (In some cases, they might also ...
and police burgh in
South Ayrshire, Scotland. It had an estimated population of in .
It is situated south of Ayr and southwest of
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
by the
Glasgow and South Western Railway. The town is bypassed by the
A77.
History
Maybole has Middle Ages roots, receiving a charter from
Donnchadh, Earl of Carrick in 1193. In 1516 it was made a
burgh of regality
A burgh of regality is a type of Scottish town.
They were distinct from royal burghs as they were granted to "lords of regality", leading noblemen. (In distinction, burghs of barony were granted to a tenant-in-chief, a landowner who held his esta ...
, although for generations it remained under the suzerainty of the
Kennedys, afterwards
Earls of Cassillis and (later)
Marquesses of Ailsa, the most powerful family in Ayrshire. The
Marquess of Ailsa lived at Cassillis House, just outside Maybole until its sale in 2007. In the late seventeenth century, a census recorded Maybole was home to 28 "lords and landowners with estates in Carrick and beyond."
In former times, Maybole was the capital of the district of
Carrick, Scotland
Carrick (Irish Gaelic) is a former ''comital'' district of Scotland which today forms part of South Ayrshire.
History
The district of Carrick originally formed part of the 11th- to 12th-century Kingdom of Galloway, whose lords ruled it until 1 ...
, and for long its characteristic feature was the family mansions of the barons of Carrick.
Maybole Castle
Maybole Castle is a 16th-century castle located on High Street in Maybole, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Originally built for the Earls of Cassillis, it is an L-shaped construction with Victorian two-storey extensions. It is associated with a lege ...
, a former seat of the Earls of Cassillis, dates to 1560 and still remains, although aspects of the castle are viewed as "of concern". The public buildings include the town-hall, the Ashgrove and the Lumsden fresh-air fortnightly homes, and the Maybole combination poorhouse.
Maybole is a short distance from the birthplace of
Robert Burns
Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...
, the Scots national poet. Burns's mother was a Maybole resident, Agnes Brown.
In the nineteenth century, Maybole became a centre of boot and shoe manufacturing.
Margaret McMurray (??-1760), one of the last native speakers of a
Lowland
Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland.
Definitions
Upland and lowland are portions of p ...
dialect of
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well ...
, is recorded to have lived at Cultezron (not to be confused with nearby Culzean), a farm on the outskirts of Maybole.
Notable landmarks
* The ancestral seat of the Marquesses of Ailsa is
Culzean Castle
Culzean Castle ( , see yogh; sco, Cullain) is a castle overlooking the Firth of Clyde, near Maybole, Carrick, in South Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland. It is the former home of the Marquess of Ailsa, the chief of Clan Kennedy, but is ...
, now run by
The National Trust for Scotland
The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland ( gd, Urras Nàiseanta na h-Alba), is a Scottish conservation organisation. It is the largest membership organi ...
and located west from Maybole. This dates from 1777; it stands on a basaltic cliff, beneath which are the Coves of Culzean, once the retreat of outlaws and a resort of the fairies.
*
Maybole Town Hall
Maybole Town Hall is a municipal structure in the High Street in Maybole, South Ayrshire, Scotland. The structure, which is used as a community events venue, is a Category B listed building.
History
The oldest part of the complex is the tower ...
incorporates a tower which dates back to the 16th century.
* Cassillis Castle, near Maybole, is a category A 14th century castle with 17th century and 19th century baronial extensions.
* A primary rail service is at
Maybole railway station. Set up in 1860.
* to the south-west are the ruins of
Crossraguel
The Abbey of Saint Mary of Crossraguel is a ruin of a former abbey near the town of Maybole, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Although it is a ruin, visitors can still see the original monks’ church, their cloister and their dovecot (pigeon tower ...
(from ''Crois Riaghail'' meaning 'Cross of St Regulus' ) Abbey, founded about 1240.
* ''Our Lady and St Cuthbert Catholic Church'' in Maybole was opened in 1878 and it was largely funded by Catholic convert
Margaret Radclyffe Livingstone Eyre (born Kennedy).
* In the early 20th century, Maybole added a Baptist church. This was admitted to the Baptist Union in 1901 and appointed its first full minister in 1919, a year after the Great War finished.
* Kirkoswald, where
Robert Burns
Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...
spent his seventeenth year, learning land-surveying, lies a little farther west. In the parish churchyard lie the real people who inspired two of Burns's fictitious characters Douglas Graham (
Tam o' Shanter) and
John Davidson.
* Farther south are the ruins of
Turnberry Castle
Turnberry Castle is a fragmentary ruin on the coast of Kirkoswald parish, near Maybole in Ayrshire, Scotland.''Ordnance of Scotland'', ed. Francis H. Groome, 1892-6. Vol.6, p.454 Situated at the extremity of the lower peninsula within the paris ...
, where
Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...
is said to have been born. A few miles to the north of Culzean are the ruins of
Dunure Castle
Dunure Castle is located on the west coast of Scotland, in South Ayrshire, about south of Ayr and close to the village of Dunure. Today the castle stands in ruins on a rocky promontory on the Carrick coast, overlooking the small harbour of Dunur ...
, an ancient stronghold of the Kennedys.
Education
The town has three primary schools: Cairn Primary, Gardenrose Primary and St Cuthberts Primary.
The secondary school for Maybole is
Carrick Academy
Carrick Academy is a state-run secondary school, administered by South Ayrshire Council and situated in Maybole, South Ayrshire. It serves about 550 pupils, from the town of Maybole and the villages of Dalrymple, Crosshill, Kirkmichael, Straiton ...
(a school of Rugby).
Sports
The local football club,
Maybole F. C., play at Ladywell Stadium.
Notable cultural references
The lyrics of
The Waterboys
The Waterboys are a folk rock band formed in Edinburgh in 1983 by Scottish musician Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Mike Scott has remained ...
' "
Glastonbury Song
"Glastonbury Song" is a song by Scottish-Irish folk rock band the Waterboys, released in July 1993 as the second single from their sixth studio album, ''Dream Harder'' (1993). It was written by Mike Scott and produced by Scott and Bill Price. T ...
" include: "I dreamed myself from the sultry plains, To the old green square back in old Maybole ..."
Notable residents
* Sir
Gilbert Blane
Sir Gilbert Blane of Blanefield, 1st Baronet FRSE FRS MRCP (29 August 174926 June 1834) was a Scottish physician who instituted health reform in the Royal Navy. He saw action against both the French and Spanish fleets, and later served as a C ...
(1749–1834), 18th–century physician and Royal Navy reformer.
*
Bernard Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae
Brigadier Bernard Edward Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae, (6 May 1911 – 28 November 1980) was a British Army officer and military historian. He became the last British-born Governor-General of New Zealand.
Early life and family
Fergusson was th ...
(1911–1980), part of the Fergusson family, and Governor-General of New Zealand, 1962–67.
*
Robert MacBryde
Robert MacBryde (5 December 1913 – 6 May 1966) was a Scottish still-life and figure painter and a theatre set designer. Early life and career
MacBryde was born in Maybole, Ayrshire, to John MacBryde, a cement labourer, and Agnes Kennedy Mac ...
(1913–1966), a well-known painter of the 'Modern' school of art and theatre designer.
*
John Loudon McAdam
John Loudon McAdam (23 September 1756 – 26 November 1836) was a Scottish civil engineer and road-builder. He invented a new process, " macadamisation", for building roads with a smooth hard surface, using controlled materials of ...
(1756–1836), Scottish engineer and roadbuilder of the eighteenth century.
*
Norris McWhirter
Norris Dewar McWhirter (12 August 192519 April 2004) was a British writer, political activist, co-founder of The Freedom Association, and a television presenter. He and his twin brother Ross were known internationally for the founding of ''Gui ...
(1925–2004), founder of the ''Guinness Book of World Records'', is descended from the McWhirters of Maybole.
*
Sir William Montgomery-Cuninghame (1834–1897), recipient of the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
in 1854 during the Crimean War
*
Rev R Guy Ramsay (1895–1976), Scottish Baptist minister and President of the
Baptist Union of Scotland
The Baptist Union of Scotland is a Baptist Christian denomination in Scotland. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Glasgow.
History
From the 1650s to 1869
Baptists first arrived in Scotland with the armies o ...
, 1948–49.
*
Thomas Ramsay (1857–1934), first pastor of
Maybole Baptist Church, 1901–19, and President of the
Baptist Union of Scotland
The Baptist Union of Scotland is a Baptist Christian denomination in Scotland. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Glasgow.
History
From the 1650s to 1869
Baptists first arrived in Scotland with the armies o ...
, 1921–22.
* Rev Dr
William King Tweedie
William King Tweedie (1803–1863) was an historian, biographer and a minister of the Free Church of Scotland Tolbooth Church, Edinburgh.
Life
He was born in Ayr on 8 May 1803, the eldest son of John Tweedie and Janet King. His parents moved ...
(1803–1863), Scottish historian, biographer and minister of the
Free Church of Scotland.
Twin towns
*
Belœil, Belgium
*
Crosne, France
*
Schotten
Schotten is a town in the middle of Hesse, Germany. Larger towns nearby include Alsfeld in the north, Fulda in the east, Friedberg in the south and Gießen in the west.
Geography
Location
The officially recognised climatic spa lies between 168 m ...
, Germany
*
Arco, Trentino, Italy
See also
*
Minishant
References
Sources
*
External links
Maybole Home Page
About Maybole
{{authority control
Towns in South Ayrshire
Carrick, Scotland