Tarbolton ( sco, Tarbowton) is a village in
South Ayrshire,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
. It is near
Failford
Failford ( sco, Failfuird) is a hamlet in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is west of Mauchline, where the Water of Fail flows into the River Ayr.
History
A minor ford would have been located where the Water of Fail has its confluence with the River ...
,
Mauchline
Mauchline (; gd, Maghlinn) is a town and civil parish in East Ayrshire, Scotland. In the 2001 census Mauchline had a recorded population of 4,105. It is home to the National Burns Memorial.
Location
The town lies by the Glasgow and South West ...
,
Ayr
Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire Subdivisions of Scotland, council area and the historic Shires of Scotlan ...
, and
Kilmarnock. The old Fail Monastery was nearby and
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 ...
connections are strong, including the Bachelors' Club museum.
Meaning of place-name
Tarbolton has been suggested as having one of three meanings:
* Village by the
tor or hill, from Old English ''torr'' 'tor, hill, cliff' and ''boðl-tun'' /''bothl-tun'' "village with buildings, equivalent to
Bolton in Greater Manchester. The name was recorded as ''Torbolten'' in 1138, suggesting this origin.
* Village by the
field and hill, from Old English ''torr'' 'tor, hill, cliff' and ''bāll'' 'field (not meaning the same as ball '
ball', i.e. football), as in
Dunball,
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
, origin =
, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
, with ''tun'' 'farm, village'. The name's record in writing as ''Torballtone'' in 1209 suggests this origin ''may'' be possible.
* Village by the
hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit.
Terminology
The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not a ...
, from Old Gaelic ''tor'', modern Gaelic ''tòrr'', (where the
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th c ...
word is derived from, and ''baile'' "village, usually Bally- in
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
place-names, with the
tautologous Old English ''tun'' "farm, village" added by Anglo-Saxon settlers who did not understand the language. Records of the name as ''Torbalyrtune'' in 1148 suggest this origin.
Location
Tarbolton is east-northeast of
Ayr
Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire Subdivisions of Scotland, council area and the historic Shires of Scotlan ...
, southwest of
Kilmarnock, West of
Mauchline
Mauchline (; gd, Maghlinn) is a town and civil parish in East Ayrshire, Scotland. In the 2001 census Mauchline had a recorded population of 4,105. It is home to the National Burns Memorial.
Location
The town lies by the Glasgow and South West ...
, and from its own now disused railway station. It has a school, church, a gospel hall, two pubs, and is home to the
Bachelors' Club, a frequent haunt 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 village is in the Cumnock and Doon Valley (it is strange that Tarbolton falls under South Ayrshire Council when its postcode is KA5 which links to
Mauchline
Mauchline (; gd, Maghlinn) is a town and civil parish in East Ayrshire, Scotland. In the 2001 census Mauchline had a recorded population of 4,105. It is home to the National Burns Memorial.
Location
The town lies by the Glasgow and South West ...
, East Ayrshire
The
monastery and later castle of Fail existed at the hamlet of that name near Fail Toll.
Fail Loch once covered a significant area however it survives now only as an area liable to flooding.
Nearby going towards Failford was the Old Montgomery Castle or Coilsfield House where one 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 ...
's loves worked.
Tarbolton Primary takes pupils from surrounding farms and from Failford, a small
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
north of the village. Its houses are Fail, Afton, Coyle and Montgomery, named after local areas and rivers.
Famous residents
*
Alexander Tait, the poet, was a tailor by trade, and lived in Tarbolton for many years. He was a contemporary and critic 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 ...
of
Lochlie Farm and
David Sillar of Spittalside Farm.
*
Jimmy Hay, who captained
Celtic between 1906 and 1911, and
Billy Price, who played for Celtic between 1961 and 1964, were from Tarbolton.
*Retired footballer
Kris Boyd
Kris Boyd (born 18 August 1983) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a forward.
Boyd grew up in the South Ayrshire village of Tarbolton and started his senior career with Kilmarnock. He transferred to Rangers in Januar ...
was also born and raised in the village.
*Boxer
Evan Armstrong, who was British Featherweight Champion from 17 September 1973 until 8 July 1974.
*
John "Ian" (Mighty Mouse) McLauchlan, a Scottish Rugby Union Footballer from 1969 until 1979, was born and raised in the village.
*Winner of
Britain's Got Talent (series 5) 2011, singer
Jai McDowall
Jai McDowall (born 24 July 1986) is a Scottish singer–songwriter who won the fifth series of ''Britain's Got Talent'' in June 2011. As the winner, he received £100,000 and performed at the 2011 Royal Variety Performance. McDowall was signed ...
, is also from Tarbolton.
*
Kris Scott, a Scottish film director and actor.
References
External links
*
Video footage and history of Tarbolton Motte or Hood's HillVideo on the poem 'Death and Dr Hornbook'.
{{Authority control
Villages in South Ayrshire