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Kilmarnock (, sco, Kilmaurnock; gd, Cill Mheàrnaig (IPA: ʰʲɪʎˈveaːɾnəkʲ, " Marnock's church") is a large town and former
burgh A burgh is an autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland and Northern England, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burg ...
in East Ayrshire, Scotland and is the administrative centre of
East Ayrshire Council East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
. With a population of 46,770, Kilmarnock is the 14th most populated settlement in Scotland and the largest town in
Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...
. The town is continuous to nearby neighbouring villages Crookedholm and
Hurlford Hurlford (Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile Àtha Cliath'') is a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It has a population of 4,968. Hurlford's former names include Whirlford and Hurdleford. The village was named Whirlford as a result of a ford crossing ...
to the east, and Kilmaurs to the west of the town. It includes former villages subsumed by the expansion of the town such as Bonnyton and new purpose built suburbs such as New Farm Loch. The town and the surrounding Greater Kilmarnock area is home to 32 listed buildings and structures designated by Historic Environment Scotland. The River Irvine runs through the eastern section of Kilmarnock, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'. The first collection of work by Scottish poet Robert Burns, '' Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect'', was published in Kilmarnock in 1786 by John Wilson, printer and bookseller and became known as the '' Kilmarnock Edition''. The internationally distributed whisky brand Johnnie Walker originated in the town in the 19th century and until 2012 was still bottled and packaged in the town at the Johnnie Walker Hill Street plant. Protest and backing from the Scottish Government took place in 2009, after
Diageo Diageo plc () is a Multinational corporation, multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in London, England. It operates from 132 sites around the world. It was the world's largest distiller before being overtaken by Kweich ...
, the owner of Johnnie Walker, announced plans to close the bottling plant in the town after 189 years. Kilmarnock is home to
Kilmarnock Academy Kilmarnock Academy (Scottish Gaelic: ''Acadamaidh Chille Mheàrnaig''), formerly Kilmarnock Burgh School, is a state-funded secondary school in Kilmarnock, Scotland, currently located on Sutherland Drive in the New Farm Loch area of the town. The ...
, one of a small number of schools in the UK, and the only school in Scotland, to have educated several Nobel Prize Laureates – Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of
Penicillin Penicillins (P, PCN or PEN) are a group of β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from ''Penicillium'' moulds, principally '' P. chrysogenum'' and '' P. rubens''. Most penicillins in clinical use are synthesised by P. chrysogenum using ...
, and The 1st Baron Boyd-Orr, for his scientific research into nutrition and his work as the first Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).


History

In 1592, King James VI of Scotland granted a charter to Thomas, Lord Boyd, erecting Kilmarnock into a burgh of barony. The charter confirms that the Boyd family to be in possession of the land of Kilmarnock and assures any future line of succession. At the beginning of the 16th century, Kilmarnock was described as "a large village and of great repair" with nearby Kilmaurs notably larger than Kilmarnock. However, over the course of the next one hundred years, the expansion of Kilmarnock was evident. Its expansion led to Kilmarnock becoming larger than Kilmaurs and becoming
Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...
's largest inland centre and challenging the supremacy of the royal burghs of Ayr and
Irvine Irvine may refer to: Places On Earth Antarctica *Irvine Glacier *Mount Irvine (Antarctica) Australia *Irvine Island *Mount Irvine, New South Wales Canada *Irvine, Alberta * Irvine Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom *Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotla ...
. During the 19th century, due to the growing rate of expansion due to the industrial expansion, Kilmarnock's population growth increased significantly from 6,000 in 1800, 21,000 in 1851 and 35,000 by 1901. Although never granted the title of royal burgh, largely due to its geography as an inland settlement with no port to enhance trade at sea, Kilmarnock, as a
parliamentary burgh In the United Kingdom (UK), each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one member to the House of Commons. Within the United Kingdom there are five bodies with members elected by electoral districts called "constituenc ...
was ranked as equal to other nearby royal burghs such as Ayr and Irvine. Its close proximity to Troon and its harbour helped Kilmarnock's trade and economy and its reputation of a strong and important burgh despite its inland position. Goods such as coal was frequently transported from Kilmarnock to Troon for export, and by 1812 a new railway line between Kilmarnock and Troon was constructed to allow trade to flow from the town much easier. The line opened in 1812, and was the first railway in Scotland to obtain an authorising Act of Parliament; it would soon also become the first railway in Scotland to use a steam locomotive; the first to carry passengers; and the River Irvine bridge, ''Laigh Milton Viaduct'', is the earliest railway viaduct in Scotland. It was a plateway, using L-shaped iron plates as rails, to carry wagons with flangeless wheels. In 1841, when more modern railways had developed throughout the West of Scotland, the line was converted from a plateway to a railway and realigned in places. The line became part of the
Glasgow and South Western Railway The Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) was a railway company in Scotland. It served a triangular area of south-west Scotland between Glasgow, Stranraer and Carlisle. It was formed on 28 October 1850 by the merger of two earlier railway ...
system. Much of the original route is part of the present-day Kilmarnock to Barassie railway line, although the extremities of the original line have been lost. The growth of Kilmarnock in population and geographical area swallowed up the old separate village communities of Beansburn, Bonnyton, and Riccarton. This led to such communities and villages around the town losing their identities due to the process of rehousing people who were dispersed to the new housing schemes. These large new housing areas lacked adequate shopping and recreational facilities, and most of them were not within convenient walking distance of the old town centre. This expansion led to the town becoming a major centre in the west of Scotland. In 1945 an attempt by the Burgh Council of Kilmarnock to cope with increasing traffic was made by removing the statue of Sir James Shaw and re-developing the Cross into a roundabout. Shortly after, a one-way traffic system was introduced around the town centre which is still in use today as of June 2022. By 1973, an outer-town bypass was formed to take away the heavy through traffic that had been travelling in and throughout the town. In 1974, the Foregate pedestrianised shopping area was opened, to be followed by a new bus station, a multistorey car park, a civic centre, and a re-shaped central precinct for the town: a fitting memorial to a form of municipal government which passed away in 1975, after serving Kilmarnock well in its 400 years as a burgh. The name Kilmarnock comes from the
Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
''cill'' (''cell''), and the name of Saint Marnock or Mernoc who is also remembered in the name of Portmarnock in Ireland and
Inchmarnock Inchmarnock ( gd, Innis Mheàrnaig) is an island at the northern end of the Sound of Bute in the Firth of Clyde, on the west coast of Scotland. The island is privately owned. Geography Inchmarnock lies to the west of the Isle of Bute at the no ...
. 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''. According to tradition, 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 David William Lacy DL (born 26 April 1952) is a minister of the Church of Scotland. He was the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 2005-6. Background and Career Lacy was born in Inverness on 26 April 1952, attended Abe ...
, minister of the town's Henderson Church, was elected
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the ministers and elders of the Church of Scotland, minister or elder chosen to moderate (chair) the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week i ...
. The core of the early town appears to have lain around what is now the Laigh Kirk, Kilmarnock (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. A comparatively modest settlement until the Industrial Revolution, Kilmarnock extended considerably from around 1800 onwards, requiring the opening of King Street, Portland Street, and Wellington Street. Added later was John Finnie Street, which is regarded as "one of the finest
Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...
planned streets in Scotland." The Sandbed Street Bridge is the oldest known surviving bridge in the area. The Titchfield Street drill hall was completed in 1914.


Government


Political overview

Kilmarnock, as part of the Kilmarnock and Loudoun parliamentary constituency, had long been considered a "safe seat" for the
Scottish Labour Party Scottish Labour ( gd, Pàrtaidh Làbarach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Labour Pairty; officially the Scottish Labour Party) is a social democratic political party in Scotland. It is an autonomous section of the UK Labour Party. From their peak o ...
, having been represented by a Labour MP since the establishment of the constituency in 1983. However, in the 2015 General Election, for the first time since 1983, the seat changed hands from Labour to the
Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...
with the election of Alan Brown. The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency area in the Westminster parliament is Kilmarnock-born Alan Brown.Members of Parliament – East Ayrshire Council
. East-ayrshire.gov.uk (19 August 2011). Retrieved on 16 July 2013
Brown defeated Labour candidate Cathy Jamieson with an overwhelming majority with Brown receiving 30,000 votes with Jamieson only receiving 16,363. The member of the
Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...
(MSP) for Kilmarnock is Willie Coffey. In the
Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...
, the town, as part of the Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley constituency, is represented by Willie Coffey who has represented the seat since the 2007 Scottish Parliamentary elections. Similar to the voting pattern shown at UK General Elections, in the Scottish Parliament elections, Kilmarnock had always been seen as a safe seat for Labour with an MSP representing the area since the parliament's re-establishment in 1999. Kilmarnock is the home of the East Ayrshire Council Chambers and offices situated on the London Road. In local council elections, Kilmarnock comprises four wards: Kilmarnock North, Kilmarnock East and Hurlford, Kilmarnock West and Crosshouse, and Kilmarnock South. The leader in East Ayrshire is Douglas Reid of the SNP party, who has been leader since 2007. The chief executive is Fiona Lees.
Following the
2017 East Ayrshire Council election Elections to East Ayrshire Council took place on 4 May 2017 on the same day as the 31 other Scottish local government elections. For the second consecutive election, the Scottish National Party (SNP) were returned as the largest party with 14 se ...
, the SNP formed a minority government for East Ayrshire, following the result of a hung council.SNP and Tories form coalition
Kilmarnock Standard. Retrieved on 16 July 2013.
At present, the
Scottish Labour Scottish Labour ( gd, Pàrtaidh Làbarach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Labour Pairty; officially the Scottish Labour Party) is a social democratic political party in Scotland. It is an autonomous section of the UK Labour Party. From their peak of ...
party is the opposition in the East Ayrshire parliament with their leader, Maureen McKay alongside the Scottish Conservative Party, independent councillors and one councillor elected from local campaign group party,
The Rubbish Party The Rubbish Party is a minor political party in Scotland that returned a candidate at the 2017 East Ayrshire Council election, in East Ayrshire, Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the north ...
.


Councillors


Economy

The economy of Kilmarnock has historically been centred around heavy manufacturing and goods based services. However, in recent years, and in trend with other towns and cities across Scotland, Kilmarnock's economic dependence has shifted from manufacturing and instead become more reliant on skills-based knowledge. Companies such as Vodafone (Teleperformance Call Centre) occupying a large part of the Rowallan Business Park Centre which is also home to Food Partners, a nationwide sandwich franchise. Local property redevelopment and regeneration company, The KLIN Group occupies the former Andrew Barclay Sons & Co offices in West Langland Street,
Brodie Engineering Andrew Barclay Sons & Co., currently operating as Brodie Engineering, is a builder of steam and later fireless and diesel locomotives. The company's history dates to foundation of an engineering workshop in 1840 in Kilmarnock, Scotland. After ...
operate two production factories for locomotives in the town centre and Utopia Computers, one of the UK's fastest growing computer companies also have their headquarters and main site situated in Kilmarnock in High Glencairn Street. Kilmarnock's traditional industries were based around textiles and heavy engineering such as locomotives ( Andrew Barclay Sons & Co) from 1837, and valves (Glenfield and Kennedy), which are still in production. The firm is now trading as Glenfield Valves and still operates a base from Kilmarnock. Carpets manufactured in Kilmarnock were internationally known for their quality and intricacy since the late 19th century. Carpets were made by Blackwood & Morton in Kilmarnock from the early 20th century. Many locations around the world chose to install BMK Carpets. Carpet-making finally ceased in Kilmarnock in early 2005 following the closure of Stoddard Carpets and at this time, Stoddard Carpets was the oldest carpet manufacturing company still in operation at that time in Scotland. 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 Springside may refer to: Australia * Springside, Queensland, a locality in the Toowoomba Region Canada * Springside, Saskatchewan, a town United Kingdom *Springside, North Ayrshire, a village in Scotland United States * Springside (Poug ...
and other places. John Finnie Street is named after one of the family. Shoes were also a major product for some time: Saxone had a factory in the town on the site where the Galleon Leisure Centre now stands and was the largest shoe production factory in operation in Scotland with a staff base of 1,000 employees at the plants peak. Kilmarnock had one of the earliest tram railways in the world, running to Troon over the (recently restored) Laigh Milton viaduct. The Glasgow & South Western Railway set up their works here, producing nearly 400 locomotives by the time it was absorbed by the London, Midland & Scottish Railway in 1923. Some work continued, but heavy repairs were sent to
St Rollox ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
. Locomotive repairs finished in 1952, and the works closed in 1959. Nevertheless, locomotives are still made by Brodie Engineering, as well as the maintenance of existing diesel and electric multiple units. From 1949 self-propelled combine harvesters were built in Kilmarnock in a large Massey-Harris factory on the outskirts of the town. It later became Massey Ferguson, and closed in 1978. Glenfield and Kennedy still survives, albeit with a fraction of its former workforce, which at its height numbered in the thousands. Kilmarnock is the original home of
Scotch whisky Scotch whisky (; sco, Scots whisky/whiskie, whusk(e)y; often simply called whisky or Scotch) is malt whisky or grain whisky (or a blend of the two), made in Scotland. All Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley. Commercial distil ...
brand Johnnie Walker which was originally known as ''Walker's Kilmarnock Whisky'' when the brand first started trading from the town in the mid-1800s. 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. 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. In 2009, to much public backlash as well as backlash from the Scottish Government,
First Minister of Scotland The first minister of Scotland ( sco, heid meinister o Scotland; gd, prìomh mhinistear na h-Alba ) is the head of the Scottish Government and keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. The first minister chairs ...
Alex Salmond and local MP and MSP Cathy Jamieson and Willie Coffey, the owner of Johnnie Walker,
Diageo Diageo plc () is a Multinational corporation, multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in London, England. It operates from 132 sites around the world. It was the world's largest distiller before being overtaken by Kweich ...
, decided to close the bottling plant, originally by the end of 2011, ending the link between the whisky brand and the town. In September 2009, Diageo confirmed the plant in Kilmarnock would close, despite local protests. Production of Johnnie Walker in Kilmarnock ceased during March 2012, after 192 years. It is now made at a new Diageo bottling plant in the eastern coast of Scotland in Leven, Fife. Over the years, Kilmarnock has been the home to other well-known companies, Andrew Barclay Sons & Co., and Saxone Shoes. Saxone Shoes was bought by the British Sears group and became defunct when Sears sold it to Stylo. Andrew Barclay Son's & Co still manufactures in the town but is now owned by Wabtec (Wabtec Rail Scotland). Kilmarnock is home to
The HALO Urban Regeneration HALO Urban Regeneration (Scottish Gaelic: ''HALO Ath-nuadhachadh Bailteil''), known simply as ''The HALO'', is a Scottish business innovation park, urban regeneration and business start-up support company, founded, based and headquartered in ...
with a focus on digital learning, inspiration to innovative thinking and providing a conducive environment for spin-out, new-start, scale-ups, digital, manufacturing and cyber businesses. HALO is set to provide £205 million of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the
Economy of Scotland The economy of Scotland is an Open economy, open mixed economy which, in 2020, had an estimated nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of $205 billion including oil and gas extraction in Scottish waters. Since the Acts of Union 1707, Scotland's ...
. The window and door company, Scotia have their main headquarters in Kilmarnock, as well as a manufacturing and production plant.


Regeneration

The textile and manufacturing sectors across Scotland suffered significant decline in the post-war 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 Wetherspoon's 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. There are 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. Action is being taken to do something 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 late 1980s have been submitted to include a council office retaining the original façade. Work is estimated to be completed in 2012. A four-star hotel recently opened next to Rugby Park, the home of
Kilmarnock F.C. Kilmarnock Football Club, commonly known as Killie, is a Scottish professional football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire. The team is currently managed by Derek McInnes, who was appointed in January 2022. The club has achieve ...
, and new restaurants, such as ''Merchants'' and the ''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 in July 2006 an application under the Heritage Lottery Fund's Townscape Heritage Initiative Scheme was pending. Work has finished on a quality housing development on the site of the former
Kilmarnock Infirmary Kilmarnock Infirmary was a general hospital in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. History Kilmarnock Infirmary opened in 1868 in Portland Street, to meet the needs of the growing population in Kilmarnock. The original building was designed by the prolific ...
, 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 for commuters. With a journey time of 20 minutes from Kilmarnock to Glasgow (roughly half that of the existing train service), the M77 motorway, an upgrade in 2005 of the A77, has transformed the journey between Glasgow and Kilmarnock. Recent house price increases have reflected this.


Transport

In 1812, the
Kilmarnock and Troon Railway The Kilmarnock and Troon Railway was an early railway line in Ayrshire, Scotland. It was constructed to bring coal from pits around Kilmarnock to coastal shipping at Troon Harbour, and passengers were carried. It opened in 1812, and was the f ...
opened, mainly to carry coal from the area to the harbour at Troon, but also carrying passengers. In 1904, Kilmarnock built its own tramway system, the
Kilmarnock Corporation Tramways Kilmarnock Corporation Tramways operated a tramway service in Kilmarnock between 1904 and 1926.The Golden Age of Tramways. Published by Taylor and Francis. History To power the tramway an electric power station was built on the south bank of ...
. An electric power station was built on 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. A recent development has been the regeneration of Kilmarnock Railway Station under the umbrella of the Kilmarnock Railway Station Heritage Trust. Additions to the station facilities include a Scottish gift shop, a vegan deli and an Active Travel HUB where members of the public can access advice on travelling more sustainability. The HUB also offers led walks and cycle rides. Despite an expensive upgrade in 2008, it was announced in December 2022 following a full cabinet meeting of East Ayrshire Council that the station clock at the Kilmarnock railway station was to be removed and landscaped "with immediate affect" due to continuous technical difficulties preventing the clock and its LED lighting from working properly. At Kilmarnock Cross, the line had an easterly spur that stretched along London Road, through Crookedholm and terminating at
Hurlford Hurlford (Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile Àtha Cliath'') is a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It has a population of 4,968. Hurlford's former names include Whirlford and Hurdleford. The village was named Whirlford as a result of a ford crossing ...
. 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 A general strike refers to a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large co ...
. The council decided not to restart the service and the infrastructure was soon dismantled. Today the town is served by
Kilmarnock railway station , symbol_location = gb , symbol = rail , image = File:Kilmarnock Railway Station 2016.jpg , caption = Main entrance to Kilmarnock railway station, showing the upgraded station clock to the right , ...
, which operates services from the town to all major locations in Scotland connecting with
Stranraer Stranraer ( , in Scotland also ; gd, An t-Sròn Reamhar ), also known as The Toon, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located in the historical parish of Inch in the historic county of Wigtownshire. It lies on the shores of L ...
for the ferries to the Port of Belfast as well as Larne Harbour in Northern Ireland and as far as
Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
and Newcastle in England. Kilmarnock has road links to Glasgow through the M77 motorway from Fenwick to its junction with the M8 at the Kingston Bridge. A south side motorway connects this point to the M74 near Calderpark when the latest phase of development is complete, eliminating some of the heavy traffic formerly travelling on the A71 through Hurlford, Galston, Newmilns, Darvel and Strathaven to join the M74 at Stonehouse.
Stagecoach Group Stagecoach Group is a transport group based in Perth, Scotland. It operates buses, express coaches and a tram service in the United Kingdom. History Stagecoach was born out of deregulation of the British express coach market in the early ...
is the main transport provider in the town; it operates bus services to most major towns in the west of Scotland. Kilmarnock has its own bus station. As an early market town, Kilmarnock lies on the intersection of 3 main roads: the A71 which runs from Edinburgh to
Irvine Irvine may refer to: Places On Earth Antarctica *Irvine Glacier *Mount Irvine (Antarctica) Australia *Irvine Island *Mount Irvine, New South Wales Canada *Irvine, Alberta * Irvine Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom *Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotla ...
, the A76 from
Dumfries Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the ...
, and the A77/M77 from
Stranraer Stranraer ( , in Scotland also ; gd, An t-Sròn Reamhar ), also known as The Toon, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located in the historical parish of Inch in the historic county of Wigtownshire. It lies on the shores of L ...
to Glasgow. Kilmarnock has no international airport, however, the town, as well as surrounding settlements in the area, is served by nearby
Glasgow Prestwick Airport Glasgow Prestwick Airport () is an international airport serving the west of Scotland, situated northeast of the town of Prestwick in South Ayrshire and southwest of Glasgow. It is the less busy of the two airports serving the western part of ...
(14 mi).


Education and learning

Kilmarnock has one college, ten primary schools, three secondary schools and thirteen nursery schools. There is also a college in the town,
Ayrshire College Ayrshire College (Scottish Gaelic: ''Colaiste Siorrachd Àir'') is a further education institution in Scotland. Formed in August 2013 from a merger between Ayr College, Kilmarnock College and the Largs and Kilwinning campuses of James Watt Co ...
previously known as
Kilmarnock College Kilmarnock College was a college in Kilmarnock, Scotland. Since August 2013 it has been a campus of the new Ayrshire College as the result of a merger with Ayr College and James Watt College in Kilwinning and Largs. Plans for a new campus ...
and prior to that Kilmarnock Technical College. The schools are managed by East Ayrshire Council. The town's oldest secondary school
Kilmarnock Academy Kilmarnock Academy (Scottish Gaelic: ''Acadamaidh Chille Mheàrnaig''), formerly Kilmarnock Burgh School, is a state-funded secondary school in Kilmarnock, Scotland, currently located on Sutherland Drive in the New Farm Loch area of the town. The ...
dates back to the 1600s. The school in its present-day serves as a
comprehensive school A comprehensive school typically describes a secondary school for pupils aged approximately 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is res ...
, which of three in Kilmarnock. It can trace its history back to the local burgh school founded in the 1630s and the first school to bear the name was established in 1807. Next to the school is the "Old Tech," formerly Kilmarnock Technical School, which opened in 1910 as part of the academy. It is also listed, but is no longer part of the school; it was closed in 1997 due to a reduction in student numbers, caused by a restructuring of educational resources in the area. The building remained closed, and reopened in 2006 as luxury housing, due to its prime location directly next to the
Dick Institute The Dick Institute is a museum and library in Kilmarnock, Scotland. It is an important cultural venue in the south-west of Scotland, featuring the largest museum and art gallery space in Ayrshire as well as the central library for East Ayrshire. ...
, the town's primary library and museum, and the centre of town. In the art department at the school, there is a war memorial in memory of those who died in World War 1. Kilmarnock Academy is one of the few schools in the world to have educated two
Nobel laureate The Nobel Prizes ( sv, Nobelpriset, no, Nobelprisen) are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make out ...
s:
Alexander Fleming Sir Alexander Fleming (6 August 1881 – 11 March 1955) was a Scottish physician and microbiologist, best known for discovering the world's first broadly effective antibiotic substance, which he named penicillin. His discovery in 1928 of w ...
and
John Boyd Orr John Boyd Orr, 1st Baron Boyd-Orr, (23 September 1880 – 25 June 1971), styled Sir John Boyd Orr from 1935 to 1949, was a Scottish teacher, medical doctor, biologist, nutritional physiologist, politician, businessman and farmer who was awarde ...
(although only for four months, whereas his primary and secondary school career was at West Kilbride Public School). The foundation stone for Loanhead School in the town was laid in 1903 by Andrew Carnegie. The building was completed and opened in 1905, originally constructed to accommodate over 1,100 pupils who had completed and passed the qualifying exam for the school. Within a few years of the schools opening, the exam system was scrapped and the school became a primary school to which it remains to this day. Loanhead Primary School is a Category B listed building by Historic Environment Scotland and underwent a multi-mullion pound programme of investment between 2020−2021 to modernise the building and include provision for early years education within the town centre area of Kilmarnock. St Joseph's Academy was founded in 1955 in its present location, built on what were the outskirts of Kilmarnock at the time. The adjacent New Farm Loch estate eventually grew and enveloped the school. The school comprised an extended single building, housing most of the subjects taught within. Due to a lack of space, an additional building, commonly referred to as 'A' Block, was erected in the 1970s. As the school was constructed on what was essentially fields, the St Joseph's campus included a large playing field, comprising a red blaes hockey pitch, running tracks, and space for 4 grass football pitches. St. Conval's High School was later annexed to St. Joseph's in October 1998 and became known as St. Joseph's Cumnock. In 2004 St. Joseph's Cumnock Campus was closed due to falling attendance figures, and the town's Catholic children now attend the new St. Joseph's Academy campus in Kilmarnock, which now serves the entire Secondary Catholic population of East Ayrshire. In the early 21st century, a programme was initiated by central government to upgrade secondary schools throughout the country using a mixture of public and private money. St Joseph's was one of the schools selected for demolition and reconstruction, along with nearby Grange Academy. In 2008, the rebuilt St Joseph's was opened, including the new St Andrew's Primary – an amalgamation of the former feeder St Columba's and St Matthew's Primaries. In recent times, East Ayrshire Council have demolished some of the town's oldest schools, such as the original Grange Academy along with St. Joseph's Academy, which have fallen into a state of disrepair and some of which have been hindered by falling pupil intakes. In September 2008, the new Grange Campus was completed and incorporated Grange Academy, Annanhill Primary, and Park School. The opening of the campus was delayed from August. The old Park School, Grange Academy and Annanhill Primary School buildings have been demolished.


Early Childhood Centres

* Cairns Early Childhood Centre * Dean Park Nursery (private establishment in partnership with East Ayrshire Council) * Flowerbank Early Childhood Centre * Gaelic Early Childhood Centre * Gargieston Early Childhood Centre * Hillbank Early Childhood Centre * James Hamilton Early Childhood Centre * Onthank Early Childhood Centre * Riccarton Early Childhood Centre * Shortlees Early Childhood Centre * St Andrew's Early Childhood Centre * Whatriggs Early Childhood Centre * Loanhead Early Childhood Centre


Primary schools

* Annanhill Primary School * Gargieston Primary School * Hillhead Primary School * Loanhead Primary School * James Hamilton Primary School * Mount Carmel Primary School * Onthank Primary School * Shortlees Primary School * St Andrew's Primary School * Whatriggs Primary School


Secondary schools

*
Kilmarnock Academy Kilmarnock Academy (Scottish Gaelic: ''Acadamaidh Chille Mheàrnaig''), formerly Kilmarnock Burgh School, is a state-funded secondary school in Kilmarnock, Scotland, currently located on Sutherland Drive in the New Farm Loch area of the town. The ...
* Grange Academy * St Joseph's Academy


Special Schools

* Park School * Willowbank School


Further education

*
Ayrshire College Ayrshire College (Scottish Gaelic: ''Colaiste Siorrachd Àir'') is a further education institution in Scotland. Formed in August 2013 from a merger between Ayr College, Kilmarnock College and the Largs and Kilwinning campuses of James Watt Co ...
(Kilmarnock Campus)


Sports

The town is host to
Kilmarnock F.C. Kilmarnock Football Club, commonly known as Killie, is a Scottish professional football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire. The team is currently managed by Derek McInnes, who was appointed in January 2022. The club has achieve ...
, a member of the Scottish Premiership and the oldest professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club in Scotland. Their home ground is Rugby Park. The location of the stadium came about by the works of Ross Quigley, whom at the time was one of the first directors of the club. The etymology of the ground is that when founded, the club played both football and rugby. Rugby Park was 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 Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
in June 2005 and
Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
in June 2016. The club's foundation dates back to the very earliest days of organised football in Scotland, when a group of local
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
ers looking for a sporting pursuit to occupy them outwith the cricket season formed a
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club in 1869. Originally they played
rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...
rules, but the difficulty in organising fixtures and the growing influence of Queen's Park soon persuaded them to adopt the association code instead. These origins are reflected to this day by the name of the club's home ground – Rugby Park. Although not amongst the founder members of the
Scottish Football Association The Scottish Football Association (also known as the SFA and the Scottish FA; sco, Scots Fitba Association; Scottish Gaelic: ''Comann Ball-coise na h-Alba'') is the Sport governing body, governing body of association football, football in Scot ...
in 1873, Kilmarnock F.C. did send a letter of stating their willingness to join and did so in time to compete in the inaugural Scottish Cup tournament in 1873–74. Their 2–0 defeat against Renton in the first round on 18 October 1873 is thought to have been the first match ever played in the competition. Kilmarnock joined the Scottish League in
1895 Events January–March * January 5 – Dreyfus affair: French officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his army rank, and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island. * January 12 – The National Trust for Places of Histor ...
and after winning consecutive Second Division titles were elected to the top flight for the first time in
1899 Events January 1899 * January 1 ** Spanish rule ends in Cuba, concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. ** Queens and Staten Island become administratively part of New York City. * January 2 – **Bolivia sets up a c ...
. The club's greatest success was in
1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...
under the management of
Willie Waddell William Waddell (7 March 1921 – 14 October 1992) was a professional football player and manager. His only club in a 16-year career as a player in the outside right position (interrupted by World War II) was Rangers which yielded six major w ...
. On the final day of the season, they travelled to face Hearts at Tynecastle requiring a victory by two goals to nil (due to the competition being decided by goal average at that period if teams were equal on points) to win the league at their opponents' expense. A 2–0 win saw Kilmarnock crowned Scottish League champions for the first, and to date only, time. This capped a period of strong consistency which had seen them occupy runners-up spot in four of the previous five seasons. After a period of decline in the 1980s which saw the club relegated to the Second Division, Killie have returned to prominence, holding top division status since being promoted in
1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...
and lifting the Scottish Cup for the third time in
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
after a 1–0 victory over Falkirk in the final. In March 2012, Kilmarnock won the Scottish League Cup for the first time under the management of their manager
Kenny Sheils Kenny Shiels (born 27 April 1956 in Magherafelt)Marshall Gillespie, ''The Northern Ireland Football Yearbook 1996/97'', UTV Books, 1996, p. 59 is a former Northern Irish football player and manager, who is currently the manager of the Northern I ...
, beating
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
1–0. Kilmarnock have qualified for European competitions on nine occasions, their best performance coming in the 1966–67 Fairs Cup when they progressed to the semi-finals, eventually being eliminated by Leeds United. The club have played in all three European competitions (
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
, Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Cup). There are two golf courses in the town, Annanhill Golf Course and Caprington Golf Course, which has both an 18-hole course and a 9-hole course. Both these courses are council owned and run by
East Ayrshire Council East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
. 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. The new Ayrshire Athletics Centre was constructed in the Queens Drive area which includes a 400m running track outside of the main building.


Culture

Kilmarnock boasts a large number of listed buildings.
The Dick Institute The Dick Institute is a museum and library in Kilmarnock, Scotland. It is an important cultural venue in the south-west of Scotland, featuring the largest museum and art gallery space in Ayrshire as well as the central library for East Ayrshir ...
, 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 The Dick Institute is a museum and library in Kilmarnock, Scotland. It is an important cultural venue in the south-west of Scotland, featuring the largest museum and art gallery space in Ayrshire as well as the central library for East Ayrshir ...
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 Scots'' 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'' or ''Kilmarnock volume''. The ancestors of William Wallace held the Barony of Ricarton, where the suburb of Riccarton is now located, and, according to local tradition, Wallace was born at Ellerslie near Kilmarnock. 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.


In popular culture

Kilmarnock was voted the "UK's Friendliest Shopping Town" in 2006. In 2010,
BBC Scotland BBC Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: ''BBC Alba'') is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcaster in Scotland. It is one of the four BBC national regions, together with the BBC English Regions, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Northern Ireland. I ...
filmed residents on the town's Onthank and Longpark area for the TV programme ''
The Scheme ''The Scheme'' is a BBC Scotland BAFTA-award-winning documentary series which follows the lives of six families in the Onthank and Knockinlaw housing schemes in Kilmarnock. The series has been the subject of some media criticism, with the ser ...
'' which broadcast in 2010 for two episodes so far, out of a planned four. ''The Scheme'' caused much controversy within residents of the community, who believed that the BBC only showed the "worst parts", leading to others believing that they were "pretty much the same". The series has been the subject of media criticism, with the series being labelled as " poverty porn" and described as giving a "misleading impression" of life on the estate. The final two episodes of the series were never broadcast due to legal issues.Debate over housing estate portrayal on 'The Scheme'
stv.tv, 19 May 2010
In 2015, Kilmarnock was named 'Scotland's Most Improved Town' at the Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum awards. The panel recognised the improvements made to the town centre of Kilmarnock due to a £43 million investment, and local authority intervention to restore derelict buildings including the former Johnnie Walker bond building and the Opera House. Scottish singers The Proclaimers titled a song "The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues" on their first album, '' This Is the Story'', released in 1987. The song " The Ballroom Blitz" by the band The Sweet was inspired by an event at the town's Grand Hall music venue, when, in 1973, the band were performing at the venue and were driven off the stage by a barrage of bottles thrown from the crowd. The song went onto achieve worldwide fame and success, reaching the top ten on both the UK Singles Charts and the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts, with many still talking about the concept behind the song. In October 2022, the town's Grand Hall played host to the 2022
BBC New Comedy Award The BBC New Comedy Award first took place in 1995, and it is considered to be one of the top UK comedy newcomer awards. It was axed in 2006, being replaced by a nationwide talent hunt that places its emphasis on sketch writing and filmed perform ...
.


Notable people and residents

Below is a list of those who have either been born, lived in or have been associated with the town of Kilmarnock at some point of their life: ;Literature and arts: * Gilbert Adair; writer *
Robert Colquhoun Robert Colquhoun (20 December 1914 – 20 September 1962) was a Scotland, Scottish Painting, painter, printmaker and theatre Scenic design, set designer. Colquhoun was born in Kilmarnock and was educated at Kilmarnock Academy. He won a s ...
; painter, printmaker and theatre set designer * Steven Cree, actor, best known for his role in '' Outlander'' and '' Outlaw King''. *
Fatherson Fatherson are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in Kilmarnock, consisting of Ross Leighton (guitar, lead vocals), Marc Strain (bass) and Greg Walkinshaw (drums). They have toured with the bands Biffy Clyro, Frightened Rabbit, Panic! at ...
, three piece alternative rock band formed in the town, with the three members having resided in the town and been educated at local schools in Kilmarnock *
Clark Sorley Alexander Clark Sorley (born 31 July 1956) is a Scottish record producer from Ayrshire, Scotland. He was co-founder of Sirocco Recording Studio in Kilmarnock which ran from 1978-1989. Music recordings During a career spanning five decades Sorley ...
, record producer * James Prime, member of the band Deacon Blue * James Buckley who starred as Jay Cartwright in ''
The Inbetweeners ''The Inbetweeners'' is a British coming-of-age television teen sitcom, which originally aired on E4 from 2008 until 2010 and was created and written by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris. The series follows the misadventures of suburban teenager ...
'' resided in Kilmarnock for a period of time with his wife. *
John Kelso Hunter John Kelso Hunter (15 December 1802 – 3 February 1873) was a Scottish portrait artist, 'Boot and Shoemaker' and author of two books; ''Retrospect of an Artist's Life: Memorials of West Country Men and Manners of the Past Half Century''; ''Life ...
; 19th-century oil painter and author. *Ben and James Johnston, drummer and bassist of Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro *
Chris Kelso Chris Kelso (born 22 March 1988, Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland) is a British Fantasy Award-nominated writer, illustrator, and anthologist from Scotland. Kelso has also been printed frequently in magazines such as Interzone, Black Static, ...
; writer, illustrator, editor and journalist, born 1988. *
Kirsty McCabe Kirsty McCabe (born 10 July 1975) is a Scottish weather forecaster and presenter at Sky News, and was formerly the senior meteorologist at The Weather Channel, based at the UK office in London. Early life Kirsty attended Annanhill Primary Sch ...
; weather presenter and meteorologist BBC,
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
, Channel 5 and
Sky News Sky News is a British free-to-air television news channel and organisation. Sky News is distributed via an English-language radio news service, and through online channels. It is owned by Sky Group, a division of Comcast. John Ryley is the hea ...
. *
Malky McCormick Malky McCormick (1943 – 15 April 2019) was a Scottish cartoonist, comics artist, postcard artist, caricaturist and musician. Biography After leaving the commercial art world in 1965, he illustrated comics and magazines for D.C. Thomson in Dunde ...
; cartoonist. *
Iain McDowall Iain McDowall is a British crime fiction author. He has written seven novels in his ‘Crowby’ series, featuring the present-day investigations of Inspector Jacobson and his team of provincial police detectives. The Crowby novels broadly follow ...
; crime writer. *
Hugh McIlvanney Hugh McIlvanney (2 February 1934 – 24 January 2019) was a Scottish sports journalist who had long stints with the British Sunday newspapers ''The Observer'' (30 years until 1993) and then 23 years with ''The Sunday Times'' (1993–2016). Aft ...
; sports journalist. *
William McIlvanney William McIlvanney (25 November 1936 – 5 December 2015) was a Scottish novelist, short story writer, and poet. He was known as Gus by friends and acquaintances. McIlvanney was a champion of gritty yet poetic literature; his works ''Laidlaw'', ' ...
; writer, born 1936 and known for his series of books '' Laidlaw'' * James McKie was a printer and publisher with premises in King Street. He published the first facsimile edition of '' Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect'' and in the 19th century had the world's largest collection of Burnsiana. *
Lindsay McKenzie Lindsay McKenzie (born 28 June 1985) is a Scottish actress who starred in BBC One children's show, '' Raven: The Island'', playing the part of Princess Erina. She attended Kilmarnock Academy and then went to study acting at Liverpool Institu ...
; actress *
Colin Mochrie Colin Andrew Mochrie (; born November 30, 1957) is a Scottish-born Canadian actor, writer, producer and improvisational comedian, best known for his appearances on the British and US versions of the improvisational TV show ''Whose Line Is It A ...
; 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. * Mike Ogletree; drummer and percussionist * Kirsty Wark; TV news journalist and presenter of '' Newsnight'' * Thomas Gardiner, California newspaperman. ;Medicine and science: *
John Boyd Orr John Boyd Orr, 1st Baron Boyd-Orr, (23 September 1880 – 25 June 1971), styled Sir John Boyd Orr from 1935 to 1949, was a Scottish teacher, medical doctor, biologist, nutritional physiologist, politician, businessman and farmer who was awarde ...
; biologist, politician and Nobel Peace Prize-winner. *
Alexander Fleming Sir Alexander Fleming (6 August 1881 – 11 March 1955) was a Scottish physician and microbiologist, best known for discovering the world's first broadly effective antibiotic substance, which he named penicillin. His discovery in 1928 of w ...
; (1881–1955), discoverer of
penicillin Penicillins (P, PCN or PEN) are a group of β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from ''Penicillium'' moulds, principally '' P. chrysogenum'' and '' P. rubens''. Most penicillins in clinical use are synthesised by P. chrysogenum using ...
and winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine attended Kilmarnock Academy. *
Robert Thomson Leiper Robert Thomson Leiper (17 April 1881 – 21 May 1969) FRS CMG was a British parasitologist and helminthologist. Early life and education Leiper was born on 17 April 1881 in Witch Road, Kilmarnock, Scotland; the eldest of three children of John ...
, parasitologist and helminthologist ;Businesspeople: * Alexander Walker; creator of Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky (1837–1889), Son of John "Johnnie" Walker. * John "Johnnie" Walker; Originator of Johnnie Walker Whisky, Grocer, and Father of Alexander Walker (1805–1857). *
Marie Macklin Mary Stewart Macklin CBE (born 20 October 1965) is a Scottish businesswoman, entrepreneur and property developer, who is Founder and executive chair of The HALO Urban Regeneration. Macklin was previously the CEO of The KLIN Group from 2004 un ...
CBE, CEO of
The KLIN Group The KLIN Group is a Scottish property development, regeneration and investment company founded in 1988 by John Dick. The company today is a second generational family business, with Dick's daughter, Marie Macklin CBE, having been CEO of the ...
and founder of
The HALO Urban Regeneration HALO Urban Regeneration (Scottish Gaelic: ''HALO Ath-nuadhachadh Bailteil''), known simply as ''The HALO'', is a Scottish business innovation park, urban regeneration and business start-up support company, founded, based and headquartered in ...
*
Gareth Kirkwood Gareth Robert Kirkwood (born 15 April 1963) is a Scottish business executive and former cricketer. Kirkwood was born at Kilmarnock in April 1963. He was educated at Hutchesons' Grammar School, before matriculating to the University of Strathc ...
; former director of operations at British Airways, current CEO of The Nurture Landscapes Group. ;Politics: *
Des Browne Desmond Henry Browne, Baron Browne of Ladyton, (born 22 March 1952) is a Scottish politician who served in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown as Secretary of State for Defence 2006 to 2008 and Secretary of St ...
; former MP, UK defence minister and Scotland minister. * Willie Coffey; local MSP. * Ian Deans; Scottish-Canadian NDP politician representing Hamilton, Ontario. * James Shaw; Lord Mayor of London in 1805. ;Sports: *
Joanne Calderwood Joanne Wood (; born 23 December 1986) is a Scottish professional mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai champion who competed in the Flyweight (MMA), Women's Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Biography Wood first sta ...
; flyweight mixed martial artist in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. *
Margaret McDowall Margaret Gibson McDowall (born 10 January 1936 in Kilmarnock, Scotland), is a female retired competitive swimmer who represented Scotland. Swimming career McDowall was educated at Kilmarnock Academy and was a member of the Scottish Swim ...
; member of the Scottish swimming team and silver medal winner at the
1952 Helsinki Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad ( fi, XV olympiadin kisat; sv, Den XV olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952 ( sv, Helsin ...
. *
Hugh McIlvanney Hugh McIlvanney (2 February 1934 – 24 January 2019) was a Scottish sports journalist who had long stints with the British Sunday newspapers ''The Observer'' (30 years until 1993) and then 23 years with ''The Sunday Times'' (1993–2016). Aft ...
; sports journalist. * David Robertson; played for Kilmarnock and Queen of the South before emigrating to New York where he played for the U.S. National team. * David Stevenson (1890–1974), cricketer *
Gordon Smith Gordon Smith may refer to: In politics *Gordon H. Smith (born 1952), former U.S. Senator from Oregon, and current Area Authority for the LDS Church * Gordon Elsworth Smith (1918–2005), Canadian politician * Gordon Smith (academic) (1927–2009), ...
; former professional footballer and former SFA Chief Executive. *Major General Sir
Robert Murdoch Smith Major General Sir Robert Murdoch Smith KCMG FRSE (18 August 1835 – 3 July 1900) was a Scottish engineer, archaeologist and diplomat. He is known for his involvement with the excavation of antiquities found at Knidos and Cyrene, the telegraph ...
(1835–1900), engineer, archaeologist and diplomat * Jim Thomson (born 1940), cricketer * Patrick James McKay (29 May 1957) Karate-World champion. *
Billy Gilmour Billy Clifford Gilmour (born 11 June 2001) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion and the Scotland national team. Gilmour spent three months at a young age with C ...
, footballer for Chelsea F.C. and attended Grange Academy in the town *
Gareth Kirkwood Gareth Robert Kirkwood (born 15 April 1963) is a Scottish business executive and former cricketer. Kirkwood was born at Kilmarnock in April 1963. He was educated at Hutchesons' Grammar School, before matriculating to the University of Strathc ...
(born 1963), cricketer ;Merchants: * William Cunninghame, 18th century merchant and
Tobacco Lord The Tobacco Lords were a group of Scottish people, Scottish merchants and slave traders who in the 18th century made enormous fortunes by International trade, trading in tobacco. Many became so wealthy that they adopted the lifestyle of aristocr ...
. * John Allan (1779, Kilmarnock – 1834,
Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...
, United States); merchant and foster father of Edgar Allan Poe *
Charles Ewart Cornet Charles Ewart (1769 – 23 March 1846) was a Scottish soldier of the Royal North British Dragoons (more commonly known as the Scots Greys), famous for capturing the regimental eagle of the () at the Battle of Waterloo. He was born ne ...
; cavalryman who captured a French regimental eagle at the Battle of Waterloo ;Religion: * William Hewitt; Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 2009 * David Lacy;
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the ministers and elders of the Church of Scotland, minister or elder chosen to moderate (chair) the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week i ...
and a local minister. * Rev Dr James Lindsay, theological author ;Military: *
Eleanor Kasrils Eleanor Kasrils (9 March 1936 – 8 November 2009) was a Scottish-South African anti-apartheid activist. Early life Eleanor Logan was born in Kilmarnock in 1936, the daughter of bookseller Jimmy Logan and Helen Logan. She was raised in Durban ...
; first woman recruited into the African National Congress military wing. ;Other notable people from Kilmarnock: *
Duncan Millar Duncan Millar VC also known as Miller (19 June 1824 – 15 July 1881) was a Scottish born recipient of the Victoria Cross,the highest and most prestigious British honour. The award was for gallantry in the face of the enemy.''The Victoria ...
, recipient of the Victoria Cross *
Robert Reyburn Robert Reyburn (4 January 1810–21 October 1892) was a New Zealand orchardist, farmer and politician. He was born in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-wes ...
, orchardist, farmer and politician


Twin towns

Kilmarnock – as part of East Ayrshire Council – is twinned with five cities and has received awards from the
Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...
for its work in twinning. * Alès, France; * Herstal, Belgium; * Joué-lès-Tours, France; *
Kulmbach Kulmbach () is the capital of the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany. The town is famous for Plassenburg Castle, which houses the largest tin soldier museum in the world, and for its sausages, or ''Bratwürste''. Geography Location Ku ...
, Germany; * Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain. The former Kilmarnock and Loudoun District Council is also twinned with Sukhum, Abkhazia (Russian-occupied Georgia) on the Black Sea coast. : Following a review of links this link is now considered as a friendship link.


See also

*
Dudsday Dudsday, also Duds' day, or Dud's day was a hiring fair, a holiday, held at Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire, Scotland. Originally held at Martinmas that falls on November 11 it was later also held at Whitsun. At this fair farm servants etc would be hi ...
– the old Kilmarnock hiring fair *
The Holy Tulzie 'The Holy Tulzie', 'The Twa Herds' or 'An Unco Mournfu' Tale was a poem written in 1784 by Robert Burns whilst living at Mossgiel, Mauchline, about a strong disagreement, not on doctrine, but on the parish boundaries, between two 'Auld Licht' mi ...
– the Rev. John Russell of the High Kirk


References


Bibliography

# Beattie, Frank (1994) ''Greetings from Kilmarnock'', Ochiltree: R. Stenlake, # Beattie, Frank (2003) ''Kilmarnock Memories'', Sutton Publishing, # Brinkhoff, T. (2007
City Population: Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Scotland
Online statistics (Retrieved 8 July 2007) # Malkin, John (1989) ''Pictorial History of Kilmarnock'', Darvel: Alloway, # Smellie, Thomas (1898) ''Sketches of Old Kilmarnock'', Section II, limited edition of 250 copies, Kilmarnock: Dunlop & Drennan


External links


YouTube video of Kilmarnock Junction, Station and Wabtec Rail works''The History of Kilmarnock'' by Archibald McKay, 1858Commentary and video on the 1848 murder of James Young.Video and commentary on the death of Lord Soulis & the Soulis CrossThe Lordship and Barony of KilmarnockThe Old Riccarton Bridge – videoWebcams of the townKilmarnock F.C.2001 census key statistics for KilmarnockKilmarnock CollegeThe Blacksyke Tower beam engine houseAuthor details , Scottish Book TrustBFI , Sight & Sound , One elephant, two elephant: That Sinking Feeling and Gregory’s Girl
{{authority control Large burghs Towns in East Ayrshire Railway towns in Scotland