Barr is a village in South Ayrshire,

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, approximately from the town of

Girvan Girvan (, "mouth of the River Girvan") is a burgh and harbour town in Carrick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Girvan is situated on the east coast of the Firth of Clyde, with a population of about 6,450. It lies south of Ayr, and north of St ...

. There are various opinions as to the origins of the name. The most likely is the Gaelic ''bàrr'' meaning 'a hill-top, a height'. It is believed to have been established in the 17th century by smugglers who needed a safe place close to the secluded bays of the Ayrshire coast while having access to the Raiders Road which runs close by. Barr has not grown much since that time. Currently Barr Village has a population of approximately 110, while the total for the Parish of Barr is in the region of 260.

Location

The village is in the Stinchar Valley where the River Stinchar meets the Water of Gregg. The meeting point of these two watercourses is known locally as The Pot. Local residents and visitors often picnic on the banks of the Stinchar. The village can be accessed from three directions. Each enters the village along a single track road with passing places. The main route is known locally as The Screws because of the twisting nature of the road. The Screws pass through the Hadyard Hill Wind Farm which was established by Scottish and Southern Electricity. Visitors can walk along the service routes and read about the

wind farm A wind farm, also called a wind park or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turbines covering an exten ...

at the information point in the car park.

Natural features

Barr has many naturally occurring features and a wealth of wildlife. It is popular with many people who enjoy the peace and quiet of the village and surrounds. There are several signed walks in the area, many of which pass through

Forestry Commission The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the management of publicly owned forests and the regulation of both public and private forestry in England. The Forestry Commission was previously also respons ...

land, although there are many which follow

farm A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...

settings.

Buildings

The parish has a strong Covenanting history with several being laid to rest in the village

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many death, dead people are burial, buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ...

. The village has a church which is open at all times. In addition, Kirk Angus lies at the heart of the village. Although the main building of the church has been converted into private residence, the clock tower was donated to the people of Barr.

Governance

Barr community council has been the longest suspended parish council in Scotland due to complaints surrounding a controversial hall project that has divided the village.

Language

According to a reference in ''The Carrick Covenanters'' by James Crichton, the last place in the Scottish Lowlands where Gaelic was spoken was the village of Barr on the River Stinchar in Ayrshire. Barr was once regarded as one of the most isolated places in that part of Scotland, though situated only a few miles from Girvan as the crow flies. Crichton gives neither date nor details.For further discussion on the subject of Gaelic in the South of Scotland, see articles "Gàidhlig Ghallghallaibh agus Alba-a-Deas" ("Gaelic of Galloway and Southern Scotland") and "Gàidhlig ann an Siorramachd Inbhir-Àir" ("Gaelic in Ayrshire") by Garbhan MacAoidh, published in the literary magazine ''Gairm'', Numbers 101 and 106.

References

External links

Barr Village website
{{Authority control Villages in Carrick, Scotland Parishes in Ayrshire