Sorn (, meaning a

kiln A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, a type of oven, that produces temperatures sufficient to complete some process, such as hardening, drying, or Chemical Changes, chemical changes. Kilns have been used for millennia to turn objects m ...

) is a small village in

East Ayrshire East Ayrshire (; ) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It shares borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. The headquarters of the council are located on London Roa ...

, Scotland. It is situated on the

River Ayr The River Ayr (pronounced like ''air'', ''Uisge Àir'' in Gaelic) is a river in Ayrshire, Scotland. At it is the longest river in the county. The river was held as sacred by pre-Christian cultures. The remains of several prehistoric sacrificial ...

. It has a population of roughly 350. Its neighbouring village is

Catrine Catrine is a village in the heart of East Ayrshire in Scotland, which was formerly a centre of cotton manufacture. It had a population of around in . Geography The village lies on the River Ayr which previously provided water power for local ...

. Sorn Castle lies just outside the village.

History

Sorn was a parish in Ayrshire. One gazetteer states "It is bounded on the north by Galston; on the east by

Muirkirk Muirkirk () is a small village in East Ayrshire, southwest Scotland. It is located on the north bank of the River Ayr, between Cumnock and Glenbuck on the A70. Conservation The Muirkirk & North Lowther Uplands Special Protection Area was s ...

; on the south by

Auchinleck Auchinleck ( ; ;
) is a village southea ...

; and on the west by

Mauchline Mauchline (; ) 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 Western Railway ...

." Another states that Sorn did not exist until 1658 when it was disjoined from the parish of Mauchline. Sorn has a

Covenanter Covenanters were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. It originated in disputes with James VI and his son C ...

history.

Sorn today

Local businesses and services include: a cafe, a gift shop, a church, a village hall, a bowling green and a primary school. In November 2007 the school was threatened with closure by East Ayrshire Council. Previously, the village has supported an inn with a public bar, a hotel, a general store, a motorbike shop and a television shop. Sorn is known for its success in the

Britain in Bloom RHS Britain in Bloom is the largest horticultural campaign in the United Kingdom. It was first held in 1963, initiated by the British Tourist Board based on the example set by Fleurissement de France (now Conseil national de villes et villages ...

competition. In 2004 it won gold in the "Small Villages" category and has previously won, amongst other awards, the "Highly Commended Certificate" a number of times in the 1980s. Sorn is situated on the River Ayr Way which opened in 2006 as Scotland's first source to sea long-distance path.

Notable people born in Sorn

* John Campbell of Sorn nonconformist minister. * Rev

Lewis Balfour Lewis Balfour (1777–1860) was a Scottish Church of Scotland minister and grandfather to the author Robert Louis Stevenson. Life Balfour was born on 30 August 1777 at Pilrig, Pilrig House between Edinburgh and Leith, the son of Jean Whytt ...

(1777–1860), minister of Sorn 1806 to 1824. * George William Balfour (1823–1903), physician * Alexander Peden (1626-1686) - preacher * Sir John Rankine

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...

(1846–1922) - legal author * Very Rev John Rankine (1816–1885), minister and

Moderator of the General Assembly The moderator of the General Assembly is the Chair (official), chairperson of a General Assembly (presbyterian church), General Assembly, the highest court of a Presbyterian or Calvinism, Reformed church. Kirk sessions and presbytery (church pol ...

in 1883 (father of above) * James Rennie (1787-1867) -

natural historian Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

, author, and educator * James Seaton 1822-1882), Member of New Zealand's Parliament (1875-1879 and 1881–1882)

References

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * *

External links

Ancient Images - A Shepherd and his Sheepdog, Dalgain Church, Sorn
Video footage of Dalgain Church.
The Old Holehouse Mill on the River Ayr, Sorn
Video footage of Holehouse Mill.
Haggis Bank and Dalgain Lime Works, Holehouse, Sorn
Video footage of Dalgain Lime Works and Haggis Bank lime kiln. Villages in East Ayrshire {{EastAyrshire-geo-stub