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)
See also
*
Lady's Well, Auchmannoch
References
Citations
Sources
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External links
Ancient Images - A Shepherd and his Sheepdog, Dalgain Church, SornVideo footage of Dalgain Church.
The Old Holehouse Mill on the River Ayr, SornVideo footage of Holehouse Mill.
Haggis Bank and Dalgain Lime Works, Holehouse, SornVideo footage of Dalgain Lime Works and Haggis Bank lime kiln.
Villages in East Ayrshire
{{EastAyrshire-geo-stub