Glengarnock Steelworks

Glengarnock Steel Works opened its blast furnaces around 1841 which caused a massive influx of people from all over the country, as well as all over the world. Initially, these works were owned by Merry & Cunninghame before being taken over by David Colville & Sons and eventually nationalised as part of British Steel Corporation and finally closed in 1985. The steelworks in Glengarnock provided employment for most men of the community.^[10]

W & J Knox Threadmills

These mills are famous for their nets, used by the British Army and BT Tower. They are one of the very few companies in the United Kingdom who have expertise in this field. W & J Knox Threadmills was owned by the Knox family who were prominent, not only in Ayrshire but in the South of England too, becoming important members of society.^[11]

Nether Mill

Once the barony mill, it was known as the 'Nethermiln of Kilbirnie.' Until circa 1938, this Nether Mill, a corn and meal mill, was located on Knoxville Road. The remains of the cast iron waterwheel and walls of part of the mill are still visible (datum 2022).

Modern day

Since the closure of the steel works in the 1980s, the area has been an unemployment blackspot with distinct social problems. The town has very few local employers, and people generally commute out of the town to work. Glengarnock railway station serves the town and has three trains per hour to Paisley and Glasgow.^[12]

Swinging Sixties and regeneration

Amongst many other old buildings in the town, stands the Walker Memorial Hall, a building dedicated to Dr Walker, one of the first physicians in the town. In the 1960s it was a famous concert venue, coming second only to the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow. Famous bands to have played the hall include Gerry and the Pacemakers and Bill Haley & His Comets. These days, however, it houses the town's Citizens Advice Bureau.^[13]

Other sources of entertainment in the 1950s and 1960s included two cinemas, both of which have long since closed. One of these cinemas is now the Radio City.^[14]

Saint Brennan's Day Fair and Robert Burns

The fair was considered the largest horse market in the west of Scotland. Robert Burns refers to the town in his poem "The Inventory" about a plough-horse that he purchased at the fair:^[15]

"My furr-ahin 's a wordy beast,

As e'er in tug or tow was traced. The fourth's a Highland Donald hastle,

A damn'd red-wud Kilburnie blastie!"

Local football team Kilbirnie Ladeside F.C. derive their sobriquet "the blasties" from the poem, a suitable appellation and an epithet which remains to this day due to the town's past of steel and iron production, as a reference to the blast furnaces.^[16]

Auld Kirk

The "Auld Kirk" is one of the oldest churches in Scotland still in use both pre-and post-Reformation. It is a Category A listed building.^[25]

Roman Catholic Church St Brigid's

The church was established in 1858 and the current building opened in 1862.^[26]

Gospel Hall

Tracing its roots back to 1889, the mission hall was completed in 1897.^[27]

Primary education

• Moorpark Primary School, accessed from Milton Road or School Road by students, was opened in 1978 to replace Ladyland School built in 1869 and Bridgend School, built in 1893. The school is located east of its namesake Moorpark House and is adjacent to the former site of local secondary school Garnock Academy. The new Moorpark Primary School is currently under construction on the site of Garnock Academy, due to open in Autumn 2022.^[28]
• Glengarnock Primary School has from 10 January 2017 been situated in the Garnock Community Campus.^[29]
• Saint Bridget's Primary School, located on Hagthorne Avenue, educates local children of Roman Catholic and Christian parents. This location opened in October 1963 replacing the 1894 building.^[30]

Secondary education

• Garnock Academy^[31] is a secondary school that was formed in 1971 by the amalgamation of Beith Academy, Dalry High School, Kilbirnie Central School and Speir's school. Opening in September 1972, it was situated on School Road adjacent to Moorpark Primary, However, as of January 2017, the school moved into the new Garnock Community Campus in the Glengarnock area alongside the Primary school, Community Pool and library and other public offices and areas. It is a non-denominational co-educational school serving Barmill, Beith, Dalry, Gateside, Glengarnock, Kilbirnie, Longbar and the surrounding area. It has around 1,100 pupils.^[32]

Rail

• The town is serviced by Glengarnock railway station which runs regular services managed by ScotRail on the Ayrshire Coast Line. There are three trains per hour to Glasgow Mon - Sat, and an hourly service on Sunday.

Bus Services

The area is served by Stagecoach West Scotland and McGill's Bus Services.

• 25, 25A, 25B and 25C Beith - Irvine Cross / Bourtreehill / Broomlands / Montgomerie Park
• 904 Largs - Paisley
• X36 Glasgow - Dalry

Air crashes

The hills between Kilbirnie and Largs were often black spots for aircraft passing over and many crashed due to low fog. The crash sites are available to visit, with wreckage still visible and some of these now form part of Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park.^[33]

Castles

Lying two miles (three kilometres) north of Kilbirnie on a promontory overlooking the wooded ravine of the River Garnock is Glengarnock Castle, a ruined 15th century keep. Ladyland Castle, mostly demolished, lay nearby and Ladyland House still survives as designed by David Hamilton.^[34]

Kilbirnie Loch

Kilbirnie Loch is 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) long and nearly 1⁄2 mile (800 m) broad.^[35]

• The loch in summer
• Looking towards Kilbirnie
• Kilbirnie Loch boat house
• The south end of the loch