Everything about West Kilbride totally explained
West Kilbride is a village in
North Ayrshire, on the west coast of
Scotland by the
Firth of Clyde, looking across the water to
Goat Fell and the
Isle of Arran. West Kilbride and adjoining districts of
Seamill and
Portencross are generally considered to be a small town, having a combined population of 4,393 at the 2001 census.
Early history
West Kilbride is generally believed to be named after the ancient
Celtic
Saint Brigid of Kildare, often known as St Bride. The name suggests there was once a cell or
kil to Brigid in the area, although local legend has her visit to establish her church around 500AD (the landing point was supposedly in front of the now Seamill Hydro. The "West" prefix was added to disguish between other places which commemorates the same Celtic saint, such as the new town
East Kilbride in
Lanarkshire which was named "East" to distinguish it from the older "West". There has been a
hamlet in the area since 82 AD when the Roman general Agricola stationed 30,000 troops in the area of the village now known as Gateside. Roman roads can still be explored around the village to this day, and many Roman finds have been reported and lodged in Museums throughout Scotland. William Wallace's uncle Crauford had an estate at Corsbie in the North of the village, and this is still in use as a caravan park called Crosby, to this day (Wallace's mother's family). In later years
Robert the Bruce gave a grant of the lands of the Barony of Kilbride to the Boyds of
Kilmarnock. The village nestles beneath Law Hill (168m, 551ft) and Tarbert Hill (138m, 453ft) and is overlooked by Cauldron Hill (329m, 1,079ft) - largely reputed to be from the Welsh "Cadron" ref. Geoffrey of Monmouth. It was once home to various mills and other works, and in the 18th century West Kilbride was primarily a
weaving village.
Coat of arms
West Kilbride doesn't have a legitimate coat of Arms registered by the Court of the Lord Lyon, but a
coat of arms popularly in use on tourist items since the early 1930's is a shield split horizontally, with the bottom section divided again into three parts vertically. The top of the shield bears two
fleurs de lis with a
hunting horn between them. The left and right sections of the bottom of the shield are depictions of two castles, representing
Law Castle and
Portencross Castle. In the centre section is a representation of the
Spanish galleon which sank off
Portencross. Below the galleon is the cross of
St. Bride overlaid with a
mill iron and, above it, the
shuttle which represents the village's old
weaving industry. Prior to this coat of arms, another had been in use over the motto "Cautis Tutto". Both shields can be seen in the local Museum.
Hunterston Brooch
In 1826, a highly important Celtic
brooch was found by two men from West Kilbride who were digging drains at the foot of Goldenberry Hill, near
Hunterston. Made about
700 AD, the Hunterston Brooch is a casting of silver, mounted with gold, silver and amber, and decorated with animals in gold
filigree. Although the purpose of such stones isn't known, it's considered that they may have had religious importance.
Roman remains
Traces of a
Roman fortification are said to have been uncovered when the house named "The Fort" was constructed in Ardrossan Road, Seamill. Across the road, in circa 1880, Roman
funerary urns are said to have been unearthed when the foundations of "Tarbet" house were being dug.
Historical buildings
Castles
There are four standing
castles in the area in and surrounding West Kilbride.
Law Castle, situated at the foot of Law Hill, was built in the 15th century for
King James III's sister Mary. The castle is a simple rectangular structure with a sloping roof and several large chimneys protruding at each side. In recent years, Law Castle has been substantially restored and refurbished and it now letted for functions and as a holiday home. is situated right next to the sea at
Portencross harbour. It is L-shaped and four storeys high, with a barrel-vaulted ceiling. The title for the castle and grounds was given to the group "Friends of Portencross Castle" on
22 December 2005. and it's said that Wallace himself spent some time at Crosbie. Although the building is a Category-B
listed building, permission wasn't sought before demolition. although the house was partially rebuilt and extended in 1791 and 1868.
The main industries of employment at the 2001 census were: Other crops grown include
sweetcorn (for cattle food), barley, root vegetables and summer berries, especially strawberries.
Cattle and
sheep are also farmed locally.
Industries close to the village include the
Hunterston B nuclear power station and the nearby
Hunterston Terminal, owned by
Clydeport.
A 24MW
wind farm, owned and operated by
Airtricity, is located on Busbie Muir (about 3km east of Tarbert Hill), and has been operational since February 2004. Its capacity will increase to 30MW when three additional wind turbines become operational, scheduled for Autumn 2007.
Crafts
Through the endeavours of the local initiative group, West Kilbride is now achieving fame as the "Craft Town Scotland". The village boasts a growing number of craft shops and studios, as well as several leading artists. The Initiative Centre provides a convenient way for craftspeople to sell their
art and
craftwork, in return for a share of the profits.
In September 2006,
West Kilbride Craft Town won the
Department of Trade and Industry's "Enterprising Britain 2006" competition. Presenting the award,
Alistair Darling MP praised the resourcefulness and dedication of the West Kilbride community.
Transport
Rail
West Kilbride railway station lies on the
Ayrshire Coast Line between
Largs and
Glasgow Central. The journey to Glasgow takes around 50 minutes. The station is unmanned, with only one passenger track. Trains from
Hunterston Terminal run through on the second track, which no longer has a platform as it had when the station first opened in 1878. The station building's architect was
James Miller, also known for designing
Wemyss Bay railway station in
Renfrewshire, and was converted into a restaurant in 2007.
Road
The main
A78 road links West Kilbride to as far as
Greenock to the north, and
Prestwick to the South. The B781 road links West Kilbride to
Dalry (and beyond to Glasgow via the A737) in the east. There are half-hourly buses northwards to Largs and Greenock, and southwards to Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenston, Irvine and
Ayr. There is also a
commuter bus service to Glasgow, the journey taking around 1 hour 35 minutes.
Amenities
Main features
West Kilbride Primary School serves West Kilbride, Seamill and Portencross. Opened in 1983, it replaced the previous Victorian-era school which had burned down in 1980 on the same site. The original school could support up to 250 pupils. The newer shool has exactly 465 pupils
The
West Kilbride Institute and Public Hall, opened in 1900, has been home to the West Kilbride Hoticultural Society's flower shows from the same year. The building currently has a number of other uses, including a permanent local history museum, located on the first floor of the hall. The local library was housed here until 1996 when a dedicated home was built (see below).
The community centre in Corse Street was originally the
Paisley Convalescent Home, gifted by James Arthur of Carlung. Opened in the 19th century, it much later became a community centre and now houses many local groups and organisations including bridge, photo, snooker and music clubs, the local cub scouts, computer classes, yoga classes, and the North Ayrshire Music School.
The town's library, opened in 1996, was purpose-built to replace the library originally located in the village hall and is located at the fork of Main Street and Halfway Street. The library is run by North Ayrshire Council.
The
War Memorial, originally built in 1921, didn't list the names of the dead. This deficiency was remedied on
3 June 2001 (the Sunday nearest
D-Day), when the memorial was re-dedicated with four new granite stones listing the names.
Kirktonhall Glen is a woodland walkway leading from West Kilbride to Seamill, gifted to West Kilbride in 1924 by Robert Barr. Through it flows the Kilbride Burn which enters the
Firth of Clyde at Seamill.
Sport
West Kilbride Golf Club, a championship
links course, is situated at Fullerton Drive, Seamill. The original designer of the course was
"Old Tom Morris". The club hosted the Millennium British Ladies' Championship, and hosts the Scottish Boys' Championship once every three years.
The bowling club, located on Weston Terrace, has two bowling greens. Its most notable member is Margaret Ross, who was twice Scottish Champion (1976 and 1978) and British Singles Champion (1976). She also represented Britain internationally in 1976, 1978 and 1981-83.
Football pitches, tennis courts and a children's play park are situated near the entrance to Kirktonhall Glen.
Festivals and public events
Scotland's Scarecrow Festival
West Kilbride is the first town in Scotland to organise an annual "Scarecrow Festival". The purpose of the
Scarecrow Festival is to foster community spirit and civic pride within West Kilbride and its surrounding area. It celebrates West Kilbride's origins as an agricultural community, while looking to the future through the "Craft Town Scotland" initiative.
Notable residents
Notable residents of West Kilbride have included:
West Kilbride in the news and popular culture
West Kilbride is one of the UK's leading UFO hotspots, according to a 2004 Ministry of Defence report.
Scenes in the BBC's Para Handy television series were filmed at sea off Portencross.
An episode of STV's Taggart series was partly filmed in West Kilbride's Main Street.
An episode of BBC Scotland's The Beechgrove Garden was broadcast from West Kilbride, featuring the work of local amateur gardeners and the recent enhancements to Kirktonhall Glen.
On 4 June 2007, West Kilbride featured in BBC 2's Springwatch programme. Local vet Charlie Garrett showed how Corsehill Quarry is being turned into a wildlife conservation area.
The opening sequence of the first episode of Billy Connolly's World Tour of Scotland, first broadcast on BBC television in 1994, features Connolly on a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry to Brodick and includes shots from the sea of West Kilbride, Seamill, and the surrounding area. Connolly comments, "This is the Scotland that everybody sings about, you know, this is the Kyles of Bute, and the Isle of Arran, the Little Cumbrae and Great Cumbrae and all these places, and if the truth be known, this is the reason I'm doing this tour, this is the bit I really like, you know, going to the Isle of Arran."Further Information
Get more info on 'West Kilbride'.
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