Kilmarnock
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Kilmarnock Scottish Gaelic Cille Mheàrnaig |
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| Coordinates | 55 ° 37 ′ N , 4 ° 30 ′ W | ||
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| Residents | 46,159 2011 census | ||
| administration | |||
| Post town | KILMARNOCK | ||
| ZIP code section | KA, KA2, KA3 | ||
| prefix | 01563 | ||
| Part of the country | Scotland | ||
| Council area | East Ayrshire | ||
| British Parliament | Kilmarnock and Loudoun | ||
| Scottish Parliament | Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley | ||
Kilmarnock ( Scottish Gaelic Cille Mheàrnaig ) is with about 46,159 inhabitants the largest city and at the same time the seat of government of the Council Area East Ayrshire in southwest Scotland . Kilmarnock is located about 40 kilometers southwest of Glasgow city center in the Scottish Lowlands .
history
The name Kilmarnock is probably derived from the early Christian missionary St. Marnock, Gaelic "cill" ( church ) from Latin "cella" ( hermit cell ). The first settlements in the area of today's Kilmarnock already existed in the Bronze Age . But only after receiving the Royal Charter in 1592 did the city begin to grow, in 1668 it burned down. Since the onset of industrialization around 1810, it has been expanded as planned.
geography
Kilmarnock is located in the glacial valley of a river that swells enormously during the short ice age summers due to the glacier melt water. Today just two small rivers, River Irvine and Kilmarnock Water , flow through Kilmarnock.
economy
Kilmarnock is an industrial town in a former mining district that belonged to the Dukes of Portland. Since 1812, the first Scottish horse-drawn railroad carried coal to the port of Troon . Locomotives were also produced here in the 19th century; the repair business lasted until 1952. A tractor factory existed until 1959. Today diesel locomotives are still serviced by Wabtec Rail Scotland. In addition to knitwear and other clothing items, valves and dairy products are made. The production of hoods goes back to the year 1603.
By far the most internationally known product from Kilmarnock was the blended whiskey produced by the John Walker and Sons LTD (better known as Johnnie Walker ) founded in the city in 1820 , which is now one of the best-selling whiskey brands in the world and is exported to many countries. The factory was closed by Diageo , the current owner of the brand, despite considerable public protests in 2012, and the whiskey has since been blended and bottled at Diageo locations in Glasgow and Fife .
The low point of economic development was reached around 2005. Since then, at least retail and building trade have recovered. Unemployment was still 7.5 percent in June 2010.
Culture and sights
One of Kilmarnock's most beautiful attractions is Dean Castle in the northern part of town. The oldest part of the fortress is the Boyd family in 1350 built rectangular keep . The Kilmarnock Estate was given to the Boyds in 1316 by Robert I (better known as Robert the Bruce ) in gratitude for their support in the War of Independence and the Battle of Bannockburn against Edward II in 1314.
The Old High Kirk 's Church was built in the 1730s, the Laigh Kirk (Kilmarnock) 1802 and the Holy Trinity Church built in 1859th
In commemoration of the first publication ( First Edition ) or Kilmarnock Edition of Robert Burns in 1786 is located in downtown Kilmarnock a statue of Burns and the printer John Wilson. An original copy of Burns Kilmarnock Edition is on display at Dean Castle alongside a collection of Burns' handwritten manuscripts.
Museums
The Dick Institute , which opened in 1901, is a library, museum and at the same time an art gallery with changing exhibitions. The reference library is known beyond Scotland's borders for its collections of geology , Scottish archeology and natural history .
traffic
Kilmarnock Railway Station is on the Glasgow - Carlisle railway line . It has existed since 1812, making it one of the first train stations in Scotland. The current building dates from 1846.
The A77 , which is insufficient for the high volume of traffic , is currently being upgraded to the M77 with a connection to the Glasgow Southern Orbital (GSO). The M77 will extend from Newton Mearns to Fenwick in East Ayrshire and will in future be the main artery for Ayrshire and the entire south-west of Scotland.
Glasgow Prestwick International Airport is just under 30 minutes by car from Kilmarnock.
Sports
The football club FC Kilmarnock , founded in 1869, plays in the Scottish Premiership .
Town twinning
- Alès in the Gard department (France) since 1974
- Kulmbach in Bavaria (Germany) since 1974
- Herstal in Wallonia (Belgium) since 1977
- Joué-lès-Tours in the Indre-et-Loire department (France) since 1990
- Santa Coloma de Gramenet in Catalonia (Spain) since 1994
- Sukhumi in Abkhazia (Georgia)
Personalities
- John Walker gave up farming in 1820 and bought a grocery store in Kilmarnock. The whiskey sold under his name flourished and Walker's Kilmarnock Whiskey ( Johnnie Walker ) became world famous.
- The Scottish writer Robert Burns published his The Kilmarnock Poems (Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect) in 1786 . ISBN 0-460-00343-7
- James and Ben Johnston were born here and still live in Kilmarnock to this day. The twins form the rhythm section (bass & drums) and the background voices of the Scottish band " Biffy Clyro ".
- James Tannock (1783–1863), portrait painter
- William Agnew (1879-1936), football player
- William McIlvanney (1936-2015), writer
- Robin Smith (* 1943), racing car driver and racing team owner
- Bill Niven (* 1956), historian
- Pat McKay (* 1957), karateka and multiple karate world champion
- Graeme Macrae Burnet (* 1967), writer
Web links
View from Kilmarnock Railway Station onto John Finnie Street
Kilmarnock, roughly between 1890 and 1900
Individual evidence
- ^ Information from the Scottish Parliament
- ^ Last Johnnie Walker whiskey bottled at Kilmarnock plant. In: bbc.com . March 23, 2012, accessed May 2, 2020.
- ^ Kilmarnock unemployment rate in the worst 100. In: dailyrecord.co.uk . July 23, 2010, accessed May 5, 2020.