West Kilbride
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West Kilbride Scottish Gaelic Cille Bhrìghde an Iar |
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| Coordinates | 55 ° 42 ′ N , 4 ° 51 ′ W | ||
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| Residents | 4783 2011 census | ||
| administration | |||
| Post town | WEST KILBRIDE | ||
| ZIP code section | KA23 | ||
| prefix | 01294 | ||
| Part of the country | Scotland | ||
| Council area | North Ayrshire | ||
| British Parliament | North Ayrshire and Arran | ||
| Scottish Parliament | Cunninghame North | ||
West Kilbride ( Scottish Gaelic : Cille Bhrìghde an Iar ) is a small town in Scotland . The city is on the west coast and is part of the North Ayrshire Council Area . As part of the 2011 census survey, 4,783 people lived in West Kilbride.
location
The small town is located on the left bank of the Firth of Clyde , the mouth of the River Clydes in the Atlantic. The urban area begins directly with the town of Seamill on the bank and goes directly on the slope into the slightly higher hilly urban area.
Historic Buildings
The Law Castle is a tower house at the foot of the Law Hills. It was built in the 15th century by Mary Stewart , sister of the Scottish King James III. The building was restored during the 20th century. The premises are rented out as holiday apartments.
The Portencross Castle dates back to the 14th century and is located near the port of the same name. The ruin is L-shaped and four stories high. It replaces a previous structure and, unlike this one, was not built on a hill, but at the foot of it, which allows an overview of the Firth of Clyde . It was in this castle that Robert II signed several royal edicts.
In 1739 Portencross Castle lost its roof. Only in the last few years has the Association of Friends of Portenross Castle been trying to restore and rebuild the ruins and is also supported by the BBC .
The Crosbie Castle (also Crosbie Towers ) is located on the northwestern edge of West Kilbride. It was largely reconstructed after a building that was destroyed in the 17th century. This was the seat of Sir Ranald Craufurd, an uncle of William Wallace , in the 13th century. Wallace himself is said to have spent some time here too. In 2007 a storm damaged large sections of the outer walls.
Churches include Saint Andrews Church and the red sandstone Overton Church , both of which belong to the Church of Scotland . The Saint Brides Chapel stands from the Catholic Church . The Barony , a large sandstone church from the 19th century, stands on the main street. The building has meanwhile been profaned and is owned by the public sector. It is used for various events.
economy
Agriculture is the main activity in the outskirts of the city. The area is known for its potatoes. But cattle and sheep are also raised.
A project was started in the city center itself, with workshops and salesrooms being rented by artisans in the listed buildings . For this reason, the city bears the title Craft Town Scotland . In 2006 she also won the Enterprising Britain 2006 award .
The city is also involved in the Transition Towns campaign . There is also a wind farm in the area .
The Hunterston B nuclear power plant and the coal loading station Terminal Hunterston are in the immediate vicinity .
traffic
The town is accessible by road from the A78 north to Greenock and south to Prestwick . The B781 connects West Kilbride with Dalry .
Buses run to Ardrossan , Saltcoats , Stevenston , the Irvine Administrative Center and Ayr to the south and southwest, and Largs and Greenock to the north.
West Kilbride is accessible by rail and the Ayrshire Coast Line runs from Largs via Dalry to Glasgow Central . The original station with two platforms was converted to an unoccupied stop with one platform in 1985. The old station building now houses a restaurant. The electrification only took place on one track. Today only freight trains from the Hunterston Terminal run mainly on coal.
Personalities
- Robert Simson (1687–1768), mathematician was born here.
- John Boyd Orr, 1st Baron Boyd-Orr (1880–1971), the Nobel Prize winner spent much of his youth here.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ 2011 census
- ^ Law Castle official website . Retrieved August 17, 2007.
- ↑ FOPC - Friends of Portencross Castle ( Memento of the original from June 16, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ BBC - History - Portencross Castle, West Kilbride ( Memento of the original from September 20, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
