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Burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland
Photo: Tom Browne, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Kilmarnock is a town in Ayrshire in southwest Scotland, with a population of 46,970 in 2020. It's industrial, though many of its historic industries have gone, such as BMK Carpets, Massey Ferguson Tractors and the Johnnie Walker whisky blending plant. It's the seat of local government for East Ayrshire, a commuter town for Glasgow, and stands astride several transport corridors. So you might break a journey at one of its edge-of-town hotels, but you're only likely to visit the centre for business or family connections.
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James Dick was born in Kilmarnock; he left for Australia but endowed this civic institute, opened in 1901. There's a museum and gallery.
The first edition of Robert Burns' collected poems was published in Kilmarnock in 1786. Only 612 were printed, so these are prized rarities. The centennary of publication drew support for erecting a monument. It was completed in 1879 with an attached museum, in a grand mixture of every architectural style then known, as the centrepiece of Kay Park. But in 2004 the Burns Centre burned. The surviving parts were incorporated into a new Centre, opened in 2009, which houses the civil Registration Office and local history archives. It was nominated for the Carbuncle Cup, awarded annually to Britain's ugliest new building, for its "forced, clumpy monstrosity with pointlessly random rooves." (It lost out to Strata SE1, a tower block in London Southwark.) The centre isn't a museum, but you might research your Ayrshire ancestors here.
The castle was built in the 14th century but heavily made-over in the 19th. It has a museum and country park.
Leisure centre with pool, gym and ice rink. Kilmarnock Thunder ice hockey team play here Sept-March in the Scottish National League, the second tier.
Leisure complex with bowling, go-karts, wimpy, video games, bar and nightclub.
"Killie" play soccer in the Premiership, Scotland's top tier. Their all-seater home ground is Rugby Park (capacity 18,000), half a mile south of the railway station off Dundonald Rd A759.
JD Wetherspoon
Decent Spoons for food and drink.
This earns great reviews for its food and service. It's not recorded how Burns celebrated publication of his First Edition — he was broke and "wandering from one friend's house to another" around Mauchline — but he could have done worse than come here.
Friendly small cafe.
Modern European restaurant with good menu selection.
Grand wee pub handy for the bus or trains.
Mixed reviews for quality and ability to serve stuff in a timely way.
Lively oddball pub with karaoke.
Decent mid-price place west side of town centre, refurbishing is under way and the older rooms are tired and dreary.
Efficient modern business hotel, with Blues restaurant. No access from Rugby Road, the fences are there to keep football crowds where they ought to be.
Welcoming guest house just north of railway station. Excellent breakfasts. Three parking spaces available.
Friendly mid-range hotel. It's by the cemetery and the go-to place for funeral teas.
Clean and comfy budget chain hotel, handy for motorists.
Reliable edge-of-town budget choice. No lift or aircon.
Okay for what you pay, only for motorists as it's out on the bypass.
By bus
Stagecoach Bus X76 runs hourly from Glasgow Buchanan station, taking 40 min. The last bus is at 9:30PM.
By road
From Glasgow follow M77 southwest, 23 miles. This continues beyond Kilmarnock as A77 to Prestwick, Ayr, Girvan, Cairnryan (for Ulster ferries) and Stranraer.
Bus 1 runs east every 15 min to Galston, Newmilns, Darvel and Priestland.
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Prestwick, South Ayrshire · International · PIK
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