Welcome to Kilmarnock

Kilmarnock is located at the confluence of the River Irvine and Kilmarnock Water, in the county of Ayrshire, approximately 392 miles north-north-west of London and 13 miles north-east of Ayr.

The town has a population of around 48,500. Administratively it is within the district of East Ayrshire which covers an area of approximately 1,260 sq kms.

Renowned as the home of Johnnie Walker's whisky since 1820 - now the largest whisky-bottling plant in the world - it is a thriving industrial, commercial and retail centre. It has an ancient heritage and retains some notable historic buildings, including the beautifully restored Dean Castle with its 14th-century keep. There are numerous visitor attractions in the vicinity and the town is within easy reach of Ayrshire's coastal resorts.

It is believed by some that Saint Marnock built a church here in 322 AD. The town dates from the 15th century and was made a burgh of barony in 1591. It was fairly small until the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century, when it became famous for its production of carpets, and also the striped woollen Scotch bonnets known as Kilmarnock cowls.The first edition of Robert Burn's poems was published here in 1786.  In 1832 the town became a parliamentary burgh.

Historically the town's economy was based upon such varied industries as woollen and cotton mills, pie-making and, of course, the internationally renowned, Johnnie Walker whisky which continues. The twentieth century has seen the development of light manufacturing industries which have sprung up in and around the town, making Kilmarnock the main industrial centre of Ayrshire.

The name Kilmarnock is of uncertain origin, but folk-lore has it that a missionary monk, Marnock, created a Christian community in and around the area in the sixth century, and his name, combined with his 'cell' or 'church', gave the town the name of Kilmarnock.