Muirkirk
Encyclopedia
East Ayrshire
East Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders on to North Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway...
, southwest Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is located on the north bank of the River Ayr
River Ayr
The River Ayr , longest river in what was the old county of Ayrshire of Scotland, is approximately 65 kilometres in length. It originates at Glenbuck Loch in East Ayrshire on the border of Lanarkshire and winds its way through East and South Ayrshire to the town of Ayr, where it empties into the...
, between Cumnock
Cumnock
Cumnock is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. The town sits at the confluence of the Glaisnock Water and the Lugar Water...
and Glenbuck
Glenbuck
Glenbuck is a small, remote village in East Ayrshire. It nestles in the hills 3 miles east of Muirkirk, East Ayrshire, Scotland....
on the A70
A70 road
The A70 road is a major road in Scotland, United Kingdom. It runs a total of from Edinburgh to Ayr. It begins in Gorgie, Edinburgh, as Ardmillan Terrace from a junction with the A71 and ends as Holmston Road in Ayr going by but not through Lanark...
. The Muirkirk & North Lowther Uplands Special Protection Area
Muirkirk & North Lowther Uplands Special Protection Area
Muirkirk & North Lowther Uplands Special Protection Area is an extensive area of moorland extending south from near Darvel in southern Ayrshire to near Kirkconnel in Dumfries and Galloway...
was set up to protect the countryside surrounding Muirkirk, which is an area of scenic beauty and environmental importance.
The 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
recorded a population of 1,865.
The village developed around its church, which was built in 1631, and was a fertile recruiting ground for the Covenanter
Covenanter
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century...
movement. In recent times, the village has fallen into decline due to its geographic isolation and the collapse of its coal and iron industries, but attempts are being made at regeneration through the Muirkirk Enterprise Group
Muirkirk Enterprise Group
Muirkirk Enterprise Group was set up in 1999 with the aim of regenerating the rural village of Muirkirk which was, at one time, labelled the most socially deprived village in Scotland...
which was set up in 1999.
Notable people
- Jocky DempsterJocky DempsterJohn 'Jocky' Dempster is a Scottish former professional footballer.- Career :Dempster played with junior outfit Muirkirk before signing for Queen of the South F.C. at the start of the 1969-70 season....
, former professional footballer with DumfriesDumfriesDumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
club Queen of the South F.C.Queen of the South F.C.Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS...
, St. Mirren and Clyde F.C.Clyde F.C.Clyde Football Club are a Scottish professional football team currently playing in the Third Division of the Scottish Football League. Although based for the last fifteen years in the new town of Cumbernauld, they are traditionally associated with an area that covers Rutherglen in South... - Willie FergusonWillie FergusonWilliam Copeland Ferguson was a Scottish footballer and manager best known for his time at Chelsea and Dumfries side Queen of the South. His position was usually as a left winger.-Early years:...
, professional footballer with Chelsea F.C.Chelsea F.C.Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Queen of the South F.C.Queen of the South F.C.Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS... - John Lapraik, poet and friend of Robert BurnsRobert BurnsRobert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
- John Loudon McAdamJohn Loudon McAdamJohn Loudon McAdam was a Scottish engineer and road-builder. He invented a new process, "macadamisation", for building roads with a smooth hard surface that would be more durable and less muddy than soil-based tracks....
, who developed his system of road laying in Muirkirk - Isobel Pagan (Tibby) - poetess reputed to have written the original version of "Ca' the Yowes"
- Bill ShawBill Shaw (footballer)William J. 'Bill' Shaw was a Scottish professional footballer who played for Kilmarnock, Bristol Rovers and Dumbarton Harp.Shaw joined Bristol Rovers from Kilmarnock in 1909 and went on to play 103 times in the Southern League for Rovers, scoring six goals, before moving to Dumbarton Harp in...
, pre-war footballer who played for Kilmarnock, Bristol Rovers and Dumbarton Harp