Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock is a
large town in East Ayrshire, with a population of 60,000. It is said
that Saint Marnoch, from whom the town takes its name, founded a church
here in the fourth century. Kilmarnock's growth began with the Industrial
Revolution, its main industries being heavy engineering and textiles, in
particular the making of locomotives and carpets. Kilmarnock had one of
the earliest tram railways and the Glasgow and South Western Railway set
up a works here, producing nearly 400 locomotives during the nineteenth
and early twentieth centuries. The town also makes Johnny Walker whisky,
which takes the name of the local grocer who began blending whisky in
1820.
The first collection of the works of poet Robert Burns was published
here, known as the Kilmarnock Edition. The map below shows the
features of the town, its streets and houses as they were early last
century. Click on a selected area of the map to see an
enlargement.
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