Tour Scotland Video Of Old Photographs Of Kilbirnie

Tour Scotland video of old photographs of Kilbirnie a small town situated in the Garnock Valley area of North Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland. It is located around 20 miles south west of Glasgow and approximately 10 miles from Paisley and Irvine respectively. Historically, the town built up around the flax and weaving industries before iron and steelmaking took over in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1740 there were only three houses; the population grew to 959 people by 1801. In 1851 Kilbirnie contained 5,484 people, due to the Industrial Revolution, hastened by the locality of the Ayr and Glasgow railways. During this time the town was a hub of industrial activity with 2 flax spinning mills, linen thread mills, wincey factories, 5 fishing net factories, 2 rope works, engineering works, mines and ironworks. The steelworks opened in 1841 and quickly became the main industry in the area causing an inpouring of people and during the early to mid 20th Century the town grew to its height of around 10,000 people. However, the industry entered a decline and was eventually closed. The Decoy Bride a film starring David Tennant and Kelly Macdonald was partially filmed in Kilbirnie. The suburb of Kilbirnie in the New Zealand capital of Wellington is named after the town. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.

All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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