East Ayrshire
| East Ayrshire Siorrachd Inbhir Àir an Ear | |||
 | |||
| Country | |||
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Scotland | |||
| Total Area | |||
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487 sq mi (1,262 km²) | |||
East Ayrshire is one of thirty-two council areas of Scotland. It shares borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire.
The headquarters of the council are located on London Road, Kilmarnock. With South Ayrshire and the mainland areas of North Ayrshire, it formed the Counties of Scotland of Ayrshire.
Contents
Overview
Kilmarnock is the largest town, followed by Cumnock; other small main towns are New Cumnock and Stewarton. The area was formed in 1996, from the former Kilmarnock and Loudoun and Cumnock and Doon Valley districts. Kilmarnock is the county's capital and also largest town. The former Kilmarnock and Loudoun District Council was also twinned with Sukhum, Abkhazia.
Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Cill Mhearnaig agus Lughdan in Scottish Gaelic) was one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde Local government areas of Scotland 1973 to 1996 region of Scotland. The district was formed by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 from part of the counties of Scotland of Ayrshire, namely:
- The burghs of Darvel, Galston, Kilmarnock, Newmilns and Greenholm and Stewarton
- The district of Kilmarnock (except the part in Irvine
Apart from the former burghs the district included the towns of Hurlford and Kilmaurs.
The district was abolished in 1996 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994, which replaced the regions and districts with Council areas of Scotland. The district's area was combined with that of Cumnock and Doon Valley to form the East Ayrshire council area. The name Kilmarnock and Loudoun continues to be used for a Kilmarnock and Loudoun (UK Parliament constituency) of the House of Commons and, covering a similar area, a Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Scottish Parliament constituency) of the Scottish Parliament.
History
There are many early settlements within East Ayrshire. The Burns Monument Centre and Dick Institutes also hold local newspapers from 1834 to date (some have been indexed), together with a selection of maps. The Burns Monument Centre holds local photographs and postcards. Microfiche/film readers are available within the Burns Monument Centre and the Dick Institute.
Education and social services
East Ayrshire currently has nine secondary schools, forty-three primary schools, four schools which cater for children with additional support needs, thirty-three early education childhood centres and three children's houses.
Settlements
Towns and villages
- Afton Bridgend
- Auchinleck
- Catrine
- Chapeltoun
- Corsehill
- Craigmalloch
- Cronberry
- Cumnock
- Dalmellington
- Dalrymple
- Darvel
- Drongan
- Dunlop
- Fenwick
- Galston
- Gatehead
- Glenbuck
- Greenholm
- Haugh
- Hurlford
- Kilmarnock
- Kilmaurs
- Knockentiber
- Lugton
- Mauchline
- Moscow
- Muirkirk
- Netherthird
- New Cumnock
- Newmilns
- Ochiltree
- Patna
- Polnessan
- Priestland
- Rankinston
- Riccarton
- Sorn
- Stair
- Stewarton
- Trabboch
- Waterside
