Torranyard

Torranyard is a small village or hamlet in North Ayrshire, Parish of Kilwinning, Scotland. It lies between the settlements of Auchentiber and Irvine on the A736 Lochlibo Road.

History

Torranyard is a hamlet at what is now a crossroads on the Irvine to Glasgow A736 'Lochlibo Road', previous to the main road's construction, circa 1820, it sat on the toll road that ran from Kilwinning and Irvine via Benslie to Glasgow, passing Loch Libo at Uplawmoor en route.

Roy's map of 1747 records the settlement of 'Turringyard' near Auchenharvie Castle .<ref>Roy's Map Retrieved : 2012-05-06</ref> The 1897 25 inch to the mile OS map records a 'Tour Inn' opposite the old Torranyard Toll, now the Torranyard Tabdoori. . It was recorded as 'Turnyard' in 1775, 'Tirranyard' on Thomson's 1820 map and in 1832. The Montgreenan estate is nearby and the site of the old Girgenti house and surviving tower are nearby on the Cunninghamhead road.

The meaning of 'Tour' in Scots<ref name="Local">A_Researcher's_Guide_to_Local_History_Terminology</ref> is 'Tower', as in the prominent Auchenharvie castle tower nearby. A Yard in Scots<ref name="Local"/> is a garden. 'Torranyard' could therefore be a corruption of 'Tour Inn yard.' Local people still pronounce the name 'Torranyard' as 'TOURanyard'.

Jamieson records that the inn at Burnhouse was nicknamed the 'Trap 'Em Inn', the one at Lugton was called the 'Lug 'Em Inn', that at Auchentiber the 'Cleek 'Em Inn', and finally the one at Torranyard was called the 'Turn 'Em Out.'<ref name=j>Jamieson, Page 18</ref>

The Resurrectionists

Auchenharvie Castle in 1820

A local legend is that in the days of the 'body snatchers' or 'resurrectionists'; before the Anatomy Act of 1832, bodies obtained locally were hidden in the ruins of the nearby Auchenharvie Castle before being taken up to Glasgow at night to sell to the surgeons and medical students at the old university.<ref name=H/> Another version of the story states that the bodies were collected together from neighbouring parishes at Darnshaw, a remote house near Bloak Moss on the old Auchenharvie to Megswell toll road route.<ref name="Strawhorn113">Strawhorn, Page 113.</ref><ref>Love, Page 148</ref> The old toll road did run past the site and a toll gate and house stood fairly close by which must cast some doubt on the castle being involved.<ref name=H>Holder, Page 54</ref> Jamieson records the story that tramps were lured to their deaths at the inns along this road by 'body snatchers' and as evidence it is recorded that when the Cleikum Inn at Auchentiber was demolished a large collection of walking sticks were found.<ref name="j"/>

Micro-history

A William Forgisal (Fergushill) of Torranyard was miner at the Doura Pit in the 18th-century. He lost his leg in a mining accident, as had his father. William's wife was a tough sort, her comment being on seeing him so encumbered, was that the Forgisal's would need a small plantation of their own to keep them in crutches.<ref name="Service">Service, Page 140.</ref>

A Torranyard Farm is located to the north-west of the village.

Viewfield Manor Holiday Village is located behind the Torranyard Tandoori that faces the A736. the site was partly used as a refuse tip at one time as shown on OS maps.

Opencast workings and 'works' are shown on old OS maps nearby, close to the Greenacres Equestrian Centre (2012).

External links

• Viewfield Manor

References

Sources and bibliography

1. Dobie, James (1876). Pont's Cunninghame topographized 1604–1608 with continuations and illustrative notices. Pub. John Tweed.
2. Holder, Geoff (2010). Scottish Bodysnatchers. Port Stroud : The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7524-5603-4.
3. Jamieson, Sheila (1997). Our Village. 'Greenhills Women's Institute.
4. Love, Dane (1989). Scottish Kirkyards. London : Robert Hale. ISBN 0-7090-3667-1.
5. Love, Dane (2003). Ayrshire : Discovering a County. Ayr : Fort Publishing. ISBN 0-9544461-1-9.
6. Reid, Donald L. and Monahan, Isobel F. (1999). Yesterdays Beith, a pictorial guide. Beith : DoE Award Scheme. ISBN 0-9522720-5-9
7. Service, John (Editor) (1887). The Life & Recollections of Doctor Duguid of Kilwinning. Pub. Young J. Pentland.
8. Strawhorn, John (1985). The History of Irvine. Pub. John Donald. ISBN 0-85976-140-1.

North Ayrshire
Towns	Ardrossan Beith Dalry Irvine Kilbirnie Kilwinning Largs Saltcoats Stevenston West Kilbride
Villages	Ardeer Auchentiber Barrmill Benslie Dreghorn Drybridge Fairlie Gateside Girdle Toll Glengarnock Longbar Skelmorlie Springside Stanecastle
Hamlets	Barkip Broomlands Bourtreehill Burnhouse Castlepark Crosbie Chapeltoun Cunninghamhead Dalgarven Drakemyre Eglinton Fergushill Fullarton Giffordland Greenhills Hessilhead Highfield Hunterston Kelburn Lawthorn Lylestone Meigle Meikle Auchengree Montgreenan Nettlehirst Perceton Portencross Routenburn Seamill Sevenacres Shewalton Torranyard
Island settlements	Brodick Lamlash Lochranza Whiting Bay Birchburn Blackwaterfoot Catacol Cladach Corrie Dippen Kildonan Kilmory Lagg Machrie Pirnmill Sannox Shiskine Sliddery Whitefarland Millport
Neighbouring council areas	Argyll and Bute East Ayrshire Inverclyde Renfrewshire South Ayrshire