If you were to leave Glasgow and head out to Ayr, you would hit Kilwinning about two-thirds of the way there. It is in North Ayrshire, making it only a short coastal journey off the path of the Wallace himself. It’s a fairly well-off place for the most part. Best of all, it isn’t far from the Viking haven of Largs, which has a really interesting festival every year and a smashing view of the Isle of Arran.
Image: Ayrshire UAV Images/Shutterstock.com
Interesting facts about Kilwinning? Well, ‘Cillean’ towns were those associated with the Celtic church. Not the football team… that’s Celtic pronounced with a ‘ki’. The traces of these can be found to this day in towns named ‘’Kil’. So Kilwinning, Kilmarnock, Kilbirnie, Kilbride and Kilbryde – all are traces of the historic church.
It is believed that this town was formed around a kirk placed here in the 17th century. This church was built by St. Winning, and nobody remembers who he was anymore. The scholars are arguing about it but ultimately the Scottish church didn’t keep records back then. An abbey was built there and still stands to this day. It is ancient, sports a clock tower, and may or may not be operational when you get there. Kilwinning is the kind of place where a clock tower might just get struck by lightning in the middle of the night…
Oh… Why is Kilwinning a bit on the creepy side? It is filled with the mystery of the Masons. The Freemasons of Scotland were established here. It is said to house lodge number 0, the ‘Mother Lodge’ of Scotland. To this day it is eerie to know that the Freemasons walk among us and we don’t know who they are… whoever thought of a secret club for grown-ups?
So besides strangers hidden in plain sight, a long association with religion, and being a place to retire to if you worked hard as a banker all your days – what does Kilwinning have to offer?
Kilwinning Attractions At-A-Glance
Kilwinning is the kind of place you can really relax in. Despite being far from the city (some 20 miles south of Glasgow) it is not far from the beaches of Ayr. What else can you see here, as a tourist? Let’s look at our best bits of Kilwinning and find out.
The abbey we mentioned before is still going. It isn’t in complete ruins either, having been partially restored by Historic Environment Scotland. The abbey belonged to the Tironensian monks and is dated some 400 years ago. Founded sometime in the 1100s, Kilwinning Abbey lost all renown during the protestant reformation of Scotland.
Image: Bobo Ling/Shutterstock.com
The Abbey itself still stands, although some of it is ruined. It is a testament to the monks that ultimately brought important knowledge and skills to our people. You can read more about the Tironensian Order’s arrival in Britain here if you are interested… or, you know, just visit the Abbey because it’s so very pretty.
Built in 1880, Dalgarven Mill is now a museum. It stands as a testament to the historic production of grain in Scotland. The buildings have been carefully restored and are now devoted to the lives of the workers of the past.
Scotland has a bit of a bigger history of socialism than many people realise. What started in News Lanark in 1800 ultimately spread to places like this. This grain mill was powered by those same ideals. The workers here were treated fairly and production was better as a result. You can still visit, but the farmers are long gone.
Don’t panic! It isn’t some sort of horror attraction! Dead End Street is where you go to shop in Kilwinning. Well more precisely, it’s a shop that you can go to shop in, in Kilwinning. Why does it get a mention? It is one of the favoured places to be in Kilwinning. It also sports a variety of vintage and retro clothing, which isn’t just unusual, it’s also good fun.
Go visit, dress up in your best eighties chic, then go for a night on the town. It’s everyone’s favourite place.
Looking for something to do in Kilwinning with kids? No matter the age group, Artastic has something for them. This place has a variety of activities for a variety of different ages. You can paint or design pottery, make your own pasta painting, have fun with finger-painting – or any other range of kiddie activities. They specialise in birthday parties, so book up for next year already.
Where to Eat, Drink, or Party in Kilwinning?
You might not find any trance clubs in town, but you will find plenty of places to drown your sorrows. For a traditional pint check out Buffs Tavern, where they run a competition for best-dressed on a Sunday! If you want to make a night of it then move on to Taylor’s Hotel. You can find the best cocktails at Revels Public House, according to us locals, at least.
If you are looking for good food then Taylors do have a good reputation. The Viking café serves Turkish food if you are up for an adventure. You can also enjoy food at the Corner House, although reviews on Google aren’t great.
Don’t forget that you are just down the road from Ayr. This means you are well within taxi distance of some awesome nightlife, without having to fork out for travel all the way to Glasgow city centre. Choose from Fury Murray’s, Madisons, or the Smoking Goat for rock, dance, and live music, respectively.
Football?
The towns club is Kilwinning Rangers F.C who currently play in the SJFA Western Division (2019-20 Season). The play at Buffs Park and maybe this is where their nickname the “Buffs” comes from? Whatever they have been around since 1899 and although we have only ever seen one game it seemed a friendly place and it even has a couple of covered sections for when it rains. One thing to note is that they seem to kick off at 14.00 which is an hour earlier than many of us are used too! They even have a youtube channel if you want to see some highlights.
Still Got Some Time?
If you find you are still struggling for something to do to fill up your break, head over to Five Minutes Spare HQ and have a peek. We have information on all sorts of things; all designed to keep you amused for five more minutes. It’s just like reading a book. One more chapter and you can go back to real life…
