Kirkoswald Kirkyard, located in South Ayrshire, surrounds the remains of the parish church, which was originally founded in the 12th century. The current visible structure largely reflects later medieval and post-medieval rebuilding. The kirkyard contains gravestones and monuments dating from the medieval period through the 19th century, documenting the lives of local farming and fishing communities, craftsmen, and notable families in the area.

The site provides insight into Scotland’s ecclesiastical and social history, illustrating changes in funerary practices, stone carving, and memorial design over several centuries. Its location, overlooking the surrounding countryside, reflects the traditional placement of parish churches and their associated burial grounds as central points in rural communities. Kirkoswald Kirkyard remains an important historical and archaeological site within Ayrshire.

The Ladyha Colliery Tunnel, in North Ayrshire, was constructed to serve the coal mines that once dominated the local economy. Part of the wider network of pits and railways in the Garnock Valley, the tunnel allowed coal to be moved more efficiently from the colliery to the main railway lines. It is said that the 13th Earl of Eglinton, who lived at nearby Eglinton Castle, disliked the sight of smoke and industry spoiling the landscape around his estate. To keep the coal wagons out of view, the tunnel was built to hide the transport route from the castle and its grounds.

With the decline of mining in the region, the tunnel fell out of use and is now abandoned. Over time, nature has begun to reclaim it, though its structure remains a visible feature of the landscape for those who seek it out. Today, the Ladyha Colliery Tunnel is more than just a piece of industrial infrastructure: it reflects both the power of the coal industry and the influence of aristocratic landowners in shaping Ayrshire’s landscape and heritage.

The disused railway line between Kilbirnie and Dalry was once part of Ayrshire’s extensive rail network, built during the 19th century to serve the region’s heavy industries. The line carried coal, steel, and goods from the Garnock Valley to larger markets, as well as providing passenger services that linked small communities to Glasgow and beyond. Like many branch lines, it declined with the fall of local industry and the rise of road transport, and was eventually closed in the mid-20th century.

Today, sections of the old track bed remain visible, though much of it has been reclaimed by nature. For some stretches, the route has been adapted into footpaths and cycleways, forming part of the area’s green network. These remnants are a reminder of Ayrshire’s industrial heritage and the vital role that railways once played in shaping the economy and daily life of the Garnock Valley.

Hidden beneath the waters of Lochlea, near Tarbolton in Ayrshire, archaeologists discovered the remains of a crannog — an artificial island settlement built during the Iron Age. Excavations in the late 19th century revealed preserved timbers, tools, and household objects that offered a rare glimpse into daily life over two thousand years ago. Crannogs were built as secure homesteads, their wooden platforms rising above lochs and marshes, and Lochlea’s site shows the skill and resilience of the communities who once lived there.

Among the finds were intricately carved ash timbers, now housed in the Dick Institute, Kilmarnock. These carvings are among the oldest examples of decorative woodworking in Scotland, their swirling patterns still vivid despite the centuries. They hint not only at craftsmanship but also at symbolic or ritual meanings, suggesting the crannog was more than just a dwelling — it was a place of status, belief, and connection to the landscape. Today, both the Lochlea site and its carvings remind us of the artistry and imagination at the heart of Ayrshire’s ancient past.

In the seaside town of Millport on Great Cumbrae stands the Former East Church of Scotland, a striking 19th-century building that reflects the island’s rich religious heritage. Constructed in the mid-1800s, the church was built to serve the growing local population, many of whom were tied to fishing and maritime trades. Campbell Douglas was the architect and it was built in Gothic style. Its tall pointed windows made it a familiar landmark in the town, visible to visitors arriving by sea.

Although no longer in use for worship, the former East Church remains part of Millport’s historic streetscape. Like many Scottish churches, it speaks of a time when faith and community were closely bound together, and its solid stone walls carry memories of baptisms, weddings, and gatherings that marked the rhythm of island life. In a place so deeply connected to the sea, churches also carried a folkloric role as places of prayer for safe voyages, with bells and hymns believed to protect sailors from storms. Today, the East Church stands as both an architectural monument and a reminder of the island’s blend of history, faith, and coastal tradition.

St Inan is the patron saint of Irvine, and also has links to Beith, namely St Inan’s chair in Lochlands Hill and annual fair St Inan’s day. The name is thought either to have come from Uinniau, a sixth century Briton missionary, or from cults across Scotland where there was a figure known as Winnin, Fillan and Finan. 

A theory from Thorbjorn Campbell suggests that a pre-christian deity or version of legendary Irish warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill may have been renamed as St Inan.   

Petroglyphs of this type recur commonly throughout the UK and Europe.  They consist of a concave depression, no more than a few centimetres across, carved into a rock surface and often surrounded by concentric circles also etched into the stone.  It is not clear what meaning these carvings held.  Some theories suggest they were created as a form of measurement, whereas others suggest they provide information about the surrounding landscape.  

Whatever the concept behind their creation, it is thrilling to get close to something made by human hands 6,000 thousand years ago.

Built as a replica of the Edinburgh mercat cross.  The cross was removed in 1778 as it was seen as an obstruction to traffic. All that remains now is a cross on the road where it once stood. Maggie Osbourne, known as Ayr’s most famous witch, was burnt alive here sometime between 1652 and 1681.  Maggie was diagnosed at court with “brain fever” and being possessed by the devil.  

It was said that Maggie could cast powerful spells and curses, transform into animals and float off the ground using pewter plates placed on her shoulders as wings. A monument to her “nemesis” Reverend William Adair exists in the Auld Kirk of Ayr.

Alexander Peden was a prominent Covenanter - who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland. He was ejected from serving as a minister for refusing to conform to the Episcopalian church practices.  He encouraged his followers to defy the religious changes imposed by Charles II.  Peden wore a mask to avoid arrest for illegal preaching. He slept in caves and shelters in an attempt to evade capture but was caught and imprisoned for five years on Bass Rock by the Privy Council. Later sentenced to perpetual banishment, he was freed by the American captain of the ship chartered to take him to the Virginian plantations when he found out he was not a convict. 

The Grade A listed buildings were designed by the famous British Gothic Revival architect William Butterfield, and were completed in 1851.  George Frederick Boyle, the 6th Earl of Glasgow was the benefactor of the cathedral, and commissioned William Butterfield to design the buildings. 

The 6th Earl of Glasgow had a vision for the Isle of Cumbrae as a new Iona.  The complex that emerged included college buildings and accommodation, a chapter house and a cloister.  The Cathedral of the Isles is the smallest working cathedral in Britain.  The Cathedral features stained glass by William Wailes and Hardman & Co. 

A unique Scottish gem of Renaissance architecture.  It has an elaborate carved stone tomb in Italian-baroque style with a painted timber ceiling above, illustrating the seasons, heraldic emblems and zodiac signs.  The paintings were created by J. Stalker of Edinburgh. 

It was built as a shrine by Scottish knight Robert Montgomerie to keep alive the memory of his wife Dame Margaret Montgomerie who had been killed in a riding accident a few years earlier.  Margaret was a famous beauty and the subject of ballads written during her lifetime.

In 1772, William Wilson, owner of Haylie, decided to improve his estate using stone from the small hill behind his mansion. This revealed a large cairn, known as Margaret's Law, and underneath the burial chamber, which is visible today. It had five stone chambers, two of which contained four skulls each and human bones. Several earthen urns were also found.

This style of Neolithic tomb is known as a Clyde Chambered Tomb because they are mostly found in north and west Ireland and west Scotland. This tomb marks the graves of people known as the Beakers, named after their distinctive bell-shaped beakers.

This is the third castle built on this site. The first was wooden and is mentioned in 1184 as "castello de Hirun".

In the 13th century, a stone tower was built to protect the harbour.  The third castle was built in 1565 by Hugh Montgomerie, the 3rd Earl of Eglinton. This fortified mansion house was home to Hugh and his wife Agnes Drummond. Their family arms can be seen on the ceiling bosses inside the front doorway.  

Seagate was abandoned as a residence in the 1740s and became a haunt of smugglers and thieves. It is now owned by North Ayrshire Council.

The Powder House is Irvine's gunpowder magazine and is a small octagonal building on the Golffields. It was probably built to store large quantities of powder well away from the town's population.

The Powder House was used as a store until 1880.  Today the Powder House is the best surviving example of its kind in Scotland and the oldest.

Thought to be the oldest surviving railway viaduct in the world.  A significant part of railway history in Scotland, the impressive 270-foot-long, four-span structure was constructed in 1809 as part of the Duke of Portland’s “horse-drawn wagonway.”

It carried coal from mines in Kilmarnock for sale to Ireland and beyond through a new port at Troon.  The “railway” used horses to pull the wagons and used L-shaped plates to guide the trains.  Today you can see a modern reconstruction of the original track on the bridge itself.  Visitors are now able to walk over the structure via a beautiful riverside walk.

Bessie Dunlop was a wise woman accused of “sorcery, witchcraft and incantation” at the High Court of Justiciary in 1576. It is thought that her confession probably resulted from starvation and torture. She is said to have communed with a spirit called Thomas Reid, who was slain in battle 30 years before Bessie was born. He first appeared to her when she was sad and sickly due to personal tragedy and struggles. Thom told Bessie that her husband would survive but her baby would die along with her cow and two sheep. 

It was said that Bessie consulted Thom to aid her in healing people and animals. Bessie was not accused of harming anyone, only on her admission of using medicinal herbs.

An ancient castle by Scottish standards. From the 12th century, the lands of Ardrossan were in the hands of the Barclay family, before Montgomery of Eglinton acquired it in the mid 14th century.

Fergus de Barclay was so famed for his horsemanship that rumours persisted that he was in commune with the devil. Some said that the devil gave him a magical saddle in exchange for his soul. The devil was tricked by Barclay into giving back his soul and was said to kick a hoofprint into the castle wall out of  rage.

The castle was ruined by Oliver Cromwell’s forces in the late 17th century.

The wife of the 3rd Earl of Glasgow commissioned Robert Adam to build a marble memorial in their favourite place. The inscription celebrates his military service, his personal character and his qualities as a husband and father. Someone has added a modern pocket watch to the marble figure.

The Boyle family have owned Kelburn’s land since the 12th century. The castle was certainly in existence by the time the Battle of Largs was fought in 1263. There is an art trail with sculpture from contemporary artists and the castle was painted by four graffiti artists from Brazil in 2007.

“Maister William Adair, scion of the very ancient family of Kinhilt, for 44 years most faithful pastor of the Church of Ayr, here has laid to rest his frail body. Feb, 12, 1684. Aged 70.” Inscription on Rev. William Adair’s monument.

The Rev. William Adair came to Ayr in 1639 during much military and political unrest. He was a significant figure in the Covenanters movement and fought at Mauchline Moor and Dunbar. He was the first minister in the newly built Auld Kirk of Ayr. He was a prominent religious figure in the town and actively suppressed alleged witchcraft. See Ayr Malt Cross also.

The Auld Kirk (Old Church) of Kilbirnie is linked to the Irish Celtic Saint Brendan, "The Navigator", born in Tralee. The local St. Bren-dan's Fair has been observed in May annually. Christian worship is thought to have been offered on or near the site of the present church since the 6th century.

The present pre-Reformation church nave and tower were constructed between 1470 and 1490 at the direction of the Abbot of Kilwinning Abbey. The church bell tower has a jail cell at the base. There is also a tomb built in 1594 for Captain Thomas Crawfurd and his wife with a viewing window and effigies inside. 

Scored into the wall at the top of the Abbey Tower are grooves made from mounting the target for an ancient contest.  The Ancient Society of Kilwinning Archers is thought to be the oldest archery club in the UK, if not the world.  A reference to this exists as far back as 1483.  

An annual contest is held at Kilwinning Abbey, the first Saturday in June, when a wooden bird (the papingo) is mounted on the end of a pole.  Competitors attempt to dislodge the wings and then the bird.  There is a Silver Arrow Trophy from 1724 on display in Kilwinning Library.  Visit the Abbey Tower Heritage Centre to view papingoes, bows and targets from the 19th century.

A Tironensian Benedictine monastery, now ruined, in the town centre of Kilwinning.  The abbey was dedicated to Saint Winning and the Virgin Mary.  It is believed that St Winnin set up a church in Kilwinning in the 700s, and the abbey was established between 1162 and 1168. The monks came from Kelso Abbey.  The present clock tower replaced the original one in 1814 after it collapsed following damage from a lightning strike. 

Bernard de Linton who was Chancellor of Scotland and penned the Declaration of Arbroath, was Abbot at Kilwinning Abbey and his remains are buried in a vault on the site.

The Earls of Glencairn and Angus raided the abbey in the 16th century and George Wishart’s followers also damaged it. Further assault, connected to John Knox and the Scottish Protestant Reformation led to extensive breakages and vandalism.  The Countess of Eglinton was imprisoned and starved to death by the abbot of Kilwinning Abbey in the 16th century following a dispute with the Earl of Eglinton.  The Earl was a follower of John Knox.

By 1592, the abbey was ruined but the nave was repaired to be used as the parish church until 1775 when the new one was built.  

Built to replace an earlier chapel known as St. Mary’s. The spire was finished in 1778 at a cost of £400 and was based on the one at St Andrew’s Church in Dundee.  When built, the church was one of the largest in Ayrshire and became known as the “Big Kirk”.  It could accommodate 1800 worshippers.  Queen Margaret Tudor was thought to have visited in 1506, as there is a carving of the initials “MQ” and the date above the door.  

The steeple was designed by David Muir and is considered one of the most elegant in Scotland.  Stained glass windows by the Keir family feature in the church.  There are classical monuments in the graveyards and excellent examples of stonemasonry.

St John's Tower is all that is left of Ayr’s original parish church.  The church was dedicated to St. John the Baptist, the patron saint of Ayr.  Excavations by Ayrshire Archaeological and Natural History Society dated the church to the late 12th century but it is not mentioned in writing until 1233.  

In 1652, Oliver Cromwell’s army arrived in Ayr and set up a fort and citadel. They took over the church for their storehouse, armoury and watch tower.  In 1654, Cromwell helped to fund the building of a new church, commonly known as Ayr’s Auld Kirk.  The 5th Marquess of Bute gifted the tower to Ayr in 1949.

The remains of the building are of 15th and 16th-century origin.  One tradition says that the castle was built by the Danes.  Another claims that the Mackinnons held the castle from Alexander III as a reward for their valour at the Battle of Largs.   The Kennedys of Carrick were granted the lands in 1357.  Gilbert Kennedy famously roasted the Commendator of Crossraguel Abbey in 1570 over an open fire to force him to sign over land.  

The Celtic name Dunure or Dunoure is said to derive from the "hill" or "fort of the yew tree".  The castle was ruined by the 17th century - perhaps during the Civil War period.

A labyrinth has been constructed in a hollow on the headland overlooked by the castle in May 2008 led by local community councillor Andy Guthrie. It is looked after by volunteers from the village and pagan groups from around Scotland and is open all year.

The 7-course "Classical" or "Cretan" pattern known from Cretan coins (ca 400–200 BC) appears in several examples from antiquity, some perhaps as early as the late Stone Age or early Bronze Age.  One can think of labyrinths as symbolic of pilgrimage: people walking the path ascend toward salvation or enlightenment. 

Portencross has been inhabited since the Iron Age. The Castle was constructed from around 1360. It was the home of a branch of the Boyds.  The lands around Portencross were given to the Boyds of Kilmarnock by King Robert I as a reward for their help at the Battle of Bannockburn.  

After the 1600s, it was occupied by local fishermen. The roof was destroyed in a gale in January 1739. By the 20th century, the Adams of Auchenames owned the castle. It became a scheduled ancient monument in 1955.  It is thought that the wreck of a Spanish galleon lies off Portencross Castle.  In 1917 the Portencross store of potatoes - ‘earlies’ helped to save Glasgow from a severe food shortage.

The Dalgarven Mill Museum of Country Life and Costumes contains 2500 costume items ranging from the 18th century to the sixties.  The entire Victorian period is well represented and the collection includes items made locally.  

From further afield, a collection of Chinese imperial silk robes were donated by missionaries.  The Edwardian period and 1920s collections are also impressive.  The Museum is housed in the historic grain mill.  Beautifully restored buildings offer the visitor a chance to step into the past and gain insight into the lives of the local farmers and workers.

The bridge is first mentioned in writing in 1236.  Tradition states that this first bridge was funded by two sisters, Margaret and Isobel, one of whom had seen her soldier lover drown whilst crossing the river during a storm.  The effigies of two women were carved on a stone on the east parapet, and the faded remains of this could still be seen in the 19th century.  Numerous versions of their story exist and some say that the bridge is haunted by the sisters.

There are four segmental arches, each of differing masonry, reflecting many rebuilds over the centuries including a possible complete rebuild in 1585.

From 1972 until 2015, an illustration of the castle was featured on the reverse side of five pound notes issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland.  

Culzean Castle was constructed by order of the 10th Earl of Cassilis. He instructed the architect Robert Adam to rebuild a previous, but more basic, structure into a fine country house to be the seat of his earldom.  It incorporates a large drum tower with a circular saloon inside (which overlooks the sea), a grand oval staircase and a suite of well-appointed apartments.

Evidence exists of human activity in these caves since the Iron Age.  Many stories and myths exist about the caves.  The caves pre-date the construction of the castle by thousands of years.

The caves were used by smugglers in the 1700s - when it’s thought that contraband made its way ashore from the Isle of Man and was hidden along the coast. There also exists a ghostly tale of a piper who entered the cave and was never seen again.  

Photo credit: Andre Scott 

The Millport Mineral Well, found along the Inner Circle Walk on the Isle of Cumbrae, is a modest stone structure dating from the early 20th century. Built with a curved wall and niches for resting walkers, it was formally opened on 14 May 1929 by Lady Inverclyde — June Tripp, the celebrated actress who had just married into the Inverclyde family. At the time, mineral wells were fashionable across Britain, their waters thought to aid digestion, strengthen the blood, or simply provide a wholesome tonic for modern life. The Millport well joined this tradition, becoming a local curiosity and a mark of the island’s appeal as a place of health and leisure.

Though no longer in use, the well lingers in memory as more than stonework on a quiet lane. Older islanders sometimes recall being told that its waters carried “a taste of the sea” or that they could bring “good fortune on the road ahead” if sipped before a journey — fragments of belief that echo wider traditions of sacred springs and healing wells across Scotland. Whether or not the mineral water held any special virtue, the well still carries a certain charm. Today, walkers pause here not to drink but to imagine, linking their footsteps to generations who once treated a simple spring as a source of both health and hope.

On the west coast of Arran, overlooking the sea towards Kintyre, lie the ruins of the Dunan Mòr chambered cairns. Built around 4000–3000 BC, these Neolithic monuments once held stone-built burial chambers covered by great cairns of rock. Though partly collapsed, their outlines remain clear, and standing among the stones it’s possible to imagine the scale and skill of the communities who raised them. Together with the nearby Machrie Moor stone circles, they form part of one of Scotland’s most remarkable prehistoric landscapes.

The name Dunan Mòr, meaning “big little hill,” hints at the sense of mystery these cairns carried long after their original use faded. Local folklore often tied ancient cairns to giants, spirits, or fairy folk, adding layers of story to their silent stones. Today, the cairns stand as powerful reminders of Arran’s deep past — places where ritual, memory, and myth meet, connecting the living landscape with the ancestors who first shaped it.