The History of the Muirkirk area
Muirkirk is home to many Covenanter's stories and an information display at the Covenanter's Heritage layby beside the A70 at Muirkirk is a good starting point to exploring the history of the area. Many of the paths follow ancient roads and rights-of-way and when you click on a path you will find some details of its history.
The Covenanters:
One such story relates the death of William Adam of Muirkirk who was a worker at Upper Wellwood farm. One day in 1685 he was waiting on his fiancée and passing the time by reading his bible. Soldiers spotted William with the book and General Dalyell ordered him shot on the spot. He is buried near Upper Wellwood farm where he fell and commemorated in Muirkirk cemetery. You can see other gravestones and memorials to martyrs in the graveyard including a 23 foot high obelisk.
John Brown's Walk takes you beyond Priesthill farm to the spot where John Brown, a Covenanter, was shot by Graham of Claverhouse in 1685. This memorial and gravestone are near where his farmhouse would have stood. Priesthill (or Priestsheil) was a meeting place for Covenanters and Brown would preach and run bible classes. On May 1 1685 he was out cutting peat when he was surrounding by soldiers of Claverhouse and brought back to his house. He refused to swear the Oath of Allegiance and was shot in front of his wife and children.
The book Scottish Covenanter Stories by Dane Love provides a chilling picture of the Killing Times.
Industrial Heritage:
John Loudon Macadam
who was born in Ayr in 1756, setup a tar works at Muirkirk. Macadam was
made famous by his method of road laying. In fact the Furnace Road which
leads to the car park is said to have been used by Macadam to experiment
with road materials. He is commemorated by a Cairn on the Twa Brigs
Walk which reads: "IN MEMORY OF JOHN LOUDON MACADAM THE FAMOUS ROADMAKER
1756 - 1836 THIS CAIRN MARKS THE SITE OF HIS TAR KILNS 1786 - 1827 AND
IS BUILT WITH STONES FROM THEM IN 1931"
Ayrshire's first Iron Works was established in Muirkirk in 1787 and was
still in existence in the 20th century. Railways were built to move the
ore from the pits to the furnaces. A canal was dug in 1790 to move cheap
coal and limestone on barges. Remains of the canal and railway lines can
be seen on the Old Railway Walk. In 1859 the Muirkirk Gaslight
Company was established and Muirkirk was the first town in Britain with
gas lighting.
A review of the parish around 1900 described the industry at Muirkirk:
"The works of the Eglinton Iron Company have several blast furnaces
and rolling mills; coal mining and lime-burning are actively carried on.
New works for collecting ammonia as a by-product at the furnaces were
erected at a large outlay in 1883. In 1894 a drainage scheme estimated
to cost £1,100 was begun. Muirkirk has a post office, a branch of the
Clydesdale Bank, 2 hotels, a gas company and fairs on the Tuesday after
18th February for hiring shepherds and the Thursday nearest 21st December,
when shepherds meet to restore sheep which have strayed from their owners.
Muirkirk black faced sheep have carried off the first prize at several
of the Highland Society's shows and at the Paris exhibition of 1867."
For some historical
images of old Muirkirk click
here.