Irvine Burns Club - our Royal Burgh of Irvine Ayrshire Scotland

Irvine, Scotland, created a Royal Burgh in 1372 by Robert II, was a major West of Scotland seaport before the dredging of the Clyde. In the 18th c., it was the largest burgh in Ayrshire (1775: pop. 3000).
Today, Irvine hosts part of the Scottish Maritime Museum, the HQ of North Ayrshire Council, and Ardagh (Rockware Glass). The town enjoys a vibrant community spirit (with active Burns Club, two Rotary Clubs and Trades Guilds incorporated in 1646), and a week-long Marymass Festival in August. Robert Burns worked here in 1781-1782. Irvine's burgh status ended in 1975 with local government reorganisation. The population of Irvine is about 22,000.
Apart from Irvine Scotland, there are other towns named Irvine.
This site also contains the story of the volunteer-led years of the Harbour Arts Centre (1965-2007), details of the town walking tour, and the 86-year history of the now-demolished St Michael's Academy (in Irvine and Kilwinning, 1921-2007).

map of Scotland

photos: Irvine harbour - the Maritime Museum pontoons with the dome of The Big Idea Inventor Centre (now closed) in the background - and, if you mouse over, a harbour sunset (photos I J Dickson)

A scene on a riverside path (near Holmsford Bridge)

The new bridge by night
photos: The new bridge ('Foulertoun Arches') during construction in Jan. 2010, the noon (-4C) after the coldest night (7-8/01/2010) and (if you mouse over) bank to bank ice on the River Irvine on the same day (photos I J Dickson)

Site management by Vindogara Software.

Vindogara was a town in this area in Roman times, recorded by the geographer Ptolemy (2nd c. AD)

Our map of Irvine

Click here for a handy-to-print PDF version

You may print copies - on the sole condition that the copyright notice at its foot is not removed.

The Blaeu Atlas, 1654, at http://www.nls.uk/digitallibrary/map/early/blaeu/938.html, comments "At the northern boundary, the Irvine, which too has a bridge of four arches, divides it from Cunningham. At the mouth of the River Irvine is positioned the burgh of Irvine with a harbour so enclosed by sandbanks and with so little depth that it can take only smaller ships."