| Main | Births etc |
|---|
| Girvan | |
| Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Gharbhain | |
| File:File:The Stumpy Tower, Girvan, South Ayrshire.jpg The Stumpy Tower, Girvan, South Ayrshire. |
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| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| - Edinburgh | 81 mi (130 km) |
| - London | 323 mi (520 km) |
| Council area | South Ayrshire |
| Lieutenancy area | Ayrshire and Arran |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | GIRVAN |
| Postcode district | KA26 |
| Dialling code | 01465 |
| Police | Strathclyde |
| Fire | Strathclyde |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock |
| Scottish Parliament | Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley |
| List of places: UK • Scotland • | |
Girvan (Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Gharbhain, "mouth of the River Girvan")[1] is a burgh in Carrick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Girvan is situated on the east coast of the Firth of Clyde, with a population of about 6,700. It lies 21 miles (34 km) south of Ayr, and 29 miles (47 km) north of Stranraer, the main ferry port from Scotland to Northern Ireland. Girvan is an harbour town.[2]
History[]
Girvan was originally a fishing port. In 1668, it became a municipal burgh incorporated by charter.[3]
The opening of the railways, initially with the Maybole and Girvan Railway at the end of the 1850s, encouraged the development of Girvan as a seaside resort[3] with beaches and cliffs. Holidaying here from 1855 to 1941 were Robert and Elizabeth Gray and their children; particularly Alice and Edith Gray. The family, led principally by Elizabeth and Alice, created scientifically organised collections of fossils for several museums including the Natural History Museum.[4]
The town is now served by Girvan railway station. Just north of the town is a William Grant & Sons distillery which opened in 1964. There is a Nestlé factory that manufactures chocolate that is shipped down to York and used in Kit Kat and Yorkie bars.[3]
Places of interest[]
Knockcushan Gardens contains the old 'Hill of Justice' stone and a plaque records that King Robert the Bruce, Earl of Carrick held a court here in 1328.
The McKechnie Institute was endowed by local businessmen Robert and Thomas McKechnie, was opened in 1889.[5]
Culzean Castle is about 8 miles (13 km) north of the town, and the volcanic island of Ailsa Craig is visible about 10 miles (16 km) offshore. Turnberry golf course and hotel are located 5 miles (8 km) north of Girvan. The coastline south of Girvan is famous for its geology, and also for the Sawney Bean Caves at Bennane Head or Balcreuchan Port, where the murderer and cannibal Sawney Bean supposedly lived until his arrest and execution in Edinburgh.
Local festivals[]
Girvan, Scotland, 1890s
The RNLI Lifeboat and fishing fleet
The HM Coastguard station.
Girvan RNLI harbour gala takes place each summer, usually in July, with music, stalls, fun fair, rescue displays and emergency services. Girvan Lifeboat station recently received their new Shannon Class all-weather lifeboat, powered by water jets making it the most manoeuvrable and capable all-weather boat in the fleet. 13-23 Elizabeth and Gertrude Allan is the 2nd Shannon Class lifeboat in Scotland and the 1st on the west coast.
The Girvan Folk Music Festival takes place on the first weekend of May each year. Girvan also has a folk music club.
The Lowland Gathering takes place on the first Sunday of June each year in the Victory Park in the centre of the town.
The annual Festival of Light takes place in October with a six-week lantern project resulting in the river of light lantern procession and shorefront performance. The autumn lantern project is a celebration of the lanternmakers and the people of Carrick.[6]
Education and community[]
Girvan harbour
Girvan has its own secondary school, Girvan Academy, which the majority of local children attend. Roman Catholic families have the option of Queen Margaret Academy in Ayr. There are also two primary schools, Girvan Primary School (non-denominational) and Sacred Heart Primary School (denominational) and there is one non-denominational specialist school, Invergarven School.[7]
The town's swimming pool was closed in 2009 by South Ayrshire Council, on the grounds that it had reached the end of its operational life. The building has since been demolished. A new leisure centre, named 'The Quay Zone' was officially opened on 26 April 2017. 'The Quay Zone' was built in a way to help redevelop Girvan. It is sited on the old swimming pool's location at the harbour.[8][9]
Churches[]
Girvan has a Roman Catholic church, "Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary", built around 1863. The Church is in Harbour Lane, situated between Louisa Drive and Henrietta Street, close to the junction with Ailsa Street West. The entity known as "The Charles" also has its own place of worship within the town.
Girvan has two Church of Scotland congregations: Girvan North Parish Church in Montgomerie Street (with a spire over Template:Convert/LoffAnoneDorSoff tall) and Girvan South Parish Church.
Milestone Christian Fellowship, a local congregation which began meeting in Girvan's Community Centre in 2005, moved into a redeveloped nightclub on Bridge Street in 2016.[10] Milestone is a member of the Baptist Union of Scotland.
The town's Episcopalian congregation of St John was closed in 2014: they had been using the town's Methodist church building for services after their building became unusable in 2009.[11]
Twin town[]
Torcy, Seine-et-Marne, France - in honour of a Scottish knight named Sir Thomas Huston originally from Girvan, who fought the English as part of the Auld Alliance during the Hundred Years War. Rewarding him for his bravery during the capture of Meaux in 1439, the King of France granted him the fiefdom of Torcy.
Notable people[]
- Greig Young, footballer
- Peter McCloy, footballer
Climate[]
Girvan has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb).
| Climate data for Girvan (9 m asl, averages 1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 7.6 (45.7) |
7.8 (46.0) |
9.4 (48.9) |
11.8 (53.2) |
15.1 (59.2) |
17.2 (63.0) |
18.8 (65.8) |
18.5 (65.3) |
16.5 (61.7) |
13.3 (55.9) |
10.2 (50.4) |
8.1 (46.6) |
12.86 (55.14) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 2.8 (37.0) |
2.8 (37.0) |
3.9 (39.0) |
5.2 (41.4) |
7.6 (45.7) |
10.3 (50.5) |
12.3 (54.1) |
12.1 (53.8) |
10.3 (50.5) |
7.9 (46.2) |
5.3 (41.5) |
3.0 (37.4) |
6.96 (44.52) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 111.3 (4.382) |
78.9 (3.106) |
90.2 (3.551) |
61.8 (2.433) |
56.9 (2.24) |
53.8 (2.118) |
75.5 (2.972) |
86.3 (3.398) |
91.5 (3.602) |
125.7 (4.949) |
116.0 (4.567) |
115.2 (4.535) |
1,063.1 (41.854) |
| Avg. rainy days (≥ 1 mm) | 16.6 | 12.8 | 14.7 | 11.2 | 10.8 | 10.7 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 13.0 | 17.3 | 16.5 | 15.6 | 164.6 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 41.1 | 66.7 | 96.8 | 151.8 | 201.1 | 172.6 | 161.3 | 154.0 | 114.9 | 82.9 | 52.5 | 38.2 | 1,333.9 |
| Source: Met Office[12] | |||||||||||||
See also[]
- Lendalfoot - a nearby village.
- Girvan Community Hospital
References[]
- ^ "Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba - Gaelic Place-Names of Scotland - Database". http://www.gaelicplacenames.org/databasedetails.php?id=820.
- ^ "Girvan-Online.net". http://www.girvan-online.net/.
- ^ a b c "Girvan; South Ayrshire". http://www.scottish-places.info/towns/townfirst484.html.
- ^ Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Vol. 17 (reprint ed.). London: British Museum. 2013. pp. 170–252. ISBN 978-0-565-09011-1. http://www.forgottenbooks.com/books/Bulletin_of_the_British_Museum_Natural_History_v17_1000501710.
- ^ "McKechnie Institute". South Ayrshire Council. http://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/galleries/mckechnie/.
- ^ "Local legends fire up for Girvan's Festival of light". S1Girvan.com. 5 November 2010. http://www.s1girvan.com/news/local-legends-fire-up-for-girvans-festival-of-light.html.
- ^ "Our School". Invergarven School. https://invergarven.sayr.sch.uk/our-school/.
- ^ "Girvan pool: Your questions are answered". http://www.kirkintilloch-herald.co.uk/news/local-headlines/girvan-pool-your-questions-are-answered-1-3831073.
- ^ "The Quay Zone Girvan. The website gives detailed information about the building and what you can do!" (in en). http://thequayzone.co.uk/.
- ^ "Praise for new church as it takes over old Girvan nightspot" Daily Record. 28 February 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- ^ "St John’s final service in Girvan tomorrow". Carrick Gazette. 17 May 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
- ^ "Girvan UK climate averages". Met Office. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcud384hu.
External links[]
- About Girvan
- Girvan Online
- South Ayrshire Council
- Girvan Folk Club
- National Library of Scotland: SCOTTISH SCREEN ARCHIVE (archive films relating to Girvan)
- Video footage of Girvan Old railway station
- Railscot on the Maybole and Girvan Railway
- Video footage of the old Girvan Harbour Branch
- Video footage of the old Girvans Goods Station
- Video footage of Carleton Castle, Lendalfoot
- Video of the Mermaids of Carrick on old gravestones
- The Knockcushan Justice Hill
- Balcreuchan Port and Sawney Bean's cave.
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| This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Girvan. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License. |