A Walk Round Kilwinning

Jim Kennedy has also advised us of a video on You Tube called A Walk Round Kilwinning. This can be found here and is most interesting.

Ayrshire and The Red Cross - 1918

Ayrshire and the Red Cross, 1918
 
This latest item in the digitised collections at the Burns Monument Centre is a very special book, edited by J. Arthur Findlay, and printed in Glasgow by F. F. & Arthur Wilson in 1918.
Ayrshire and the Red Cross: a record of a great work done by the people of Ayrshire for a noble cause,  lists the numerous Red Cross Divisions of Ayrshire, providing lots of detail and statistics of the work done by the various work parties in the towns and villages of the county. The book is highly illustrated, with photographs of every Division and their various work parties – made up almost entirely of women. The photographs also show the temporary hospitals and depots, for example the Dick Institute Hospital, Montgreenan Hospital, and Troon Hospital.
The book has been digitised and reproduced with the kind permission of the British Red Cross Museum and Archives.

Ayrshire and The Red Cross - 1918

Portencross Castle

Our talk on Tuesday 22 January is on the topic of Portencross Castle and it will be given by Alistair Glen, Chairman of  "Friends of Portencross Castle".
Friends of Portencross Castle (FOPC) is a charitable company formed with the goal of protecting the future of Portencross Castle in the best interests of the public. The local residents who founded the company set out to give the castle new life by repairing it so as to protect it from the elements. Having done so, their hope is that future generations can continue to enjoy both the castle and its beautiful and serene surroundings.

Come along and join us in Kilmarnock College at 7.30pm on the 22nd.

http://www.portencrosscastle.org.uk/

Battle of Largs

BBC2 Scotland devotes a special programme to the Battle of Largs in an hour long documentary to be broadcast on Friday 14 December from 9pm. 

The Battle of Largs in 1263 was the last time a Norse army fought on British soil. The battle might have ended in bloody stalemate but it marked the beginning of the end of Norse power in Scotland.

This documentary 'The Last Battle of the Vikings' presented by underwater archaeologist Dr Jon Henderson, who grew up near the battle ground in Largs, examines how a few Viking war bands from the Norwegian fjords managed to establish the longest lasting Norse power base in the British isles - and how that Viking influence reverberated through the centuries.

Bloggers welcome

Any members or visitors to the site are invited to contribute via our Blog.
We welcome any news or discussion on historical topics, not only local issues !

www.kilmarnockhistory.co.uk

South Ayrshire History Fair

Anyone with an interest in the history of Ayrshire should note the following event in their diary.  It promises to be a great programme, covering a wide range of topics.


South Ayrshire History Fair



4th June 2011, Walker Halls, Troon
Speakers:-


Dr John Burnett, Curator of Scottish Ethnology, National Museums of Scotland,
"Glasgow Fair 1840 - 1914: Doon the watter to Ayrshire"


Tom Barclay, Local Studies Librarian, Souith Ayrshire Council,
"Glimpses of Dark Age Ayrshire 400 AD - 1100 AD: An overview of the evidence."


Dr Matthew Hammond, Lecturer in Scottish History, University of Edinburgh,
"South Ayrshire and the Paradox of Medieval Scotland database: Earldom, Abbey and Burgh in the Central Middle Ages."


George Geddes, Archaeological Investigator, RCAHMS, and co-author of "The Archaeological Landscape of Bute (RCAHMS, 2010),
"An Introduction to Ancient Bute."




Prices for the talks are £10 for the day.
Single talk tickets are also available priced £3 for one, or £5.00 for two.


There will also be a large range of stalls available from 9.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. These will include: Family History Societies, Local and National History Organisations and professional and commercial businesses.


There will also be a specialist Scottish bookshop present.
Admission to the stalls is free.


For more information contact:


South Ayrshire Local History Library 01292 272231


www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/historyfair


localhistory@south-ayrshire.gov.uk