Discover Kilmaurs

Kilmaurs brings together different traces of its history: a medieval church, the Tolbooth with its tower and an 1866 clock, a war memorial, The Jougs and a horn cutlery industry. The Kilmaurs Town Trail also provides a route to explore. Together, these bring architectural history, former local functions and an outdoor route into focus.

Architecture with clear markers in time

The Tolbooth in Kilmaurs has a four-stage tower with a spire and an 1866 clock. The tower stages and spire describe its form; the clock adds a feature with a precise date. The Tolbooth can therefore be understood through both its architecture and its connection to a specific point in time.

St Maur's Glencairn Parish Church was already in the possession of Kelso Abbey in 1170. In 1413, Sir William Cunninghame endowed the church as a collegiate church. These two dates mark different stages in its history: possession by the abbey and its later endowment as a collegiate church. Kilmaurs Place was built in the 17th century to replace Kilmaurs Castle. In the wider area around Kilmaurs, the original castle of Rowallan dates from the 13th century. These buildings offer different points of reference in time, from medieval church history to the later Kilmaurs Place.

War memorial, meeting place and craft

The Kilmaurs War Memorial is a sandstone obelisk on four octagonal steps. A bronze soldier by Glasgow sculptor Kellock Brown stands at the front. Its material, form and figure give the monument specific features that distinguish it from the Tolbooth's tower architecture. It stands on a rise in Morton Park.

The Jougs also tells of local gatherings: the place served as a meeting point for local dignitaries and the magistrate. An iron neck ring and chain are still attached to the outside wall near the tower steps. As well as its former role as a meeting place, this surviving detail offers another point of connection with local history. Kilmaurs was also known for its horn cutlery industry in the 18th and 19th centuries. This craft adds another facet of the place to its historic buildings and meeting places. The museum of Lodge St Maurs in Kilmaurs is another cultural point of interest.

The Kilmaurs Town Trail

After crossing a field, the Kilmaurs Town Trail reaches Penny Bridge. The route leads to a bridge over the Carmel Water and into Morton Park. Alongside buildings and local traditions, it therefore offers specific outdoor waypoints. If you are looking for holiday accommodation, you can decide whether to give greater weight to cultural history or an outdoor route when planning your stay in Kilmaurs.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Ballantrae, West Kilbride, New Cumnock, Ardrossan, Dunure, Kilwinning, Cumnock, Dunlop.

For the main travel overview: Ayrshire.