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The Gaelic name - Dun luib - meaning 'fortified hill by
bend of the stream' describes Dunlop's location in the north of the
authority well.
The area has long associations with farming particularly dairy-farming.
Dunlop cheese introduced in the late 17 th century by Barbara Gilmour is a whole milk cheese, still being produced. Dunlop cheese and butter were
sold throughout the area. Dunlop Cheese is now used to describe cheese made in the same style from many other districts. Some of the whey from the cheese was fed to pigs – producing a high quality “Ayrshire bacon” – a name recognised world-wide. Dunlop was also the place where the famous cattle breed was first produced (initially as Dunlop, then Cunninghame, and later Ayrshire cattle). The success of the breed was such that it was adopted throughout the world. In the 19th Century bacon production was extensive as pig farming was
a popular way of disposing of the milk by-products. However the creation
of Milk Marketing Boards reduced this need.
There has been a church in Dunlop since the 12th century. The present
church was built in 1835 and incorporates part of two previous churches.
One part (the north aisle) dates to 1641 and includes the burial vault
of the Dunlop family of Dunlop. Rebuilt in 1766 - it proved to be too
small by the 1830s. In 1845 the rebuilt Church was able to hold a congregation
of approx. 750. The first Protestant minister of Dunlop, Hans Hamilton,
was created Viscount Clandeboye by James VI.
The surname Dunlop is known throughout the world helped by a descendant's
invention of the Dunlop Tyre.
In the 18 th century the village of Dunlop mainly consisted of cottages on the street between the Church and the Manse. This area was known as Kirktoun between 1752-1782. The bottom of the hill was known as Townfoot. Dunlop is nowadays something of a commuter town with a population of
879 and nowadays it has added to its industries sawmilling, concrete fabrication
and the production of animal feeding stuffs.
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