The Irvine Valley Regeneration Partnership
 

 
The Present

The Population of the Irvine Valley is 19,000.

The main employment sources are:

  • Lace - the Valley lace industry is the world's last remaining cluster of producers of high quality cotton "Nottingham" lace

  • Textiles - knitwear

  • Textiles - furnishing fabrics

  • Refractory ceramics

  • Manufacturing

  • Education

  • Health and care services

 Lace Mill
Golf Course
Leisure

The Partnership has identified its long term vision for the Irvine Valley.

Diversifying the local economy through:

  • Walking

  • cycling

  • Fishing

  • Bowling

  • Junior League football

  • The only "gawf" club in the world

  • Golf driving range

 

  • Fitness Club

  • All weather games surface

  • Loudon Castle Theme Park

 

 Loudon Castle Theme Park
Newmilns Dry Ski Slope

 

  • Dry Ski Slope 

  • Indoor Games Hall

  • Angling Clubs

  • Riding Schools

  • 4 X 4 Motocross

Swimming, ice rink, indoor bowls and Scottish Premier League Football available nearby in Kilmarnock.
Places to Visit

Loudoun Castle (within Loudoun Castle Theme Park)

Cessnock Castle, Galston (private residence)

Barr Castle, Galston (museum)

Sornhill Old Farmhouse, Sorn Road, Galston

Castle Daffin, Carleith, between Galston and Sorn

Newmilns Keep, Newmilns

Newmilns Town House, Newmilns

Darvel Telephone Museum, 1b Burn Road, Darvel

Lochfield Farm, nr Darvel, birthplace of Sir Alexander Fleming

Loudoun Hill, site of many battles where Scots fought and died for their freedom

Galston Parish Church and Loudoun Parish Church, burial places of Covenanters

Loudoun Kirk and Kirkyard, burial place of the Campbells of Loudoun

 
Geology 
  • Roman and Viking remains, Loudoun Hill

  • Burn Anne agate

  • Neolithic settlement, Tulloch, near Darvel

  • Neolithic stone circle, Newmilns

 
Genealogy :Trace your Ancestor in the Irvine Valley 
Natural History and Wildlife

When out walking near moorland, listen and watch out for red grouse, curlew, snipe, lapwings and skylarks.   Raptors such as kestrels, sparrowhawks and buzzards are plentiful and peregrine falcons have been successfully breeding.  By riverside and wetland areas, mallard duck, gulls, heron, dippers and oyster catchers are easily seen and the great Spotted Woodpecker has been observed recently.                                  

 

Barn Owls

There are also occasional sightings of otters in the River Irvine.  Pheasants, barn owl, deer, weasels and squirrels are common by pasture and woodland.  There are also badgers.

The beautiful woodland areas are bounded by sycamore, Spanish chestnut, copper beeches, weeping ash and elm, dogwood, redwood, birch, alder and cherry.

Unusual flora and fauna are the broad leaved helleborine, the cuckoo pint, maidenhair and eucalyptus trees.   Says Physa, a freshwater snail, and the Knopper Gall, an unusual insect, have been discovered in the Valley.
 
 

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