Photo credit | Johnnie Alexander
About the mural
‘Hand Darner sitting on a Stool’ was over a year in the planning stage between funding, submitting the application to the planning service and finalising details to installation.
The Lace Darner mural is located on the gable wall of The Loudoun Arms on Castle Street, Newmilns.
The mural celebrates the town's lace heritage and was completed in August 2025.
The mural is a portrait of a current Morton Young and Borland (MYB) darner.
Renowned textile artisans MYB have been exclusively weaving Scottish lace and madras sheers since 1900.
They still hand finish, and fix lace by hand at the factory, and also sit on the traditional stools.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund contributed funding for the mural.
The mural is part of the Love Newmilns walking trail. For more information download the Love Newmilns Heritage app.
Thank you to Johnnie Alexander of the Newmilns Heritage Group for the above photo.
About Newmilns Regeneration Association
Constituted in 2014, Newmilns Regeneration Association (NRA) is an East Ayrshire based charity benefiting the residents, businesses, and groups of Newmilns and Greenholm, working with other groups in the town to carry forward the second Newmilns and Greenholm Community Action Plan.
NRA charitable purposes also relate to supporting local businesses where possible and the advancement of arts and culture, so there was only ever one clear choice.
You can find out more about NRA on the Love Newmilns website.
About the artists
NRA feel privileged that Frank and Mandy Carty, the artists who created these murals are local to Newmilns and have been keen for some time to create murals to be featured in their hometown.
Frank and Mandy are well known and respected in Newmilns as they also do work with the local school, as such, they are artists the community would get behind.
The commissioning process
The Newmilns Regeneration Association were keen to employ a local mural artist to carry out the work, as the overall heritage project is a celebration of the town’s history and its people.
Local artists Frank and Mandy Carty of Artisan Artworks were appointed as the artists to carry out two murals on two prominent sites within Newmilns; the gable end near Lady Flora’s Institute, and the gable wall of The Loudoun Arms on Castle Street, Newmilns.
Frank and Mandy Carty were selected by the NRA, and the heritage group due to their passion for their hometown, presenting the most economical quote, and professional standard of work. Above all, selecting Frank and Mandy is in line with the NRA’s purposes to advance art and culture within Newmilns and Greenholm.
The murals feature as part of a heritage walk to encourage visitors from out with the Irvine Valley to explore and engage with the Valley’s unique heritage.
Community feedback
NRA sought advice from other organisations within a 30-mile radius of Newmilns who have implemented murals within their towns. The feedback received conveyed that they have become a talking point, and key social media moments sparked pride and intrigue.
Very few organisations have seen issues with graffiti or littering around mural sites. They are the most graphic and visible way to celebrate what a town is famed for, and what is important to local residents.
Visit the links below for information on the other organisations involved with the mural:
Artisan Artworks is Scotland's leading art studio for hand painted murals, traditional shop fronted signage and show-stopping promotional artwork.
You can also visit NRA’s Facebook page to keep up to date with their latest developments.
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