East Ayrshire facts for kids

Quick facts for kids East Ayrshire Aest Ayrshire Siorrachd Àir an Ear
Coat of arms Council logo
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	Scotland
Lieutenancy area	Ayrshire and Arran
Admin HQ	London Road, Kilmarnock
Government
• Body	East Ayrshire Council
Area
• Total	487 sq mi (1,262 km2)
Area rank	Ranked 14th
Population  (2020)
• Total	121,840
• Rank	Ranked 16th
• Density	250.05/sq mi (96.55/km2)
ONS code	S12000008
ISO 3166 code	GB-EAY
Website	East Ayrshire Council

East Ayrshire (which is Aest Ayrshire in Scots and Siorrachd Àir an Ear in Scottish Gaelic) is one of Scotland's 32 local government areas. It's located in the west of Scotland. This area shares its borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, and South Lanarkshire. The main office for the council is in Kilmarnock.

East Ayrshire, along with South Ayrshire and parts of North Ayrshire, used to be part of the historic Ayrshire county. In 2011, about 122,100 people lived here. This makes it the 16th most populated local authority in Scotland. The area covers about 1,262 square kilometers (487 square miles). Most people live in and around Kilmarnock, the largest town. Other important towns and villages include Cumnock, Stewarton, Darvel, and Hurlford.

The largest school in Scotland, the Robert Burns Academy, is found in East Ayrshire, in the town of Cumnock.

Exploring East Ayrshire's Past

East Ayrshire has a long history with many old settlements. You can find out more about the area's past at places like the Burns Monument Centre and the Dick Institute. These places have old local newspapers from 1834 onwards. They also have collections of maps, photographs, and postcards. You can use special readers there to look at old microfiche and microfilm records.

East Ayrshire's Economy and Jobs

Agriculture contributes a large part to East Ayrshire's economy

How the Economy Changed Over Time

In the past, East Ayrshire's economy relied heavily on industries like coal mining, making textiles, and general manufacturing. However, many of these industries started to decline in Scotland during the 1970s and 1980s. Some parts of East Ayrshire, especially in the south, like Auchinleck, Bellsbank, and Dalmellington, have found it hard to recover. Different projects are helping these areas to rebuild their economies.

Kilmarnock has also seen a decrease in manufacturing in recent years. For example, in 2009, Diageo, which owns the whisky brand Johnnie Walker, announced they would close their bottling plant in Kilmarnock. This plant, where Johnnie Walker was first made, closed in 2012, leading to 700 job losses. Despite this, Kilmarnock was named Scotland's Most Improved Town in 2015. This was because of efforts to improve and restore the town.

Modern Economy and Work Opportunities

In the countryside areas of East Ayrshire, agriculture (farming) is still a very important source of jobs and income. This is especially true in the southern parts of the region. The public sector, which includes the council and NHS Ayrshire and Arran, is the biggest employer here.

Kilmarnock is home to the Halo Urban Generation company. This company helps new businesses start up in the area. It is expected to add £205 million to Scotland's economy and create 1,500 jobs in East Ayrshire.

Fun Places to Visit and Tourism

Dumfries House located in Cumnock has developed itself as a major local tourist attraction

Tourism and local food and drink also bring a lot of money to East Ayrshire. Places like Dean Castle, the Palace Theatre, and Dumfries House attract many visitors. These attractions help the local economy.

Here are some interesting places to visit in East Ayrshire:

• Aiket Castle
• Auchinleck House
• Dalmore House and Estate
• Dean Castle
• Dumfries House
• Kilmaurs Place
• Loch Doon
• Loudoun Castle
• Robertland House
• Rowallan Castle
• Scottish Industrial Railway Centre
• Sorn Castle
• Stair House

Understanding the Economy: Gross Domestic Product

Loch Doon in East Ayrshire, near to Carrick

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a way to measure the total value of goods and services produced in an area. In 2022, the GDP for East Ayrshire (which includes mainland North Ayrshire for this calculation) was about £5.075 billion. This makes it the 12th largest area in Scotland by GDP.

In 2023, the average weekly pay for full-time workers in East Ayrshire was £708.80. This was slightly higher than the average for all of Scotland, which was £702.40.

Jobs and Work Trends

From January to December 2023, about 56,300 people in East Ayrshire were working or looking for work. About 55,600 of these people had jobs. Around 49,400 worked for businesses or organizations, and 5,700 were self-employed. During this time, the unemployment rate in East Ayrshire was 3.2%, meaning about 1,900 people were looking for work.

The most common type of job in East Ayrshire in 2023 was in professional occupations. About 10,600 people (19.2%) worked in this area. Other big job sectors included skilled trades (14.0%), caring and leisure services (13.3%), and jobs requiring basic skills (9.0%).

Important Services: Education

The new Ayrshire College campus opened in Kilmarnock in October 2016

East Ayrshire has a good education system. There are nine secondary schools, forty-three primary schools, and four schools for children with special needs. The area also has thirty-three early learning centers and three children's houses.

Kilmarnock Academy is very special. It is one of only two schools in the world that has educated two Nobel Prize winners: Alexander Fleming and John Boyd Orr. They both went to Kilmarnock Academy when it was on North Hamilton Street. The school has since moved to Sutherland Drive.

Grange Academy in Kilmarnock is one of only seven Scottish Football Association (SFA) Performance Schools. These schools help young football players develop their skills.

The Robert Burns Academy in Cumnock is the largest school campus in Scotland. It combines a secondary school, a primary school (Lochnorris Primary School), and a nursery (Cherry Trees Early Childhood Centre).

Here are the secondary schools in East Ayrshire:

Kilmarnock also has a campus of Ayrshire College. This college offers many courses for adults and school students. It opened in October 2016 in a new building that cost £53 million. This new campus is on the site where the Johnnie Walker bottling plant used to be.

East Ayrshire's Geography and Towns

Further information: Firth of Clyde

Where is East Ayrshire Located?

East Ayrshire is on the west coast of Scotland. It shares borders with North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, and South Lanarkshire. The highest point in East Ayrshire is Blackcraig Hill, which is 700 meters (2,298 feet) high.

The local council often highlights that East Ayrshire is close to Glasgow, Scotland's largest city. They also say the area offers a great mix of beautiful countryside and town living.

Main Towns and Villages

Kilmarnock is the largest settlement in East Ayrshire with a population of over 46,000 and is home to the HQ for East Ayrshire Council

Cumnock is the second largest settlement in East Ayrshire

Kilmarnock is the biggest town in East Ayrshire. It is the main center for business and industry in the region. The town grew a lot in the 1870s. By the 1960s, new areas like New Farm Loch were built for the growing population. In mid-2020, Kilmarnock had about 46,970 people. This makes it the 14th most populated town in Scotland and the largest town in Ayrshire.

Cumnock is the second largest town in East Ayrshire. It is located where the Glaisnock Water and Lugar Water rivers meet. Nearby housing areas like Craigens, Logan, and Netherthird, along with the former ironworks town of Lugar, add to a local population of around 13,000. Cumnock is home to the Robert Burns Academy, which is Scotland's largest educational campus.

Here are the largest settlements in East Ayrshire by population:

Other Towns and Villages in East Ayrshire

See also

In Spanish: East Ayrshire para niños