Girvan
Encyclopedia
Girvan is a burgh
in Carrick
, South Ayrshire
, Scotland
, with a population of about 8000 people. Originally a fishing port, it is now also a seaside resort
with beach
es and cliff
s. Girvan dates back to 1668 when is became a municipal burgh incorporated by by charter. It lies 20 miles south of Ayr
, and 30 miles north of Stranraer
, one of the principal ferry
ports from Scotland to Northern Ireland
.
lies a few miles north of the town. Turnberry
golf course and hotel is located 5 miles north of Girvan. The coastline south of Girvan is famous for its geology, and also for Sawney Bean's Cave. The legendary murderer and cannibal Sawney Bean was a supposed resident of a nearby seaside cave until his eventual discovery and execution in Edinburgh
.
Girvan has two Church of Scotland
congregations - Girvan North Parish Church in Montgomerie Street (with a spire over 100 feet tall) and Girvan South Parish Church.
The town has several fish and chip shops and pubs. The Royal Hotel serves real ale. Just north of the town is a Grant's
distillery, also there is a Nestle factory that manufactures chocolate that is shipped down to York and used in Kit-Kat and Yorkie
bars.
The Girvan Folk Music Festival takes place on the first weekend of May each year. Girvan also has a folk music club which meets every Friday night in the Queen's Hotel, Montgomerie Street. Once a month they have a guest artist night.
The Lowland Gathering takes place in June each year and is held in the Victory Park in the centre of the town.
The annual Festival of Light takes place on the first Saturday in November. Its roots lie in the traditional bonfire night celebrations and the Celtic fire festival it replaced.
Girvan has its own secondary school, Girvan Academy
. The town's harbour can be seen from the webcam which is part of the Girvan Online community website.
The town had a swimming pool, but on 14 January 2009 South Ayrshire Council voted to close it, ostensibly on the grounds that the pool had reached the end of its operational life.
. According to legend, the Hairy Tree was planted by Sawney Bean's eldest daughter in the town's Dalrymple Street. However, when her family was arrested, the daughter was implicated in their incestuous and cannibalistic activities and was hanged by locals from the bough of the tree she herself planted. According to local legend, one can hear the sound of a swinging corpse while standing beneath its boughs. The Hairy Tree's whereabouts are currently unknown, but two high profile campaigns have been launched to relocate it. The Girvan Online website is running a campaign which was started by local investigative journalist and horoscope writer Andrew Penguin.
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
in Carrick
Carrick, Scotland
Carrick is a former comital district of Scotland which today forms part of South Ayrshire.-History:The word Carrick comes from the Gaelic word Carraig, meaning rock or rocky place. Maybole was the historic capital of Carrick. The county was eventually combined into Ayrshire which was divided...
, South Ayrshire
South Ayrshire
South Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, with a population of about 8000 people. Originally a fishing port, it is now also a seaside resort
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
with beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es and cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
s. Girvan dates back to 1668 when is became a municipal burgh incorporated by by charter. It lies 20 miles south of Ayr
Ayr
Ayr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...
, and 30 miles north of Stranraer
Stranraer
Stranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...
, one of the principal ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
ports from Scotland to Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Places of interest and festivals
Culzean CastleCulzean Castle
Culzean Castle is a castle near Maybole, Carrick, on the Ayrshire coast of Scotland. It is the former home of the Marquess of Ailsa but is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland...
lies a few miles north of the town. Turnberry
Turnberry
Turnberry is a golf resort on the coast of the outer Firth of Clyde in southwestern Scotland. Located in South Ayrshire on the rugged coast, it comprises three links golf courses, a golf academy, a five-star hotel, designed by James Miller and completed in 1906, as well as lodge and cottage...
golf course and hotel is located 5 miles north of Girvan. The coastline south of Girvan is famous for its geology, and also for Sawney Bean's Cave. The legendary murderer and cannibal Sawney Bean was a supposed resident of a nearby seaside cave until his eventual discovery and execution in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.
Girvan has two Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
congregations - Girvan North Parish Church in Montgomerie Street (with a spire over 100 feet tall) and Girvan South Parish Church.
The town has several fish and chip shops and pubs. The Royal Hotel serves real ale. Just north of the town is a Grant's
Grant's
Grant's is a blended Scotch whisky bottled by William Grant & Sons in Scotland.- History :In 1886, William Grant started working in the distillery business as a Bookkeeper...
distillery, also there is a Nestle factory that manufactures chocolate that is shipped down to York and used in Kit-Kat and Yorkie
Yorkie
Yorkie may refer to:*Yorkshire Terrier, a dog breed*Yorkie *Yorkie, the lion mascot for York City F.C.*Yorkie *'Yorkie', a name for someone from York, England or Yorkshire in general...
bars.
The Girvan Folk Music Festival takes place on the first weekend of May each year. Girvan also has a folk music club which meets every Friday night in the Queen's Hotel, Montgomerie Street. Once a month they have a guest artist night.
The Lowland Gathering takes place in June each year and is held in the Victory Park in the centre of the town.
The annual Festival of Light takes place on the first Saturday in November. Its roots lie in the traditional bonfire night celebrations and the Celtic fire festival it replaced.
Education and community
Girvan Academy
Girvan Academy is a secondary school in Girvan, Scotland run by South Ayrshire Council. The Head Teacher is Mr Allan Rattray.-External links:** * *...
. The town's harbour can be seen from the webcam which is part of the Girvan Online community website.
The town had a swimming pool, but on 14 January 2009 South Ayrshire Council voted to close it, ostensibly on the grounds that the pool had reached the end of its operational life.
The Hairy Tree
Historically, Girvan was significant as the home of the Hairy TreeDule Tree
Dule or dool trees in Britain were used as gallows for public hangings. They were also used as gibbets for the display of the corpse for a considerable period of time after such hangings...
. According to legend, the Hairy Tree was planted by Sawney Bean's eldest daughter in the town's Dalrymple Street. However, when her family was arrested, the daughter was implicated in their incestuous and cannibalistic activities and was hanged by locals from the bough of the tree she herself planted. According to local legend, one can hear the sound of a swinging corpse while standing beneath its boughs. The Hairy Tree's whereabouts are currently unknown, but two high profile campaigns have been launched to relocate it. The Girvan Online website is running a campaign which was started by local investigative journalist and horoscope writer Andrew Penguin.
Stumpy Tower
Stumpy Tower is Girvan's former Jail. Stumpy Tower was built in 1789, and was used as a tollbooth in Reform riots in 1832.External links
- About Girvan
- Salmon Fishing on the River Girvan
- Girvan Online
- South Ayrshire Council
- Girvan Folk Club
- National Library of Scotland: SCOTTISH SCREEN ARCHIVE (archive films relating to Girvan)