Hotels in Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock has origins that probably go back more than a thousand years, but it owes its transformation from market town to major industrial hub to one man, William Boyd, Lord Kilmarnock. He made the mistake of backing the Jacobites in the 1745 uprising and, as a result, on 18 August 1746 he was beheaded in London.
As well as his head, Lord Kilmarnock's misjudgement also cost his family estates, which were seized by the Crown. The result was a removal of any real control over development in Kilmarnock. In the free-for-all that followed entrepreneurs flocked here to make their fortunes.
Today's Kilmarnock is a bustling town with many fine and attractive buildings. It can, at times, be very busy - though not nearly as busy as it would have been if the A77 had not bypassed it in 1973. The heart of the town is at Kilmarnock Cross, where the pedestrianised shopping streets meet. This is overlooked by the domed Royal Bank of Scotland building, completed in 1939.
In the centre of Kilmarnock Cross is a fine statue commemorating the poet Robert Burns and his printer, John Wilson, who printed the first edition of Burns poems nearby. This is one of a number of fascinating pieces of street art dotted around the town centre, which include the head and shoulders of a figure.
Close to Kilmarnock Cross is the tall tower of the Laigh Kirk. The tower has been attached to three different churches. The first was built in the 1600s, and the second in 1750. This second church was the site of tragedy when on 18 October 1801 falling plasterwork caused a stampede, and 29 people were killed in the crush. The church was rapidly demolished and the replacement on view today was built in 1802: but with the tragedy still fresh in everyone's mind, the new church was built with no fewer than thirteen exits.
27 hotels
HOTELS
Location: Kilmarnock
Distance: 0.46 miles
Rating: 4*
Prices From: £67.00
Location: Kilmarnock
Distance: 1.37 miles
Rating: NOT CLASSIfIED
Prices From: £Call for details.
Location: Kilmarnock
Distance: 1.56 miles
Rating: 2*
Prices From: £39.00
Location: Kilmarnock
Distance: 3.52 miles
Rating: 3*
Prices From: £49.00
Location: Irvine
Distance: 4.12 miles
Rating: 4*
Prices From: £42.00
Location: Irvine
Distance: 5.83 miles
Rating: 4*
Prices From: £62.00
Location: Irvine
Distance: 6.24 miles
Rating: 3*
Prices From: £39.00
Location: Irvine
Distance: 6.24 miles
Rating: 3*
Prices From: £89.00
Locations near Kilmarnock
Attractions near Kilmarnock
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