Kilwinning is a small town near the Ayrshire coast of Scotland. It's a run-down, post-industrial place: from 1966 it expanded as part of the unlovely Irvine New Town. The town is named for St Winning but no-one knows who he was - he may be the same fellow as St Ninian, St Finnian, and others.

Get in

By train

Trains run to Glasgow, Ardrossan (for the Isle of Arran), Prestwick International Airport, Ayr and Stranraer among other stops.

By bus

A variety of buses, mostly Stagecoach, pass through the area, notably the 11 bus which runs from Kilmarnock to Ardrossan every 5 to 20 minutes daily.

By car

The A738 and A737 roads run through Kilwinning. Car parking is available at the railway station.

See

• 1 Kilwinning Abbey. Easter weekend: F Sa M 11AM-3PM, Su 1-3PM; mid-May to mid-Sep: F-Su 1-3PM. It offers a timeline of history. The only surviving tower can be climbed to the top where you will have a panoramic view of not only Kilwinning but the surrounding countryside. (updated Apr 2019)
• 2 Eglinton Castle. Ruins. The building once a large, beautiful mansion was burned down and damaged heavily during the war. The building is now centre for the park. The park offers a fun day out for the family with a disabled-friendly park and beautiful country walks.  
• 3 Freemason's Lodge (Lodge Mother Kilwinning). Scotland's, if not the world's, oldest lodge. The town is notable for housing the original lodge of the Freemasons. This building, may not however, be opened to the public but contact a forehand before visiting.  
• 4 Dalgarven Mill museum. (updated Feb 2017)

Do

• Kilwinning Sports Club, Pennyburn Road, ☏ +44 1294 556444. M–F 8AM–10PM, Sa Su 8AM–5PM. The town has a great sporting facility in the Pennyburn estate of the town. The club offers: fitness suite, assault course, blaze pitches for football and other foot-based ball games, and a pavilion offering changing facilities, football pitches, etc. (updated Apr 2019)

Activities are found outside the town in Irvine, North Ayrshire's capital, with the Leisure Centre. Kilwinning has superb transport links with trains every half-hour leading into Glasgow or Ayr.

Eat

Kilwinning has a great selection of different places where you can receive pleasant food. Kilwinning has a vast array of take-away outlets serving Indian, Chinese, bakeries such as Greggs and the good old classic fish and chips. There are also pubs who serve great food also.

See Ardrossan for Braidwoods, which is near Dalry 4 miles north of Kilwinning.

Sleep

• 1 Nethermains House, Nethermains Rd, ☏ +44 7730 586756. (updated Dec 2016)

Go next

• Head to Ardrossan for the ferry to Arran.
• Ayr has the Robert Burns Heritage Area, and Culzean Castle a little further south.