River Irvine

The River Irvine ( gd, Irbhinn) is a river that flows through southwest Scotland. Its watershed is on the Lanarkshire border of Ayrshire at an altitude of above sea-level, near Loudoun Hill, Drumclog, and SW by W of Strathaven. It flows westward, dividing the old district of Cunninghame from that of Kyle, until it reaches the sea via Irvine Harbour in the form of the Firth of Clyde, and flows into Irvine Bay by the town of Irvine. It has many tributaries, some of which form parish, district and other boundaries.

Etymology

''Irvine'' was first recorded in 1258 as ''Yrewyn'', and several etymologies have been proposed. According to Groome,*McNaught, Duncan (1912). ''Kilmaurs Parish and Burgh''. Pub. A.Gardner. ''Irvine'' is derived from the Gaelic ''iar-an'' meaning 'westward-flowing' river. A Brittonic origin is also possible. The root ''*arb-īno'', meaning "wild turnip" has been suggested (c.f. Welsh ''erfin''), though the earliest record and the possibly identical River Irfon in Wales do not encourage this. The Middle Welsh adjective ''erbyn'' meaning "hostility, fighting against" might also be considered here. An ancient river-name formation of very obscure origin is also quite probable.

The course of the Irvine and its tributaries

The River Irvine rises in two head-waters, the one in a moss at Meadow-head, on the eastern boundary of the parish of Loudoun or of Ayrshire, and the other a mile eastward in the parish of Avondale in Lanarkshire, near the battle-field of Drumclog.

About 2¾ miles (4.4 km) from the point it enters Ayrshire, Glen Water joins it from the north. Strictly speaking Glen Water is the parent stream, because it is longer and carries more water; for the Glen Water rises at Crosshill in Renfrewshire, a mile (1.6 km) north of the East Ayrshire boundary, and runs southward, joined by five rills (small streams) in its progress, to the point of confluence with the Irvine. Swollen by the Glen Water, the Irvine immediately passes the town of Darvel on the right, then 1¾ mile (2.8 km) onward, the town of Newmilns and 2¼ miles (3.6 km) farther on, the town of Galston, on the left. The Hagg burn joins before the town, having run past the old ruined castle of Arclowden: Old Loudoun Castle or "The Old Place", near the present Loudoun castle.Robertson, William (1908). ''Ayrshire. Its History and Historic Families''. Vol. 1. Pub. Dunlop & Dreenan. Kilamrnock. p. 155 The Burnanne joins at Galston.

A mile and a quarter (2 km) below Galston it receives from the north the Polbaith burn; ¾ of a mile (1.2 km) lower down, the Cessnock water joins it from the south; and later it passes Kilmarnock and Riccarton on opposite sides, and receives on its right bank the tributary of the Kilmarnock (or Marnock) Water. Four miles (6.4 km) or more along its bed, Carmel Water joins it on the right bank; and 2½ miles (4 km) farther on, it receives the Annick Water, again on the right bank. The river now runs 1½ mile (2.4 km) in a north-west direction, passing through the town of Irvine; it then suddenly bends round until it follows a southerly direction; and opposite the town of Irvine, when running southward, it suddenly expands into a basin ¾ of a mile (1.2 km) wide. It receives the Garnock river at its north-west extremity, and communicates by a narrow mouth or strait with the Firth (previously Frith)MacIntosh, John (1894). ''Ayrshire Nights Entertainments: A Descriptive Guide to the History, Traditions, Antiquities, etc. of the County of Ayr.'' Pub. Kilmarnock. p. 11. of Clyde. The course of the Irvine is recorded as having shifted in an old Eglinton Estates document, a map recording the previous course with a note that the water left the old riverbed in 1758. This altered the confluence of the River Irvine with the Annick Water.National Archives of Scotland. RHP3/37.

The Irvine is tidal as far as the nature reserve at Shewalton, half-a-mile (800 m) or so upstream from the confluence with the Annick Water.

The main contributing rivers and rivulets in descending order of their confluences are therefore the Glen Water, Polbaith Burn, Cessnock Water, Kilmarnock Water, Carmel Water, Annick Water, and the Garnock.

Views of the River Irvine in 2007

Image:Laighmilton6.JPG, The river Irvine and the view of the viaduct from near Laigh Milton Mill.
Image:Newbridge1.JPG, Looking up river from Laigh Milton viaduct.
Image:oldrome.JPG, Old Rome from Gatehead's bridge over the Irvine.
Image:Shewalton1.JPG, Near the old Shewalton house and estate, Drybridge.
Image:Shewalton2.JPG, Near the old Shewalton house and estate, Drybridge.
Image:Drybridgeweir.JPG, Girtrig mill weir at Drybridge.
Image:Holmford1.JPG, Near the site of Maid Morville's mound at Holmford, Dreghorn.
Image:Holmford2.JPG, Near the site of Maid Morville's mound at Holmford, Dreghorn.
Image:Irvinenewmilns1.jpg, The river at Newmilns.
Image:Irvinenewmilns2.JPG, The river at Newmilns.
Image:Irvinegalston.JPG, The river from the Muckle Brig in Galston.
Image:Riverirvineharbour.JPG, The river Irvine at the harbour with the town in the background.

Changing course

Many watercourses have changed direction over the years for various reasons. The Kilmarnock Water used to run slightly to the west as it passes through the Howard Park in Kilmarnock, previously 'Barbadoes Green'; the old 'fossilised' river bank is still discernible. It is said that this was done deliberately by a Lord Boyd, the local laird, so that he could claim more land. The river formed the boundary and by moving it permanently he gained more land.

St. Winnan of KilwinningRobertson, William (1908). ''Ayrshire. Its History and Historic Families.'' Vol. 1. Pub. Dunlop & Dreenan. Kilmarnock. p. 33. is said to have made the River Garnock change its course and follow another "adverse to nature". The river's mistake was to fail to deliver up any fish to one of the saint's angler friends!

The Garnock, Annick and Irvine did not even have the same confluence within recorded history, for Timothy Pont's (1604–08) and Herman Moll's (1745) maps show the Garnock emptying into the sea, about two miles (3 km) from the mouth of the Irvine.Paterson, James (1863–66). ''History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton''. V. – III – Cunninghame. J. Stillie. Edinburgh. p. 257. The Annick did not flow into the Garnock at this time and the Ardeer peninsula was an island. Subsequent to Pont's time, the sea came right up to the town, with vessels loading and unloading at the Seagate, which is now half-a-mile from the sea.

The Earl of Eglinton changed the course of the Lugton Water where it ran through what is now Eglinton Country Park.Eglinton Country Park archives

Adamson records that a link once existed between the Carmel Water and the Fenwick Water so as to provide more water for the needs of cutlers and tinkers in Kilmaurs. The king allowed the diversion of water that would flow through the 'leg of a boot'.

Parish boundaries

The parishes that border the river's south bank are Galston, Riccarton, and Dundonald; and on its north side are Loudoun, Kilmarnock, Kilmaurs, Dreghorn and Perceton, and Irvine.

Country houses

The presence of country estates effected the river and its tributaries, often through landscaping and engineering works such as weirs, embankments and minor alterations of its course. The feudal or Victorian estates of Loudoun castle (ruin), Cessnock house, Lanfine house, Holms house (ruin), Kilmarnock house (demolished), Peel house, Caprington, Fairlie house, Craig house (restored 2006), Newfield, Auchans (demolished), and Shewalton (demolished) were all connected with the River Irvine and on the banks of its tributaries are Craufurdland (Craufurdland Water) and Dean castle (Fenwick Water), the two joining to form the Kilmarnock Water; Rowallan, Tour house, Kilmaurs Place, Carmel Bank and Busbie castle (demolished) on the Carmel; Lainshaw (restored 2006), Chapelton (demolished), Annick Lodge, and Bourtreehill (demolished) on the Annick Water; Aiket, Bonshaw (demolished) and Kennox House on the Glazert, and Lambroughton on the Garrier. In the area around Stewarton the valley of the Annick Water was known as 'Strathannick'. Dunlop house and Corsehill castle (ruin) are on the Clerkland Burn and Robertland House is on the Swinzie Burn, both of which flow into the Annick Water.

Prehistoric sites

A large procumbent boulder known on the OS map as the 'Carlin's Stone' lies next to the Carlin Burn near Craigends Farm below Cameron's Moss in East Ayrshire. A Carl is a commoner, a husband or in a derogatory sense, a churl or male of low birth. More commonly the name Carlin was used as a derogatory term for a woman meaning an 'old hag'. It is also said to be a corruption of the Gaelic word "Cailleach", meaning a witch or the 'old Hag', the Goddess of Winter. This would therefore be the Witch's or Hag's Stone, one of several