Home Report New Cumnock

New Cumnock, not to be grouped with Cumnock, is a small town of roughly 2,900 residents in East Ayrshire. The town, as we know it today, grew around coal mining from the late 18th century, and mining indeed remained its key industry until its pits were shut in the 1960s. The town is roughly 6 miles southeast of Cumnock, 21 miles east of Ayr, and 35 miles north of Dumfries. The reason why there is a Cumnock and a New Cumnock is – somewhat slightly confusingly – that in 1659, a new kirk was built near (New) Cumnock Castle and became known as the New Kirk of Cumnock, now called the Auld Kirk of New Cumnock. Cumnock Kirk then became known as Old Cumnock and is now simply known as Cumnock.

New Cumnock is home to some very attractive buildings and boasts a school, town hall, parish church, railway station, bar, and mineworkers’ memorial. The town is primarily a local services and dormitory town for residents commuting to work in other Ayrshire towns such as Cumnock, Ayr, Auchinleck, Drongan, and Kirkconnel, though some also commute to Glasgow. For travel, locals rely on the A76 trunk road as the main method for getting around locally, though there are some local bus services that also help with this. New Cumnock also benefits from having its own railway station which is found to the north of the town.

As for local schooling then, New Cumnock Primary School is the only school in the town. The local secondary school is The Robert Burns Academy located in Cumnock.