Home Report West Kilbride

West Kilbride is a small town of roughly 4,860 residents full of character in North Ayrshire, 4 miles northwest of Ardrossan, 26 miles north of Ayr, and 39 miles southwest of Glasgow, on the Ayrshire Coast. The town looks across the Firth of Clyde to Goat Fell, the highest point on the isle of Arran. It was originally a quiet weaving and agricultural village. However, the development of the railway to Glasgow in 1879 saw it attract more and more visitors, mainly at first due to its coastal position, sandy beach, and views over the Firth of Clyde. As more and more visitors came a hydropathic spa was developed at Seamill, in addition to many other tourist focused businesses and services.

Today, West Kilbride is a thriving community with a lot going for it. There are many professionals living in the town who commute to wider Ayrshire, as well as Glasgow. In terms of transport links for commuters, West Kilbride is quite well served. West Kilbride railway station lies on the Ayrshire Coast Line between Largs and Glasgow Central. The journey to Glasgow takes around 50 minutes. The main A78 road links West Kilbride to as far as Greenock to the north, and Prestwick to the South. The B781 road links West Kilbride to Dalry (and beyond to Glasgow via the A737) in the east. By bus, there are half-hourly buses northwards to Largs and Greenock, and southwards to Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenston, Irvine and Ayr. There is also a commuter bus service to Glasgow, the journey taking around 1 hour 35 minutes. A regular bus service also connects West Kilbride Greenock and Ayr.

In terms of amenities and things to do, West Kilbride is a bustling place unlike many other towns of a similar size. This is down to the local community and local initiative groups working to culturally reinvented the town. Indeed, their work is paying off as West Kilbride is now Scotland’s first craft town and is home to a plethora of studios and galleries showcasing local artists work. The Barony Craft Centre – a £1.7 million “culturally unique building” – provides a convenient way for craftspeople to sell their art and craftwork, in return for a share of the profits. In September 2006, they won the Department of Trade and Industry’s “Enterprising Britain 2006” competition. Presenting the award, Alistair Darling MP praised the resourcefulness and dedication of the West Kilbride community. Likewise in January 2012 the Craft Town Scotland project achieved another accolade by winning the Creative Scotland £100k “Creative Places” award.

West Kilbride also has some local events of note. Yuletide Night is a Christmas event held on the first Friday of December every year. Shops open late as a procession of children and adults follow Santa to the village hall. Music, stalls and children’s fairground rides are set up on Main Street and adjoining Glen Road, which are closed to traffic for the evening. There’s also the annual Scarecrow Festival. It celebrates West Kilbride’s origins as an agricultural community, while looking to the future through the “Craft Town Scotland” initiative.

The town has a great variety of independent shops, services and cafes as well as some recognisable chains. However, for larger supermarkets and a wider array of retail options, residents typically nip down to Ardrossan and Saltcoats. West Kilbride Golf Club, a championship links course, is situated at Fullerton Drive, Seamill. The original designer of the course was Old Tom Morris. The club hosted the Millennium British Ladies’ Championship and hosts the Scottish Boys Championship once every three years.

The amenities available, charm of the town, its location, and variety of cultural pursuits and events contributes to the prosperity of the town attracting many visitors through the year.

West Kilbride Primary School serves West Kilbride, Seamill and Portencross. Opened in 1983, it replaced the previous Victorian-era school which had burned down in 1980 on the same site. St. Matthew’s Academy in Saltcoats and Auchenharvie Academy in Stevenston are the local high schools.