Culture of Kilmarnock. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Kilmarnock is a relatively small city. Nevertheless, within its territory and in the immediate vicinity there are a lot of attractions to organize an interesting tour. Among the main historical symbols of these places is Rowallan Castle, the first mention of which dates back to the 13th century. It was built on top of a hill, at the foot of which there was quite a large lake.

The lake dried up but the Carmel Water River that fed it once flows along the walls of the castle even today. For many years, the castle had been a family estate of noble families. Its largest renovation and reconstruction took place during the years of the Muir family. In the 16th century, a new south wing was attached to the castle, while the old architecture of earlier constructions has been preserved almost completely.

Today, the old castle operates as a museum. In the early 20th century, it was recognized as a valuable historical monument and undergone one of the largest reconstructions in its history. Within the castle walls is a rich collection of antique furniture, works of art, and interior objects. It keeps many personal belongings of former owners, which are now the most valuable exhibits. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Kilmarnock's main cultural center is the Dick Institute, which has born the name of its founder James Dick since its opening in 1901. This famous philanthropist was born and raised in Kilmarnock at the beginning of the 20th century and has lived in Australia for a considerable period of his adult life. The cultural center occupies a chic historic building with columns, surrounded by a vast landscaped garden. The museum has several thematic halls containing collections of artworks, objects of modern art, handicrafts, and natural science exhibits.

During the Second World War, the museum was converted into a hospital. It has lost many of its unique collections over the war years. Probably the whole day wouldn't be enough to explore all the exhibits collected in the museum. Some halls of the cultural center are used for temporary exhibitions. The Dick Institute will be a great place for families, offering interesting excursions for children.

A beautiful red brick building houses the Scottish Maritime Museum, which is located in the immediate vicinity of Kilmarnock. The main museum exhibits are models of ancient boats that were used by local sailors in different historical periods. Here you can also see some technical devices that were used for building and repairing ships, as well as items of old shipboard equipment. The main visitors to this museum are local schoolchildren, for whom educational programs and thematic events are held here.

Local people call the old church Laigh Kirk the city's main religious symbol. The very first church on its site was built in the 7th century. At that time, it was located in the heart of the small town. Over the years, the church has been rebuilt several times, and in 1668 it was completely destroyed by fire along with a number of other city buildings. The church has lost all its valuable artifacts but was completely renovated by efforts of local residents in the late 17th century. Since then, some architectural elements of the church have remained unchanged. Near the old church, one can see examples of architecture belonging to other historical periods.

Today, at one of the central streets of the city, you can find the Palace Theatre building, which would be of interest even to those who have never been keen on theatre art. Besides classical productions, this theatre hosts enchanting modern performances, being deservedly popular with connoisseurs of modern theatrical art.

In the largest city park is a monument to the great poet Robert Burns. The opening of the monument took place in 1879, since then it is the largest Burns monument in Scotland. In 2004, the monument was badly damaged by fire but quickly restored to its original form.

In the vicinity of the city is the mysterious Dean Castle dating back to Middle Ages that was completely destroyed in the 17th century during one of the military clashes. For many years, the once magnificent castle had laid in ruins until Baron Howard de Walden bought it in the early 20th century. He completely reconstructed the castle and turned it into his family estate. Now the castle houses an interesting museum. Museum workers believe that the baron's ghost lives in the old castle and claim they've seen him wandering along the corridors many times.