East Ayrshire (pop. 120,324) is a local government area in southwest Scotland. It is a council area, the main unit of local government in Scotland. The leading towns in East Ayrshire are Kilmarnock, which serves as the administrative center, and Cumnock.
The Ayr and the Irvine rivers run through East Ayrshire. Blackcraig Hill, the highest point in the authority, rises to 2,297 feet (700 meters). Knockshinnoch Lagoons, near New Cumnock, provide an important breeding ground and winter home for many species of birds, butterflies, and animals that live in water.
The parish church in Auchinleck has a small museum in honor of the author James Boswell, whose family home was in Auchinleck. A bronze bust of Keir Hardie, a founder of the British labor movement and long-time resident of Cumnock, stands outside the Cumnock town hall.
In the 1700’s, Kilmarnock became a center for the wool industry. The coal mining and engineering industries later developed. Cumnock began as a small market town, but coal mining and gas production became main supports of the local economy by the 1800’s. In the 1900’s, mining declined in importance in the East Ayrshire area. Textile manufacturing and other light industries continue to contribute to the region’s economy.
The area that is now East Ayrshire was part of the county of Ayrshire. In 1975, the county ceased to exist as an administrative region and became a part of the larger Strathclyde Region. In 1996, East Ayrshire was created as part of the system of council areas, and the Strathclyde Region ceased to exist as an administrative region.
