Catrine

Village in East Ayrshire, Scotland

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Human settlement in Scotland

Catrine

* Scottish Gaelic: ceiteirein
* cawturn

Nineteenth century mill workers' cottages in Bridge Street, Catrine

Catrine

Location within East Ayrshire

Population| 2,020 (2020)[1]
Council area|

* East Ayrshire

Country| Scotland
Sovereign state| United Kingdom
Police| Scotland
Fire| Scottish
Ambulance| Scottish

List of places

Scotland

55°30′03″N 4°20′12″W﻿ / ﻿55.50095°N 4.33672°W﻿ / 55.50095; -4.33672

Catrine is a village in the heart of East Ayrshire in Scotland, which was formerly a centre of cotton manufacture. It had a population of around 2,020 in 2020.[2]

## Geography

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The village lies on the River Ayr which previously provided water power for local industry. It is in the parish of Sorn, 2 miles (3.2 km) south east of Mauchline. Catrine is surrounded by woods, fields and hills. There is Ballochmyle golf course that sits just outside of Catrine. There is also Ballochmyle house (18th century mansion) that overlooks Catrine.

## Transport

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The A76 road lies south west of Catrine. A railway branch line to Catrine (Glasgow & South Western Railway) was one of the last to be built in Scotland in the 20th century. Catrine's station opened in 1903. The line closed to scheduled passenger services in 1943, although it continued to be used for freight and the occasional enthusiast railtour until the 1960s when the line was closed.

## History

[edit]

Catrine Library

Catrine lies at the edge one of the longest-lasting Gaelic-speaking areas in the Lowlands of Scotland.[3] The original Gaelic name of the village appears to be based on the root 'ceit' meaning dark or gloomy place, perhaps referring to thick woods near the village.[4]

Catrine was constructed around one of the first cotton mills in Scotland in 1787 by Claud Alexander of Ballochmyle (who had made a not insignificant fortune as Commissary General in India) in partnership with David Dale.[5] A plan of Catrine at that time shows the hamlet consisted of 11 buildings, including a smithy and corn mill.[6]

In 1801 the factory was purchased by Messrs James Finlay & Co., of Glasgow.[7] In 1802, two artificial lochs, covering between them 120 acres (0.49 km2), were constructed above Muirkirk, near the village of Glenbuck, to supply the cotton works. The business was greatly enlarged in 1823 when they added extensive bleaching works. The motive power for the works was supplied by wooden wheels, made from oak grown on Drumlanrig estate.

In 1828, the wooden wheels were replaced by two large iron wheels; steam engines of 500 horsepower (370 kW) were later added as auxiliary. When constructed, the iron wheels were the largest in Britain. The diameter of each wheel was 50 feet (15 m), 157 feet (48 m) in circumference, and 12 feet (3.7 m) broad, or 11 feet (3.4 m) within the buckets. There were 120 buckets on each wheel. Each bucket contained 11 cubic feet (0.31 m3) of water. The wheels made three revolutions per minute, and passed 360 buckets per minute, 3,960 cubic feet (112 m3) of water per wheel, 7,920 for the two, equal to 210 tons of water per minute. They were 500 nominal horsepower. These wheels were a tourist attraction in their day and continued in service until the 1940s.

A new mill was completed in 1950 but closed some 20 years later. The old mill was destroyed by fire during its demolition in 1963. The new mill was used for several years as a large furniture warehouse, but was eventually demolished in 1985.

Iron Age rock art in the form of cup and ring marks [1] has been found at nearby Ballochmyle.

## Notable people

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Nether Catrine House was the country seat of the philosopher Dugald Stewart, Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh from 1785 and is located on the south bank of the River Ayr. It was here that the poet, Robert Burns, famously "dinner'd wi a lord".

## Present day

[edit]

The village hall

Catrine today is a village of around 2,500 inhabitants. The site of the former bleaching works of Messrs Finlay & Co. is now occupied by Glen Catrine Bond which bottles whisky and vodka and markets them under a number of different brand names.

In 2006, the so-called Catrine Voes (the reservoirs to the former cotton works), the Radical Brae and the Chapel Brae were designated as a Local Nature Reserve. The weir, the reservoirs and other structures (lades, tunnels and suchlike) comprise a Scheduled Monument and are in the ownership of Catrine Community Trust (formerly Catrine Voes Trust), a charitable trust. Catrine Community Trust is actively engaged in seeking funding to conserve and restore these for future generations to enjoy.

Former Kilmarnock FC goalkeeper Barry Holland is from Catrine.[citation needed]

## References

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1. ^ "Population estimates for settlements and localities in Scotland: mid-2020". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
2. ^ "Population estimates for settlements and localities in Scotland: mid-2020". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
3. ^ Lorimer (1949). "The Persistence of Gaelic in Galloway and Carrick". Scottish Gaelic Studies. 6 (2): 114–136.
4. ^ "Catrine". Àinmean-àite na h-Alba. Archived from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
5. ^ Stenlake, Richard (2011). A Lot o Genuine Folks and a Wheen o Rogues. Stenlake Publishing. pp. 10–12\. ISBN 9781840335347.
6. ^ Stenlake, Richard (2012). Catrine Then and Now. Stenlake Publishing. p. 3\. ISBN 9781840335651.
7. ^ Wilson, Rhona (1997). Old Catrine and Sorn. Stenlake Publishing. p. 3\. ISBN 9781872074917.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Catrine.

* Catrine Ayrshire Website
* The Catrine Chronicle 1906 - 1908 Newspaper by Hugh W Pollock, Mill Manager
* Catrine Community Trust Website
* Video footage of the Catrine Weir and Voes

* v
* t
* e

East Ayrshire

Administrative Centre: East Ayrshire Council Headquarters, Kilmarnock, London Road, KA3 7BU
Council structure: Chief Executive – Eddie Fraser; Provost of the Council – Cllr Claire Leitch; Leader of the Council – Cllr Douglas Reid

Towns|

* Cumnock
* Dalmellington
* Darvel
* Galston
* Kilmarnock
* Mauchline
* New Cumnock
* Stewarton

Villages and hamlets|

* Auchinleck
* Bellsbank
* Bloak
* Bonnyton
* Catrine
* Craigmalloch
* Cronberry
* Crosshouse
* Dalrymple
* Drongan
* Dunlop
* Fenwick
* Gatehead
* Glenbuck
* Greenholm
* Haugh
* Hurlford
* Kilmaurs
* Knockentiber
* Logan
* Lugar
* Lugton
* Moscow
* Muirkirk
* Netherthird
* Newmilns
* Ochiltree
* Patna
* Polnessan
* Priestland
* Rankinston
* Riccarton
* Sorn
* Stair
* Trabboch
* Waterside

Secondary schools|

* Kilmarnock Academy
* Grange Academy
* Robert Burns Academy
* Saint Joseph's Academy
* Stewarton Academy
* Doon Academy
* Loudoun Academy

Members of the UK Parliament|

* Lillian Jones (Labour)
* Elaine Stewart (Labour)

Members of the Scottish Parliament|

* Willie Coffey (SNP)
* Elena Whitham (SNP)

Places of interest|

* Auchinleck House
* Aiket Castle
* Dalmore House and Estate
* Dick Institute
* Palace Theatre, Kilmarnock
* Whitelee Wind Farm
* Dumfries House
* Loch Doon
* Loudoun Castle
* Kilmaurs Place
* Rowallan Castle
* Rugby Park
* Scottish Industrial Railway Centre
* Sorn Castle
* Stair House
* Dean Castle
* Tam O' Shanter Hone Works, Dalmore
* Robertland House

Economy|

* The HALO Urban Regeneration
* Whitelee Wind Farm
* Dean Castle
* Dunlop cheese
* Palace Theatre and Grand Hall complex
* Johnnie Walker
* Scottish Industrial Railway Centre
* Andrew Barclay Sons & Co.
* Loudoun Hill
* NHS Ayrshire and Arran
* University Hospital Crosshouse
* Kilmarnock town centre
* Ayrshire College
* The KLIN Group

See also|

* Ayrshire
* Kilmarnock volume

Neighbouring council areas: South Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States
* Israel

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