Riccarton

Settlement in Ayrshire

Scotland

Riccarton

Travelodge at the Kilmarnock Bellfield Interchange A stopover by the A77 — Travelodge at the Kilmarnock Bellfield Interchange Credit: Eirian Evans

Riccarton is a small village located in the county of Ayrshire, Scotland. Situated approximately 7 miles east of the town of Kilmarnock, Riccarton is primarily a rural community surrounded by picturesque countryside.

The village is known for its historical significance, dating back to the medieval period. It was once home to a castle, which was owned by the Riccarton family, from whom the village takes its name. Today, only remnants of the castle remain, but they serve as a reminder of the area's rich heritage.

Riccarton is a close-knit community with a population of around 1,500 residents. The village offers a range of amenities to cater to the needs of its inhabitants, including a primary school, a post office, and a local shop. There are also several churches and community halls that play an important role in the social fabric of the village.

Nature enthusiasts will appreciate the beautiful surroundings of Riccarton, with ample opportunities for outdoor activities. The nearby Irvine Valley offers stunning views and walking trails through the scenic countryside. Additionally, the village is well-connected to the wider region through a network of roads and public transportation, making it easy to explore the surrounding areas.

Overall, Riccarton provides a charming and peaceful setting for residents and visitors alike, offering a glimpse into Scotland's rural heritage while providing a range of amenities and access to the natural beauty of the Ayrshire countryside.

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Riccarton Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 55.594546/-4.4977101 or Grid Reference NS4236. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Travelodge at the Kilmarnock Bellfield Interchange

A stopover by the A77

Eirian Evans

Southern outskirts of Kilmarnock

Alan Reid

Bridgehouse Farm, South of Kilmarnock

The fence is the boundary of the built up area.

Alan Reid

Housing in Shortlees at the southern tip of Kilmarnock

Alan Reid

Roundabout at Shortlees

Alan Reid

Rugby Park

Rugby Park, home to Kilmarnock Football Club.

Colin Kinnear

Approaching Bridgehouse Bridge

In Scotland all the bridges and roundabouts appear to have names. This is not true of England.

Malcolm Neal

Approaching Kilmarnock

Our destination is the Dean Castle country park in north Kilmarnock. A good choice on this sunny day.

Malcolm Neal

By Bellfield

Another view along the A77.

Malcolm Neal

The A77

Getting close to where we need to turn off for Dean Castle.

Malcolm Neal

Kilmarnock Station

Bartolo Creations

New Laigh Kirk

Kilmarnock

Bartolo Creations

Statue, Kilmarnock

Bartolo Creations

Old road at Bridgehouse

Alan Reid

Tower, Caprington

According to Canmore - the public body in Scotland responsible for documenting its archaeology - this was once an engine house connected to Blacksyke Colliery. The engine powered a pump that was needed to remove water from the underground mines, so it could also be thought of as a pump house; in old mines it was common to bring, by weight, more water than coal to the surface over their lifetimes The earliest OS map of this area, surveyed in the 1850s, has a coal pit (one of several in the vicinity) marked next to the tower, but by the 1890s the building was labelled 'Tank'. A large metal tank still sits at the top of it. There is a far more famous Blacksyke Tower less than a mile South of here. It is now a ruin and has scheduled monument status. Considering this tower would probably have been built at the same time as that one, and that it is still in excellent condition, it's a surprise it isn't a listed building. Both towers once sat on the Carpington Estate; in a way they still do I suppose, but the ground they both occupy is now owned by Carpington Golf Club.

Ian Dodds

The Dick Institute in Kilmarnock

Opened in 1901, the Dick Institute is a 4 star attraction, attracting over 120,000 visitors each year. It houses the largest museum and gallery spaces in Ayrshire and East Ayrshire’s central library. A recent refurbishment and the addition of a cafe has breathed new life into this stunning building ensuring it will continue to be enjoyed by a new generation of visitors.

Colin Kinnear

North Lodge Pumping Station

Having trawled the internet for a good while in order to try and find out exactly what the purpose of this modern-looking facility was, I eventually stumbled across a very technical case study of it, contained within a very technical report from New Zealand, and was quite overwhelmed. Who knew that the pumping of water was such a tricky business? A lot of attention was paid to various flow rates and the location of air valves. It turns out it is a wastewater pumping station, built to prevent sewage entering the River Irvine during storm conditions, which seems to have been a longstanding problem. Whereas previously, if the pipe network was struggling with the volume of wastewater, valves would just open and divert it into the river via Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), now it gets directed through here and is then pumped to a treatment facility a few miles away. On top of that, if it is exceptionally wet there is a facility to divert up to 10,000 cubic metres into an underground holding tank that sits in between actual North Lodge and the pumping station and occupies a large proportion of the field that separates the two. The crane runners are there to allow easy removal of the big pumps (which, in combination, can deal with 900 litres per second) for maintenance.

Ian Dodds