One of the lesser-known local stories of World War II in North Ayrshire is the crash of a Whitley bomber, which crashed into the sea 2 miles off from Saltcoats harbour in 1943, with the loss of 3 lives. The crew of Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Z9362 of 24 Operational Training Unit were being prepared for active service. They were tasked …
Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston Has Been Added to the ‘Stories’ Section
The controversial Kilmarnock-born Lieutenant-General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston has now been added to the ‘Stories’ section of our website! During WWI he served in France at the battles of Le Cateau and Aisne and would often supervise his command from a motorbike. He faced major criticisms for his time in the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915 and in the first day of …
John Galt Lecture: ‘A “wrong resenting” race? Characterising Popular Protest in John Galt’s Scotland’
Our friends at the Harbour Art Centre in Irvine are hosting a talk on John Galt on the 5th of May. If you are interested in this famous North Ayrshire figure, then why not check it out? A lecture by Professor Christopher Whatley, followed by a buffet supper with a glass of wine. Born in 1779, John Galt was a …
Anniversary of the Sinking of HMS Dasher
On this day, the 27th of March, in 1943 the Royal Navy Avenger-class escort carrier HMS Dasher exploded at 4:42pm and sank soon after with the loss of 379 of the 528 man crew. The ship sank in the waters between Ardrossan and Arran. “At 4.48pm with the carrier almost vertical, it sank into the sea, accompanied by the screams …
The Robert Burns Quiz
We have been on a bit of a quiz-binge recently and we thought we would mix it up a bit by bringing you one on infamous poet Robert Burns! Test your knowledge on the man himself in this quiz!
William Riddet Has Been Added To The Stories Section
William Riddet was born in Dalry on the 16th of March, 1896. William worked on his father’s farm from a young age and went on to study agriculture and dairyism at the West of Scotland Agricultural Cottage in Glasgow. “William’s contribution to dairy science is immeasurable, his scientific knowledge was outstanding, and he was always full of new ideas. He …
North Ayrshire Heritage Quiz Part 4
Another week and another quiz! Have a go and see how well you can do and, if you are feeling confident, try parts one, two and three!
Edgar Allan Poe Has Been Added To The Stories Section
One of the most famous writers in the modern era, Edgar Allan Poe was born on the 19th of January, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. Did you know he lived briefly in Irvine? He would also visit family in Kilmarnock and even had a day-trip to Arran. As for his writing he was one of the earliest American practitioners of the …
North Ayrshire Heritage Quiz Part 3
The third part of our heritage quiz is here! Give it a go and see how well you can do.
North Ayrshire Heritage Quiz Part 2
Welcome back to our Heritage Quiz! This is part two where we will continue to test your knowledge on the history of North Ayrshire. Give it a go, send it to your friends and see how well you can do! If you’d like to play part 1, click HERE.