We have now added the remarkable story of the sinking of the Norwegian brig ‘Lovren’ to the ‘Stories’ section of our website. It’s a fascinating story and one well worth a read! A severe hurricane battered Britain on the nights of 21st and 22nd December 1894. Around 7pm on Friday 21st December, the Norwegian Brig Loven, struck the rocky sound …
Beith War Memorial Added to the Stories Section
We have now added Beith War Memorial in the stories section! The memorial was unveiled on the 6th of November, 1920 following a ceremony which featured Aylmer Hunter-Weston. The names of the First World War dead are carved on the eight sides of the pedestal, along with three sides of the top base. The pedestal also contains the inscription “Erected by …
RAF Liberator (AM 261) Crash on the Isle of Arran has Been Added to the Stories Section
On the 10th of August 1941, RAF Liberator (AM 261) crashed into the ridge at Mullach Buidhe, just north of Goatfell on the Isle of Arran with the loss of 22 airmen. The flight crews on board were from the Royal Air Force Ferry Command, Air Transport Auxiliary and the British Overseas Airways Corporation. In addition to the normal flight …
Edward Harold George Dyer Update
On the 22nd of November, 1943, Sergeant Edward Harold George Dyer died while on a bombing raid on Berlin in World War II. The aircraft was likely shot down over the Netherland en-route to the target. You may remember the name of Edward Harold George Dyer from our story on the crash of a Whitley bomber over Saltcoats in 1943. …
Andrew Aitken Has Been Added To The ‘Stories’ Section
Andrew Aitken has now been added to the ‘Stories’ section of our website! Andrew was born in Beith in 1780 and worked on a farm and had a passion for poetry. He didn’t attend school but was taught to read and write by his mother and began dabbling in writing essays and poetry, which were published in periodicals and newspapers. …
Law and Order: The Frew Collection
This blog post was kindly provided by Jeni Park from Kilwinning Heritage. Check out their website to plan your visit to the Heritage Centre at Kilwinning Abbey Tower. Or why not give them a follow on their Facebook page? I am the volunteer Project Manager for the Frew Collection. This is a large collection of archival documents donated to Kilwinning Heritage during the pandemic by …
Kilwinning Across The Pond
Back in February 2021, during the dark days of lockdown, Heather Upfield, from Kilwinning, was looking for something to do, to while away the hours. She decided to search for any other Kilwinning sites outwith Scotland and was surprised to find four Kilwinning mentions in the Americas! Here’s Heather’s account of her discoveries. Provinces of Canada and States of United …
HMS Dasher Memorial Book
Another object featured in our New and Unusual exhibition comes in to the category of favourite objects. It’s a memorial book with all the names of the crew who perished when HMS Dasher sank in 1943. HMS Dasher was a British Royal Navy aircraft carrier of the Avenger Class. She served in World War II. She was built by the …
World War I and Three Kilwinning Men
An Unsung Hero 53465 Sgt. Peter Edwards whose address was given as c/o Boyd, Corsehill Head, Kilwinning enlisted in the Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery on 1st December 1908 at the age of 17. He became a Physical Instructor and by the outbreak of war in 1914 he had been promoted to Sergeant. He served throughout WW1 and was …
Kilwinning Heritage Publications
There are few small towns in Scotland whose name is more widely known than that of Kilwinning. What should be better recognised is the story of its once important abbey and in turn, its influence on the past. The medieval ruins and the 19th century tower that dominate the town attract a growing number of visitors wanting to see and …