It is believed, that West Kilbride is named after the Celtic Saint Brigid of Kildare who, according to local history, established her church sometime around 500AD. The West was added in front of Kilbride to differentiate it from other communities that commemorate St. Bride in the area.

West Kilbride and the surrounding area hold a lot of history. There four castles in the area that are still standing. Law Castle which can be rented for a holiday, as well as Portencross Castle, Hunterston Castle and Crosbie Castle (also known as Crosbie Towers). A park in the West Kilbride area bears the name of Crosby, the maiden name of William Wallace’s mother. One of the oldest houses in West Kilbride is Kirktonhall House. This house, dating back to the 1660’s, was rebuilt partially and extended between 1791 and 1868. Currently it is used as office for the North Aryshire Council.

Although mostly a rural area, farming only makes up about 1.4% of the local employment. In addition to the famous Ayrshire potatoes, crops such as sweetcorn, root vegetables and berries are grown. Livestock, primarily cattle and sheep, are also farmed here. Other areas of employment are real estate, rentals, manufacturing, health and social services and education make up the majority of the employment. It is home to Airtricity which is a wind turbine field located just above West Kilbride and Seamill.

West Kilbride is becoming known as “Craft Town Scotland”. There are several craft studios where you can actually see the raw material converted to the final product and you may buy straight from the studio. You can also go online and shop the studios. This was an initiative to contribute to the growth of the area culturally and through retail.

Other features of this small town are the West Kilbride Primary School and beautiful West Kilbride Institute and Public Hall. The school opened in 1983 and the Institute opened in 1900. West Kilbride has the distinction of being the first Scottish town to host a Scarecrow Festival. A championship 18-hole golf course, the West Kilbride Golf Club, is located in Seamill with the breathtaking backdrop of the Scottish coast.

Presently there are eight craft studios dedicated to producing high quality work. Raw materials are gathered, designed and transformed on the very premises of the studios. Most studios are opened Thursday through Saturday, but they are sometimes open at additional times. Although work is available to be purchased at the studios, the craftsman may not be in attendance as they have clients and can be called away at short notice.

The first two studios were purchased by the Moffat family in 2002 and stood behind the original concept ever though there were setbacks with the original plans. Crafts range from basket work to textiles to ceramics to jewelry and metalwork. Local volunteers man the initiative centre and the crafts area and are readily available to answer any questions that you might have.

While Craft Town is truly awe inspiring, there are other things to see in the town centre. If you like architecture, not far from the railway station there are some cottages that have been restored and a museum as well. The Glen is a wonderful place to stroll along all the green paths and observe the wooden sculptures, especially the large wooden dragon.

Another fact that makes this an incredible place is that all profits are reinvested within the town to continue to develop the cultural and retail of the area. So whether you are out shopping for fine, high quality crafts and gifts or just want to see what the talk is all about, Craft Town Scotland is a great place to visit. If you are looking to purchase from the crafters, it is advisable that you call ahead before traveling to make sure the studio is open for business.

Remember there are other things to do in the area as well once you have acquired your giftware from the studios.