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.

West Kilbride was thought to have been a spot visited by an early Celtic saint, Brigid, to establish the early foundations of her church. The name itself suggests there was a cell or a group of her worshippers in the area at one point. Also in the area, you can find remnants of Old roman influence in the form of a fort that resides where the village of Gateside exists. Several of the old roads still exist and many Roman finds from the area are recovered ansd given to museums across Scotland. William Wallace’s uncle Crauford held a home in the area just the north of the village at one point.

Seamill is often listed merely as part of Kilbride, however it is indeed a village of its own. A big grain watermill, one of the oldest buildings in the area lends its name to the village. Recreation seekers will find the excellent West Kilbride Golf Club here as well as the Seamill Hydro; a hotel with all the amenities one could want.

The old harbour of Portencross is a very small, naturally occurring tidal inlet which is actually part of the Portencross Castle property, for which the area is noted for. Fishing is of course a mainstay in the area, and a North harbour was built some distance away from the castle itself to facilitate access. The Portencross Harbour Trust maintains the harbour and owns the property. The one pier in the area was built in the prime age of steamers and ship travel and trade, but compared to many other lands of the time, it was used far less than normally was done.