The Friends Of Loudoun Kirk

Loudoun village

The village was originally established for local miners but after the Second World War the houses fell into to disrepair, with no gas or electricity the residents were persuaded to move into the new houses in Galston and the village was demolished. Some evidence of its whereabouts can still be seen in local fields if you know where to look.

Loudoun Kirk, dedicated to St Michael, was established at the end of the twelfth century. The lands on which it was built, and which became Loudoun parish, had been given by Richard de Morville, King William the Lion’s High Steward, to James, son of Lambinus, before 1189.

 James, the member of a Flemish family who had settled earlier in Lanarkshire, built the first motte and bailey castle overlooking the Hag Burn as the centre of his authority.

At or soon after its foundation, the revenues of Loudoun Kirk, were allocated to support the monks of the newly-founded Kilwinning Abbey, and in return they were obliged to provide a priest (curate) to attend to the spiritual needs of the parishioners.

 In January 1491, James IV created for George Campbell of Loudoun the free burgh or barony of Newmilns. The castle was built there, and gradually, as more and more people moved to the new burgh, it became the main centre of population in the parish.

During the bitter Campbell/Kennedy feuds of 1527/8, Loudoun Kirk was badly damaged, but rebuilt. Soon afterwards, however, in 1530, in recognition of the shift in population, a chapel was built at Newmilns. Loudoun Kirk remained the parish church until at least the 17th century, when the chapel in Newmilns was upgraded to parochial status. Thereafter Loudoun Kirk and its kirkyard continued in use for occasional church services, but more particularly as the last resting place of generations of the parishioners of Loudoun.Alistair Hendry

Loudoun Castle

The castle is located approximately 1 mile to the east of the kirk. This imposing Windsor of the North was the result of renovations in the 1800’s around the 15^th century tower house.

John the 4^th earl was the Governor of Virginia in 1746 and hailed as the great agriculture improver within the parish of Loudoun. Helping improve the roads, build limekilns and enclose fields. He was responsible for the development of the Ayrshire rose and instigated the breeding of the famous Ayrshire Cattle, from Dunlop.

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