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Dalmellington

Dalmellington
Dalmellington is located in East Ayrshire
Dalmellington
Dalmellington
Dalmellington shown within East Ayrshire
OS grid reference NS4764805958
Council area
Lieutenancy area
  • East Ayrshire
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town AYR
Postcode district KA6
Dialling code 01292
Police Scottish
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
EU Parliament Scotland
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
55°19′26″N 4°23′49″W / 55.324°N 4.397°W / 55.324; -4.397Coordinates: 55°19′26″N 4°23′49″W / 55.324°N 4.397°W / 55.324; -4.397

Dalmellington (Scots: Dawmellinton,Scottish Gaelic: Dail M'Fhaolain) is a market town and civil parish in Ayrshire, Scotland. In 2001 the village had a population of 1407. The town owes its origins to the fault line separating the Southern Uplands of Scotland from the Central Lowlands. Dalmellington sits at the issue of a river from the uplands into Dalmellington Moss plain.

The town has a history as a rest area, market town, weaving centre and mining village. The Chalmeston open cast coal mine to the north of the village covered some 742 hectares, but the operations have now ceased and the first phase of the site restoration has been completed.

Robert Hetrick the blacksmith-poet lived in the town in the 19th century. The town used to have a working museum to record the history of the area. This however closed in January 2017.

There are many Sites of Special Scientific Interest around Dalmellington, the most notable being the nearby Loch Doon. Selection of local views The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory is located near Dalmellington and is within the northern edge of the Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park.

Dalmellington Craigengillan Curling Club is the oldest constituted club in Dalmellington; it was formed on December 3, 1841 in the Black Bull Hotel and has continued unbroken since. In 2004 the members reinstated the outside curling pond at Craigengillan, this is the only self leveling curling pond in Scotland.

Dalmellington is an ancient settlement of indeterminate origin. It is probable that the area was first occupied some 6,000 years ago, when Man moved inland from the West Coast along the rivers. It was certainly occupied by the Neolithic Period, as cairns and a few scraps of tools from this period have been found. In recent years traces of early human activity have been found around Loch Doon. There may have been crannogs at Bogton Loch and Loch Doon.In the medieval period Dalmellington was part of Kyle Stewart and under the rule of a series of Norman lords, invited to Scotland by the king to assist in subduing the country. On behalf of the king they collected taxes and administered justice. It was during this period that "The Dalmellington Motte" was constructed.


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