Torranyard
| Torranyard | |
|---|---|
 The Torranyard Inn |
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 Torranyard
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| Torranyard shown within North Ayrshire | |
| OS grid reference | NS 35740 44019 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Scottish |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Torranyard is a small village or hamlet in North Ayrshire, Parish of Kilwinning, Scotland. It lies between the settlements of Auchentiber and Irvine on the A736 Lochlibo Road.
Torranyard is a hamlet at what is now a crossroads on the Irvine to Glasgow A736 'Lochlibo Road', previous to the main road's construction, circa 1820, it sat on the toll road that ran from Kilwinning and Irvine via Benslie to Glasgow, passing Loch Libo at Uplawmoor en route.
Roy's map of 1747 records the settlement of 'Turringyard' near Auchenharvie Castle . The 1897 25 inch to the mile OS map records a 'Tour Inn' opposite the old Torranyard Toll, now the Torranyard Tabdoori. . It was recorded as 'Turnyard' in 1775, 'Tirranyard' on Thomson's 1820 map and in 1832. The Montgreenan estate is nearby and the site of the old Girgenti house and surviving tower are nearby on the Cunninghamhead road.
The meaning of 'Tour' in Scots is 'Tower', as in the prominent Auchenharvie castle tower nearby. A Yard in Scots is a garden. 'Torranyard' could therefore be a corruption of 'Tour Inn yard.' Local people still pronounce the name 'Torranyard' as 'TOURanyard'.
Jamieson records that the inn at Burnhouse was nicknamed the 'Trap 'Em Inn', the one at Lugton was called the 'Lug 'Em Inn', that at Auchentiber the 'Cleek 'Em Inn', and finally the one at Torranyard was called the 'Turn 'Em Out.'
A local legend is that in the days of the 'body snatchers' or 'resurrectionists'; before the Anatomy Act of 1832, bodies obtained locally were hidden in the ruins of the nearby Auchenharvie Castle before being taken up to Glasgow at night to sell to the surgeons and medical students at the old university. Another version of the story states that the bodies were collected together from neighbouring parishes at Darnshaw, a remote house near Bloak Moss on the old Auchenharvie to Megswell toll road route. The old toll road did run past the site and a toll gate and house stood fairly close by which must cast some doubt on the castle being involved. Jamieson records the story that tramps were lured to their deaths at the inns along this road by 'body snatchers' and as evidence it is recorded that when the Cleikum Inn at Auchentiber was demolished a large collection of walking sticks were found.
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