Kirkoswald

The pretty village of Kirkoswald is more than just a stop on the way to Turnberry or Girvan. With links to Robert the Bruce and Robert Burns, the village is a conservation area, centered around an ancient church that was built by monks in 1244. 

These impressive ruins are still worth visiting and contain the baptismal font of Robert the Bruce. The ‘new’ church was built in 1777, to a design by Robert Adam, the celebrity architect responsible for Culzean Castle’s grandeur. 

Robert Burns’ maternal ancestors came from Kirkoswald, and many of his characters were based on ordinary village folk, such as Tam O’Shanter and Souter Johnnie – you can even visit the home of the cobbler who was made famous in the poem.  

The parish of Kirkoswald also includes the village of Maidens, Turnberry Castle, Thomaston Castle and the imposing ruins of Crossraguel Abbey.