Burns Monument

A trip to the heart of Ayrshire led me to the Burns Monument Centre in the Kay Park, Kilmarnock. The monument centre is used as a wedding & ceremonies centre, as well as a conference centre for various events. You can also utilise the centres records for discovering a little bit more about your family tree as well as general information about the local history of the surrounding area.

The Kay Park itself was funded by local Alexander Kay which is how the park has earned its namesake. The now 40 acre park offers beautiful sights, a  play-park, outdoor gym equipment, a pond, the Fenwick water which leads onto the River Irvine as well as an array of different species of birds such as the kingfisher for any keen birdwatchers.

The Park opened to the public 1879, with the Burns Monument designed by local architect Robert S. Ingram, and completed sculptor William Grant Stephenson after winning a competition to determine the sculptor. Unfortunately, this was partially damaged by a fire in 2004, but the building was restored and extended in 2009 to be the genealogy centre that is recognised today. The Burns monument itself stands inside the grounds of the monument centre building commemorates Ayrshire poet Robert Burns (25/1/1759-21/7/1796) who is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland. The William Shakespeare of Scotland, perhaps. Though born in Alloway, Ayr, Robert Burns has strong ties to Kilmarnock which is why the monument is so fitting. The first edition of Burns' work was printed here in 1786 by local printer, John Wilson - this became more formally known as the "Kilmarnock Edition" which seen nationwide success with famous poems such as "To A Mouse" and "The Twa Dogs".


After the fire, a £5m investment was put into restoring the original building and subsequently in May 2009 the building was again reopened to the public. This time as Scotland's first purpose-built genealogy centre. Though it should be noted, this restoration also became a nominee for what is known as the Carbuncle Cup, which is awarded annually by Building Design Magazine for being "the ugliest design completed in the last 12 months." Perhaps not what the original intention of the building was, though still a further claim to fame for Kilmarnock!

Irrespective of whether the building was voted as the ugliest design of 2010, I am still proud of the history behind the monument and feel it a great landmark in Ayrshire that tourists should consider visiting. Especially those with ties to the area who have a keen interest in their family trees. A video courtesy of East Ayrshire Council below highlights the beautiful Kay Park and the Burns Monument Centre.