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.

The Kelpies

Today I went on a trip to a monument in Falkirk known as “The Kelpies”. The horses head statues are based in the Helix Park in Falkirk where they can be seen peering over the M9. This artwork stands at 100ft tall making this the largest public artwork in Scotland, as well as the largest horses head sculptures in the world. The name comes from Scottish legend behind the shape-shifting water monster that are said to have haunted streams and rivers and would usually appear in the form of a horse. A tour of the Kelpies is available where you can get to view the interior of the structure, as well as receive some background information about the history of why the location and purpose is far from coincidental. 

Built in 2013 the Kelpies pay homage to the horse powered heritage in Scotland. The reason for Falkirk being chosen as their location was not coincidental. Falkirk lies between the Union and Forth and Clyde canals which were the motorways of their time during the industrial era. Tow horses were used along the canals to transport cargo from East to West coast along the central belt in Scotland.

Designed by Glasgow-born sculptor, Andy Scott the Kelpies stand at 30 meters high and weigh 300 tonnes each. The construction time for this great project took only a few months and was complete by October 2013. To help raise funds and awareness for the final project Andy Scott designed two 1:10 scale maquettes which he went on tour with to various locations across Scotland. The choice to build the structure from steel was an intentional homage to Falkirk's steel industry which played a large role during the industrial era. 

The Kelpies have also been named by Andy Scott as "Head up Kelpie" and Head down Kelpie" though these have become more affectionately known to the public as Duke and Baron who were the two Clydesdale horses Andy Scott based the sculptures on. In regards to the significance of the structure Andy Scott exclaims:

"They will elevate Falkirk and Grangemouth to national and international prominence and foster a sense of pride and ownership. As a canal structure they will partner the iconic Falkirk Wheel, and echo its grandeur. They stand testament to the achievements of the past, a tribute to artisanship and engineering and a proud declaration of intent for the future of Scotland."

The tour allows an inside sneak peak of the Kelpies which only further illustrates how intricate this monument is. There's additional information inside regarding the construction of the Kelpies as well as concept art from Andy Scott. Upon completion of the project the two Clydesdale horses who inspired the Kelpies were brought to the official launch. Duke has left a memento inside his statue, his horse shoe which can be seen on the tour.

The cost of the tour is £7.50 for adults and free for children, although there are promotions throughout the year where this can be accessed free of charge. It is certainly a worthwhile part of Scottish culture that any budding tourist should come and visit due to it's great location along the central belt of Scotland. Falkirk itself is a town with a lot to offer to tourism in Scotland beyond the Kelpies. Falkirk is at the heart of the two canals which offer fantastic scenic views, but also the opportunity to see the Falkirk Wheel which has also contributed to the local and national economy through tourism.

Following the opening of the Kelpies in the Helix Park saw almost 1 million visitors in it’s first year. Although there has been criticism regarding the construction of the Kelpies due to the £5 million cost, the economic impact of the Kelpies and Falkirk Wheel have increased 51.6% since 2009 to over £100m per year making the £5m investment relatively small in the grand scheme of things which the investment being returned to the community many times over. 

This short video courtesy of dronecrews.co.uk shows a time-lapse of how the Kelpies were constructed.