Galston Parish is situated in East Ayrshire, Scotland, some five to ten miles east of Kilmarnock and roughly encompasses the southern half of the Upper Irvine Valley (locally known as The Valley).

[1][2] It is impossible to say who the strangers were, but it is generally accepted that they were Gaels, due to the profusion of Gaelic names in the area.

[1][2] The parish covers an area of about 61.4 square kilometers (23.7 square miles)[3] and shares borders with six neighbouring parishes: Avondale (east), Kilmarnock (north-west), Loudoun (north), Mauchline (south-east), Riccarton (south-west) and Sorn (south).

In modern times, Galston, Greenholm and Priestland are often said to be in Loudoun, but this is incorrect as all three lie south of the River Irvine, which marks the border between the two parishes.

The mistake most likely stems from the fact that in modern times the name Galston is almost exclusively used to refer to the town, but Loudoun is still used to define an area.