Kilmarnock (/kɪlˈmɑːrnək/ kil-MAR-nək; Scots: Kilmaurnock; Scottish Gaelic: Cill Mheàrnaig, IPA: [kʲʰiːʎ ˈvaːɾnəkʲ]), meaning "the church of Mernóc",[5] is a town and former burgh in East Ayrshire situated in southwest Scotland.

The town's precise origins are largely unclear, however, it is believed that a community was established between the fifth–seventh centuries at the Laigh Kirk Church by a Saint Marnock.

[21] The Romans held a "tentative grip" on the area in and around Kilmarnock, with forts nearby at Loudoun Castle as well as possessing costal harbours around Ayrshire.

[22] By the end of the sixteenth century, Kilmarnock had become a burgh of barony, and had a weekly market stall and by the 1600s had grown into a small network of narrow streets, with the population relying on industries such as spinning wool, knitting bonnets and the manufacturing of metal cutlery to make a living.

[21] The core of the early town appears to have lain around what is now the Laigh Kirk, Kilmarnock (Low Church), although the oldest parts of the current building are no earlier than the 17th century, extending north and northwest.

Its expansion led to Kilmarnock becoming larger than Kilmaurs and becoming Ayrshire's largest inland centre and challenging the supremacy of the royal burghs of Ayr and Irvine.

[25] Its close proximity to Troon and its harbour helped Kilmarnock's trade and economy and its reputation of a strong and important burgh despite its inland position.

A considerable effort began to construct "homes for heroes" in Kilmarnock following World War II, taking "years, even decades, to complete".

Glenfild & Kennedy, also based in the town, made components for anti-tank guns among other war-related engineering projects, including valves for mulberry harbours.

[38] In 1945 an attempt by the Burgh Council of Kilmarnock to cope with increasing traffic was made by removing the statue of Sir James Shaw and re-developing the Cross into a roundabout.

[40] Considerable growth of the town occurred in the second half of the 19th century, and following World War I, major efforts began to construct new homes to be "fit for heroes".

New residential and commercial streets around the town were created, with large housing schemes being built in the years which followed the end of World War II.

Mass housing construction to create the New Farm Loch estate aimed to meet the increased demands of the towns population by providing additional space for homes as well as vehicles.

[42] In 1974, the Foregate pedestrianised shopping area was opened, to be followed by a new bus station, a multistorey car park, a civic centre, and a re-shaped central precinct for the town.

Kilmarnock was no exception, with the closure or significant reduction of many of its traditional large employers: Glenfield and Kennedy, Massey Ferguson, BMK and Saxone.

During the late 1960s and into the 1970s, Kilmarnock, predominately the town centre, underwent an extensive programme of regeneration which would see a number of historic structures particularly on King Street demolished to make way for new buildings as part of redevelopment plans.

Additionally, the Newton area of the town was proposed to be demolished entirely, with residents to be offered new housing in the New Farm Loch estate which at that time was still be constructed.

The Foregate was constructed in a style which saw extensive brick-built commercial developments including offices over shops with canted projecting plate-glass windows.

[49] In early 2006, an application to Historic Scotland's Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme was successful, and in July 2006 an application under the Heritage Lottery Fund's Townscape Heritage Initiative Scheme was pending,[50] allowing work to be finished on a quality housing development on the site of the former Kilmarnock Infirmary, north of the town centre, which was completed by local property development company The KLIN Group.

Companies such as Vodafone (Webhelp Call Centre) and Teleperformance occupy a large part of the Rowallan Business Park,[75] which is also home to Food Partners, a nationwide sandwich franchise.

[76] Nowadays, the economy of Kilmarnock is largely based on public service and office work, with local property redevelopment and regeneration company, The KLIN Group occupies the former Andrew Barclay Sons & Co offices in West Langland Street,[77] Brodie Engineering operate two production factories for locomotives in the town centre[78] and Utopia Computers also have their headquarters and main site situated in Kilmarnock in High Glencairn Street.

[88] Following the closure of the Hill Street plant, the building was demolished and the site is now home to both the Kilmarnock campus of Ayrshire College and The HALO Urban Regeneration.

[89] Kilmarnock's traditional industries were based around textiles and heavy engineering such as locomotives (Andrew Barclay Sons & Co) from 1837, and valves (Glenfield and Kennedy), which are still in production.

[101] The contractor, Melville Dundas & Whitson, encountered difficulties with the water supply and ventilation systems[102] and the facility was only officially opened by George Younger, Secretary of State for Scotland, as Crosshouse Hospital in June 1984.

[107] Kilmarnock is served by a number of general practice (GP) surgeries under NHS Scotland and a variety of other healthcare services including dental treatment and pharmacies.

Until the 18th century, means of transportation in and around Kilmarnock relied on rough tracks which were narrow, twisting and, at times, impassable, to link the town with neighbouring settlements.

By the start of the 19th century, William Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland, wanted "the best way" to transport coal between Kilmarnock and the seaside settlement of Troon for onward shipping.

A south side motorway connects this point to the M74 near Calderpark when the latest phase of development is complete, eliminating some of the heavy traffic formerly travelling on the A71 through Hurlford, Galston, Newmilns, Darvel and Strathaven to join the M74 at Stonehouse.

As an early market town, Kilmarnock lies on the intersection of 3 main roads: the A71 which runs from Edinburgh to Irvine, the A76 from Dumfries, and the A77/M77 from Stranraer to Glasgow.

[117] Loanhead Primary School underwent a multi-mullion pound programme of investment between 2020 and 2021 to modernise the building and include provision for early years education within the town centre area of Kilmarnock.