The last in operation was Pate's Mill, which sat on Brown Street opposite the railway station (present-day Vesuvius building).

[6] In addition, given the strong strategic importance of Newmilns' position as a suitable fording place and a bottleneck on one of Scotland's main east–west trade routes, it is not unlikely that other battles and skirmishes occurred during this period.

On 1 June 1679, a large conventicle taking place near Loudoun Hill was attacked by a company of dragoons, led by John Graham of Claverhouse.

[13] A stone plaque in Castle Street also records the name of John Law, who was shot in April 1685 while successfully helping eight Covenanters escape their imprisonment in Newmilns Keep.

[14] About two centuries later, Britain began importing cotton from the United States and as Newmilns by this time had a long-established weaving tradition, the town's handloom industry rose to national prominence.

[14] Newmilns also became very prosperous during this period, evidenced by both buildings around the Cross and the institution of the Trades' Race in 1743, which became an annual event for many years to come.

[14] Joseph Hood and his colleague, Hugh Morton, installed a lace curtain machine in Newmilns in 1876[8] and very quickly, others followed suit.

[17] The Browns' management of the estate not only oversaw this vast expansion of land, but saw many improvements to the land itself, including a large afforestation program (resulting in the present-day Lanfine Wood), the erection of a stately home and three gatehouses, the installation of Browns Road (which runs from Newmilns to Darvel and allows access to the estate) and the introduction of small game to the area.

Newmilns' urban development is reasonably easy to chart – as the town extends from The Cross to its outskirts, newer buildings become more abundant and the A71 gradually widens.

Over its history, The Keep has served many purposes, including being used as a barracks, prison, grain store, doocot, band hall and beer cellar.

Each of the windows contains a floral panel which links back to the image of Flora, the Roman Goddess of flowers and the season of spring.

The property was Listed by Historic Scotland in 1992 and since 2006, has undergone a major programme of internal and external restoration works to ensure its longterm integrity.

Royal Bank of Scotland vacated the ground floor of the property in 2015 after over a century and a further programme of restoration has been carried out to reinstate the Victorian detailing which had been removed in the past.

[16] Alongside squirrels more common mammals can be found, such as the badger, fox, deer, rabbit, hare, weasel, stoat, hedgehog and species of rats, mice, shrews and voles.

[16] The river provides home to minnows, salmon and trout; frogs, toads, bats and a large and varied insect population can be found nearby.

[16] To the west of Newmilns, local residents have sighted common kingfishers along the riverbank[16] which, although elusive, are a popular aspect of the river's biodiversity.

[16] On 18 October 1954, residents of Newmilns were shocked to witness an avalanche of "black debris-littered scum"[19] make its way down Darvel Road before eventually settling at the East Strand.

[19] The town coup, which for eighteen years prior had been situated in a field above Darvel Road, had been washed downhill by severe rainfall and left much of Newmilns swamped in filth.

[24][25] Aside the usual array of clubs and organisations catering for different age ranges and interest groups, Newmilns is host to a variety of different sports, leisure & social pursuits including a bowling club, a dry ski slope and mountain-bike track, three public houses, an annual cattle show, a library and three public parks at Greenside, the Glebe and Gilfoot.

The day starts with a brass band-led parade, which includes representatives from local groups, businesses, organisations and members of the wider community.

[8][32] Subsequent housing development has rendered the bogey line undetectable, but the hump in the road outside the entrances to Gilfoot and Mason's Holm marks the spot where it crossed the A71.

After writing to the U.S. Government to declare their support for the anti-slavery cause, an appreciative Abraham Lincoln presented Newmilns with an American flag.

The flag however was eventually lost, leading U.S. Consul, General Dayle C McDonough to present a new one during Newmilns' Civic Week celebrations in 1949.

[8] It is now recognised by the Irvine Valley Path Network, although certain barriers have been erected to block free access to Loudoun Castle Theme Park.

In 1786, Robert Burns used the proceeds from his Kilmarnock Edition to book passage from Greenock to Jamaica, in the hope of making a better life for himself abroad.

[36] In 1891, local lace manufacturers, Johnstone Shields & Co, opened a factory in Gothenburg, using Newmilns employees to set up and run the site.

The men from Newmilns set up another football team, Colonia Escocesa, which, according to local historians, contested the first ever Spanish cup final.

[37] Whilst seemingly not part of an official tournament, it is quite possible that the participating players viewed the match as an international cup final, explaining why oral tradition remembers it as such.

As the club was notoriously poor at turning a profit, it's believed it only survived because until 1947, it never had sufficient funds to return the area to its original condition.

Stewarts Place occupied the area between Browns Road and the Tilework Brae and was built to accommodate navvies brought to Newmilns for the purpose of extending the railway line to Darvel.