History Timeline

In the 1700s, Kilmarnock was a small but rapidly growing market town, with a population estimated at 1000 people. 

It was becoming one of the country’s most important inland trading centres driven by agriculture, weaving and local markets, and attracting merchant traders from all over the world. 

At the dawn of the19th Century, it also became famous for publishing the First Edition of Robert Burns Poems - something that is still celebrated today. See our Poets' Corner page to find out more

In the 1800s Kilmarnock  grew rapidly from a modest market town into one of Scotland's leading industrial centres. The population grew from 6000 in the early 1800s to 21,000 by 1851. 

Industrial growth was boosted by the introduction of the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway, the first railway authorised by Parliament, carrying coal to the Troon port.

Kilmarnock’s major roads and streets began to develop King Street, Portland Road and in the Victorian era the beautiful John Finnie Street. 

By late 1880 - 1890s Kilmarnock was a bustling industrial town with gas street lighting, railway stations, grand civic buildings, trams, shops , factories and rows of workers housing.

During the1900’s  Kilmarnock moved through periods of major change. It reached its industrial peak, endured two world wars and then faced significant economic decline. 

The population grew from 35,000 to 47,000 making the town one of Scotland’s leading industrial towns, specialising in:

• Carpet manufacturing
• Engineering
• Textile production
• Whisky blending  and bottling
•  Coal mining

Much of the population was employed in heavy industry, in large factories sending goods all over the world. Electric trams improved public transport and new council housing developed in response to overcrowding.

The town remained prosperous despite periods of unemployment, with shops, dance halls and football were central to community life.

The 1950s are remembered as one of Kilmarnock’s prosperous decades. A busy town centre with industry and retail and population  rise to 47,000 residents. 

Small independent shops, banks, cafés and cinemas lined the streets. Buses and bicycles were key modes of transport. 

A Saturday was a busy shopping day and the town centre was used for living, retail and leisure. 

The key industries kept local people employed in carpet making, shoe making, clothing manufacture, whisky blending, margarine production and engineering, meaning that school leavers often had a wide choice of employment.

In the 1970s the rise of retail and the dependency on cars led to the development of the Percy Johnson Marshall Masterplan which sought to address the traffic congestion issues that were developing in the town centre and also sought to modernise the town in reponse to the demand for large retail spaces.

The masterplan although not fully implemented, significantly changed the character of the town centre, introducing many buildings reflecting the brutalist style which was popular at the time.

Kilmarnock’s town centre is shifting from a retail-led destination to a mixed-use centre, reflecting changing shopping habits. Over the past 20 years our regeneration efforts have focused on creating a vibrant place to live, work and visit, with greater emphasis on housing, leisure, culture, hospitality, community facilities and independent businesses alongside a sustainable retail offer.