"Irvine - A place to visit and remember" Irvine by Tommo5226

Having moved from Aberdeen to Clarkston, Renfrewshire in 1965, I have finally, I hope taken root In Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland.

Irvine was one of the Scottish "New Towns," but still retains some of the charm of an old Scottish burgh, parrticularly in and around the harbour area.
Mary Queen of Scots and her 4 Marys spent some time in the town and are commemorated in Irvine Castle.
Robert Burns spent a considerable time here in Irvine, working at the flax spinning trade and Edgar Alan Poe also spent part of his childhood in Irvine.
A few miles away is the town of Kilwinning, where Robert W. Service, (the celebrated Yukon poet spent his school years.

• Pros:A fascinating "old town" atmosphere in certain parts, particularly near the harbour
• Cons:In the 1960's, Irvine was designated one of the Scottish "New Towns" and while much that was done was for the better, a great deal of history was destroyed.
• In a nutshell:Still a great place to live in, but looking back, I wish they had preserved more of the old town