East Ayrshire, SCT - Postcode - KA3 1UG

East Ayrshire 

As one of Scotland's 32 council areas, East Ayrshire is home to a diverse population. It is surrounded by the counties of Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, and South Lanarkshire. The Kilmarnock City Council offices can be found on London Road. Historically, it was part of the county of Ayrshire, along with South Ayrshire and the mainland portions of North Ayrshire.

Based on the most recent population count in 2011, the East Ayrshire area was home to 122,100 people, making it the 16th most populous local authority in all of Scotland.

East Ayrshire is the fourteenth-largest local authority in Scotland, covering an area of 1,262 km2 (487 sq mi). Kilmarnock, the county seat, and its surrounding areas are home to over 46,000 people as of the 2011 census, making up the vast majority of East Ayrshire's total population. Cumnock, the county's second-largest town, is surrounded by a number of smaller communities and villages, including Stewarton, Darvel, and Hurlford.

The Robert Burns Academy, Scotland's largest school, can be found in Cumnock, the county seat of East Ayrshire.

Overview

The largest city is Kilmarnock, followed by Cumnock and the two smaller main cities, New Cumnock and Stewarton. This region was established in 1996 from the merger of the counties of Kilmarnock, Loudoun, Cumnock, and Doon Valley. Kilmarnock is not only the county seat but also its largest city. It's worth noting that Sukhumi, Abkhazia, and the former Kilmarnock and Loudoun District Council were once sister cities. After careful consideration, we have determined that this link represents a friendly relationship.

Local government for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Cill Mhearnaig agus Lughdan in Scottish Gaelic) was one of the nineteen districts in the Strathclyde area of Scotland from 1975 to 1996. A portion of Ayrshire County was split off to create this district in 1973 under the authority of the Local Government (Scotland) Act.

The district also included Hurlford and Kilmaurs in addition to the burghs.

The district was dissolved in 1996 as a result of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, which consolidated all of Scotland's administrative divisions into unified council areas, eliminating the need for districts. East Ayrshire, which now includes the district, was formed by merging it with Cumnock and Doon Valley. The House of Commons still has a Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency, and the Scottish Parliament also has a Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency, both of which represent roughly the same geographic area.

Economy and Performance

East Ayrshire, like much of Scotland, had its economy heavily reliant on coal mining, textiles, and general manufacturing in the past, all of which declined significantly in Scotland during the 1970s and 1980s. South of East Ayrshire, in places like Auchinleck and Bellsbank and Dalmellington, the local economies have yet to recover from the loss of traditional industry jobs. In spite of East Ayrshire Council's commitment of £200 million in economic recovery funds to assist communities and create new job opportunities, there are still some places where residents have a hard time making ends meet. 

While cities like Kilmarnock, the seat of East Ayrshire Council, have been fostering the growth of new businesses and industries, the city's manufacturing sector has been experiencing a steady decline in recent years. Johnnie Walker was founded in Kilmarnock, and in 2009, Diageo, the company's owner, announced plans to shut down its bottling plant on Hill Street. The plant was shut down in 2012, and 700 people lost their jobs as a result. 

Tourist hotspots like Dean Castle, the Palace Theatre, and Dumfries House bring in a lot of money to the local economy in East Ayrshire, along with the food and drink industry.

To this day, agriculture remains the primary driver of economic activity and employment in the rural communities of the authority, especially in the region's southern communities.

Education, Social Services, and NHS Ayrshire and Arran are just a few examples of council departments that employ a large number of people to carry out essential functions for the council and serve as the largest single employer in the region. The Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce has helped 279 new businesses get off the ground in East Ayrshire since 2012. After a surge in 2012, the number of startup companies slowed in 2013. Halo Urban Generation (Kilmarnock) Ltd., founded by Marie Macklin CBE, is headquartered in Kilmarnock; its primary mission is to create openings for new businesses in the area; it contributes approximately £205 million to the Scottish economy and maintains 1,500 local jobs.

In November 2013, East Ayrshire had a higher than average unemployment rate of 11%, with 17% of the working-age population claiming benefit, which was also higher than the average for Scotland.