Frank Beattie: 4 books

Located in the heart of Ayrshire, Kilmarnock was once considered its industrial powerhouse. It was little more than a large village until the start of the nineteenth century. In 1812 Kilmarnock was linked to the new harbour at Troon by railway. This established Kilmarnock as an engineering centre,...

Ayrshire is a vibrant county, and yet it is an area of sharp contrasts. There are rocky beaches, sandy shores, busy industrial towns, sleepy hamlets, fertile land and gently rolling hills. Then there is the secret place the locals like to keep to themselves: Loch Doon. As a result, Ayrshire has long...

Every town and city has great stories to tell. They all have local heroes and terrific tales about the people and industries of the area. In this book, Frank Beattie has tapped into the rich history of history of his native Kilmarnock and has brought together a wide selection of fantastic facts, which...

For centuries Kilmarnock was little more than a large village, a market town for a large rural area. It was an area rich in resources and the enterprising people of the town made the best of what they had. Stone for building was quarried locally as was coal and ironstone. Coal mining led to engineering...