Tarbolton
| Tarbolton | |
| Ayrshire | |
|---|---|
 Tarbolton church | |
| Location | |
| Location: | 55°30’48"N, 4°29’12"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 2,300 |
| Post town: | Mauchline |
| Postcode: | KA5 |
| Dialling code: | 01292 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | South Ayrshire |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Central Ayrshire |
Tarbolton is a village and parish in Ayrshire. It is near Failford, Mauchline and Prestwick. The old Fail Monastery was nearby and Robert Burns connections are strong, including the Bachelors' Club museum.
Meaning of place-name
Tarbolton has been suggested as having one of three meanings:
- Village by the tor or hill, from Old English torr, meaning 'tor, hill, cliff' and boðl-tun / bothl-tun, meaning 'village with buildings'; equivalent to Bolton in Lancashire. The name was recorded as Torbolten in 1138, suggesting this origin.
- Village by the field and hill, from Old English torr and bāll, meaning 'field (not meaning the same as ball, i.e. football), as in Dunball, Somerset, with tun meaning 'farm, village'. The name's record in writing as Torballtone in 1209 suggests this origin may be possible.
- Village by the hill, from Celtic torr (from which the Old English word is derived), and baile, meaning 'village', usually Bally- in Irish place-names, with the tautologous Old English tun meaning "farm, village" added by Anglo-Saxon settlers who did not understand the language. Records of the name as Torbalyrtune in 1148 suggest this origin.
Location
Tarbolton is seven miles east north-east from Ayr, the same distance south-west of the town of Kilmarnock, five miles west of Mauchline and a mile and a quarter from its own railway station (closed in 1943). It has a school, church, a gospel hall, a Post Office, three pubs, and is home to the Bachelors' Club, a frequent haunt of Robert Burns.
The monastery and later castle of Fail existed at the hamlet of that name near Fail Toll. Fail Loch once covered a significant area however it survives now only as an area liable to flooding.
Famous residents
Famous residents of Tarbolton include:
- Kris Boyd, footballer with Kilmarnock F.C.[1]
- Evan Armstrong, boxer who was British Featherweight Champion from 17 September 1973 until 8 July 1974.
- John McLauchlan, Scottish Rugby Union Footballer from 1969 until 1979.
References
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Tarbolton) |
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