A surprising village

I had to go cross-country to Ayr today which is a lovely drive on such a pleasant day. The route takes me through a number of towns and villages which have seen better times.

Muirkirk is one of these. It has been very much a place to pass through. There has always been a totem pole type structure at the Ayr end of the village. An ayrshire version of the Angel of the North. I thought it might be a good subject for a blip.

It is next to a small park with signs telling something of the history of the place. And it's history was full of surprises. It is one involving religious freedoms and Covenanter martyrdom, literature and poetry with connections to Robert Burns, coal mining, irons works and pioneering road building.

I was surprised and delighted. I shall look at the place differently from now on. Didn't find out about the structure though.