The Community

Sheltered from the prevailing winds by the Clevance Hills to the south west, and dominated by its 14th Century Castle, Dundonald village enjoys a pleasant rural setting at the heart of Ayrshire.  It lies just off the A759 Kilmarnock to Troon road and is approximately 5 miles from these two towns, and the new town of Irvine is also nearby.  Today, at the start of the 21st Century, it is a community of some 3,000 people yet it still retains many of the characteristics of a village, with its Church, its school, its few Main Street shops, its two pubs and its surrounding fertile countryside.  Farming is still a major activity in the parish, though most of the residents of the village travel elsewhere to work.  Transport links are good by road, rail or air, and yet there remains a feeling of living  in the country.  These attractions make Dundonald a desirable place to live and new houses have been steadily added to the village over the last 50 years.  There is an open view to Arran to the west and the village is backed by the tree-covered slope of the Old Bank, a mature woodland through which there are pleasant walks.

Dundonald lies in the parliamentary constituency of Central Ayrshire and comes under the jurisdiction of South Ayrshire Council to which it returns its own councillor.  It has its own Community Council to look after local affairs.  Transport links are good.  There are bus services to Troon, Kilmarnock, Irvine, Ayr and Glasgow.  The M77/A77 main arterial road is 2 miles away, there are ScotRail services from Troon and Kilmarnock, and Prestwick Airport is within 5 miles.  Glasgow Airport is 40 minutes away by car.

History

Dundonald has a long history.  Stone Age man occupied the Castlehill around 5000 years ago, the Strathclyde Britons had a fort here, the High Stewards of Scotland built their castle here, and Dundonald became a Royal residence with the accession of Robert II.  Christianity arrived around 1,500 years ago, the community passed through some turbulent times in the Covenanting years, the parish became a hotbed of smuggling in the 18th century, there are associations with Robert Burns, the earliest railway in Scotland passed through the parish.

Present Day

Dundonald is a lively and very active community.  The local church is one of the strongest rural charges in the county, there is a recently constructed primary school in the village, secondary schooling is provided by Marr College in Troon, and there are a number of well supported clubs within the village.  The church has a number of associated organisations—Sunday School, Bible Class, Youth Café, a well supported Guild, the Y Group for younger adults and a men’s Club.  Also associated with the Church there is the Big Ends Music and Drama Group who present a variety of musical events including a Christmas pantomime. 

The Dundonald Archives Group organises summer exhibitions in the Church Hall. From Sunday 1st to Sunday 8th August, "Dundonald: Past & Present" will be the theme for 2010. Opening Times -  to be advised.

The local Burns Club (men only) meets monthly throughout the winter, a Craft and Social Club meets weekly in winter, there is a small Historical Society and  a branch of the WRI.  For the more sports minded there is a good Bowling Club with an attractively sited green below the Castle, there is a Golf Club which plays its medals on good local municipal courses, a well-established Curling Club and a Rifle Club with its own indoor range, badminton is played in the Church Hall and there is a variety of activities in the Play Barn and the Village Hall.

For the younger members of the community there is a Boys’ Brigade Company, a Scout Group, a Brownie pack and a centre where the young can gather to play pool and use computer facilities.  The senior citizens are also well provided for with a sheltered housing unit in which a lunch club meets twice a week and where Clubs meet to play whist and dominoes.  There is a good meals-on-wheels service for those who need it, and there is a medical practice with its own pharmacy and a medical centre where some additional health care is provided.  Crosshouse Hospital is only 3 miles away and Ayr Hospital around 10 miles away.