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AyrAyr in Ayrshire is located about 19km/12 miles southwest of Kilmarnock, at the point where the River Ayr flows in to the Firth of Clyde. There is evidence of a settlement having been here since the Mesolithic period. Although there are no traces left now, Ayr Castle stood near where the swimming pool is. In 1296 the English invaded and took over the castle and used the Barns of Ayr for their garrison; 18 Scottish nobles were said to have been hung in the barns. The castle itself was destroyed in 1298 and again in 1312 by Robert the Bruce. The fortified wall near the harbour are the remains of Cromwell's citadel. St. John's Tower, which stands roughly at the centre of the citadel, is all that is left of the Church of St. John, which was used by Cromwell as an armoury. The new church that is located on the High Street was paid for by Cromwell. There is a memorial to 7 Covenanters that were buried here in 1666 following their execution for their part in the Pentland Rising at Rullion Green. The gallows once stood close to where the railway station now stands. They were then moved to the southern end of the town until 1809 when the new gallows were erected on the door of the tollbooth. The tollbooth was demolished in 1825 and two stones, with the holes in them to support the gibbet, were built into a local hotel. In 1821 the prison and courthouse were built; the prison, which is referred to as the cottage by the sea, had gallows in the southern corner. The first execution took place here in 1822 and the last in 1854. The prison was demolished in 1931 while the courthouse is now used as the county buildings. William Wallace is said to have strong associations with Ayr; Wallace Tower, which includes a statue of William, is supposedly built on the site of the tollbooth, where Wallace was once said to be imprisoned. There is another small sculpture of Wallace, known as Wee Wallace, on the corner of High and Newmarket Streets. Robert Burns was born in nearby Alloway; he is commemorated by a statue in Burns Square in Ayr. |
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