Understanding Scottish Places

Kilbirnie, North Ayrshire

Population 7,098

View Kilbirnie on map

Kilbirnie is in North Ayrshire. Traditional industries included rope making and the manufacture of fishing nets. In 1841 the Glengarnock Steelworks opened. It closed in 1985 with a loss of many local jobs. With few local jobs the town is now a commuter settlement. W& J Knox Threadmill, a very long established business (which preceded the steelworks) l continues to operate making specialist nets although the carpet yarn business was sold to an Italian company in 2014.

In medium towns like this one, people experience more challenging circumstances with higher rates of unemployment, poorer health, lack of a car, lower levels of education and lower social grades than other groups. A higher proportion live in social rented housing. There is a higher proportion of single person households and lone parents.

Kilbirnie is an interdependent to dependent town.

Its most similar towns are Auchinleck, Blackburn (West Lothian), Cardenden and Auchterderran, and Drongan.

To gain more insight into Kilbirnie, compare it to any of the other towns included in USP.

Inter-relationships

Dependent
Interdependent
Independent

Number of jobs

0
Type average -2

Diversity of jobs

-6
Type average 0

Distance travelled to work

-6
Type average 0

Number of public sector jobs

2
Type average 0

Number of hospitals

-6
Type average -5

Number of GP's and dentists

0
Type average -2

Number of children in primary schools

-2
Type average -1

Number of children in secondary schools

4
Type average -2

Distance travelled to study

0
Type average 1

Number of shops

0
Type average 0

Diversity of retail offer

-4
Type average -4

Number of charities

Type average -3
Dependent
Interdependent
Independent

Change

Public

Education (% all people aged 16 and over)

  No education Standard grade or equivalent Higher grade or equivalent HNC, HND, SVQ4 Degree or higher degree
Kilbirnie 25.67179314 23.44093291 9.379753253 24.38735846 17.23846544

Commercial

Distance travelled to study

  At home Up to 5km 5 to 10km 10 to 30km 30km and over
Kilbirnie 3.5643843336151027 10.355029585798816 0.16906170752324598 2.648633417864187 0.8171315863623556

Environment Indicators

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To gain more insight into Kilbirnie, compare it to any of the other towns included in USP.

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Footnotes