Sorn, East Ayrshire

Sorn (Scottish Gaelic: Sorn, meaning a kiln) is a small village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It is situated on the River Ayr. It has a population of roughly 350. Its neighbouring village is Catrine. Sorn Castle lies just outside the village.

Sorn was a parish in Ayrshire. One gazetteer states "It is bounded on the north by Galston; on the east by Muirkirk; on the south by Auchinleck; and on the west by Mauchline."^[1] Another states that Sorn did not exist until 1658 when it was disjoined from the parish of Mauchline.^[2]

Sorn has a Covenanter history.

Local businesses and services include: a cafe, a gift shop, a church, a village hall, a bowling green and a primary school. In November 2007 the school was threatened with closure by East Ayrshire Council.^[3] Previously, the village has supported an inn with a public bar, a hotel, a general store, a motorbike shop and a television shop.

Sorn is known for its success in the Britain in Bloom competition. In 2004 it won gold in the "Small Villages" category and has previously won, amongst other awards, the "Highly Commended Certificate" a number of times in the 1980s.

Sorn is situated on the River Ayr Way which opened in 2006 as Scotland's first source to sea long-distance path.^[4]

• John Campbell of Sorn nonconformist minister.^[5]
• Rev Lewis Balfour (1777–1860), minister of Sorn 1806 to 1824.
• George William Balfour (1823–1903), physician
• Alexander Peden (1626-1686) - preacher
• Sir John Rankine FRSE (1846–1922) - legal author
• Very Rev John Rankine (1816–1885), minister and Moderator of the General Assembly in 1883 (father of above)
• James Rennie (1787-1867) - natural historian, author, and educator
• James Seaton 1822-1882), Member of New Zealand's Parliament (1875-1879 and 1881–1882)

• Lady's Well, Auchmannoch

• Fullarton (pub.) (1854). The Topographical, statistical, and historical gazetteer of Scotland ; with a complete county-atlas from recent surveys, exhibiting all the lines of road, rail, and canal communication; and an appendix, containing the results of the census of 1851. Edinburgh: A. Fullarton. p. 681.
• Groome, Francis, Hindes (1895). Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland : a survey of Scottish topography, statistical, biographical, and historical. Vol. 6. Edinburgh: T.C. Jack. pp. 365-366.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Lewis, Samuel (1851). A topographical dictionary of Scotland, comprising the several counties, islands, cities, burgh and market towns, parishes, and principal villages, with historical and statistical descriptions: embellished with engravings of the seals and arms of the different burghs and universities. Vol. 2. London: S. Lewis and co. pp. 472-473.
• Paterson, James (1847). History of the County of Ayr : with a genealogical account of the families of Ayrshire. Edinburgh: T.G. Stevenson. pp. 419–433.
• Scott, Hew (1920). Fasti ecclesiæ scoticanæ; the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation. Vol. 3. Edinburgh : Oliver and Boyd. pp. 67-69.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
• Steven, Helen J. (1898). Sorn Parish: Its History and Associations. Kilmarnock: Dunlop and Drennan.
• Stewart, John (1845). The new statistical account of Scotland. Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons. pp. 126-147.

• Ancient Images - A Shepherd and his Sheepdog, Dalgain Church, Sorn Video footage of Dalgain Church.
• The Old Holehouse Mill on the River Ayr, Sorn Video footage of Holehouse Mill.
• Haggis Bank and Dalgain Lime Works, Holehouse, Sorn Video footage of Dalgain Lime Works and Haggis Bank lime kiln.