Visit Beith Places

Welcome to Visit Beith Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Beith

  

Beith Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Beith

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Beith history

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Name

Beith’s name is thought to emanate from Ogham, sometimes referred to as the “Celtic Tree Alphabet”, ascribing names of trees to individual letters . Beithe in Old Irish means Birch-tree (cognate to Latin betula) There is reason to believe that the whole of the district was covered with woods .

Saint Inan

Beith is said to have been the occasional residence of Saint Inan, a confessor of some celebrity, whose principal place of abode was Irvine . A cleft in the west-front of Lochlands Hill is still known as St. Inan’s Chair .

Alexander Montgomerie

Alexander Montgomerie is regarded as one of the finest of Middle Scots poets . He is perhaps the greatest Scottish exponent of the sonnet form . He was probably born in Hazelhead Castle, on the outskirts of Beith .

Smugglers

In 1733 smugglers sacked Irvine Customs House, escaping with a rich booty of confiscated goods . By 1789 a company of 76 soldiers were quartered in the town dealing with the continuing illicit trade in tea, tobacco, and spirits . The Main Street’s popular public house is still called the Smugglers Tavern .

Morrishill and James Montgomery

Morrishill was owned by Robert Shedden, who purchased the land in 1748 . It is notoriously linked to the case of James Montgomery . Now a small housing estate, it is a short distance south of Beith .

Rev. John Witherspoon

Rev. John Witherspoon was a former minister of one its Church of Scotland parishes between 1745–1757 . In 1745 he led the men of Beith to Glasgow to defend King George III against the Young Pretender in the ’45 rebellion . He was captured at the Battle of Falkirk and imprisoned for a time in Doune Castle . He later emigrated and became a member of the US congress and voted for the Resolution for Independence .

Robert Tannahill

The Scottish Poet Robert Tannahill’s relatives lived at Boghall Farm near Gateside . His mother, Janet Pollock, and uncle, Hugh Brodie, farmed at Langcroft at the foot of Calder Glen near Lochwinnoch .

Henry Faulds

Henry Faulds was born in Beith in 1843 and wrote to Charles Darwin to forward his ideas . He died in 1930, bitter at the lack of recognition he had received for his work . His work in Japan is remembered by a memorial stone in Tokyo .

Robert Aitken

Aitken was a land surveyor and cartographer . He published in Beith a New Parish Atlas of Ayrshire in 1829 .

You can visit Beith places with Walkfo Beith to hear history at Beith’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Beith has 24 places to visit in our interactive Beith map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Beith, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Beith places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Beith & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 24 audio facts unique to Beith places in an interactive Beith map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Beith Places Map
24 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Beith historic spots	Beith tourist destinations	Beith plaques	Beith geographic features
Walkfo Beith tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Beith

  

Best Beith places to visit

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Beith has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Beith’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Beith’s information audio spots:

Geilsland House Geilsland House lies in between Gateside and Beith in North Ayrshire, Scotland . After serving as a private house it became a school and most recently (2015) has passed into the ownership of the Beith Development Community Trust .

Hessilhead Hessilhead used to be called Hazlehead or Hasslehead. The lands were part of the Lordship of Giffen and the Barony of Hessilheads. The castle was situated at grid reference NS380532.

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Visit Beith plaques