Part 1 of our look at Ayrshire's heroes past and present

These are the men and woman who were born or lived in Ayrshire and left an enduring legacy.

Over the next 10 weeks, we'll take a brief look at the lives and times of Ayrshire's most famous sons and daughters, from medieval times to those who are still making headlines today.

We'll be covering scientists, sportsmen and women, musicians, heroes, inventors, politicians authors, actors and many many more. And there's a very obvious figure to start this series...

Robert Burns

Burns has to be the most recognisable poet and Ayrshire son.

Born in Alloway on January 25, 1759, his parents were farmers but ensured their son received a good education and by 27 this rhymestone ploughboy was famous across Scotland.

Robert Burns is surely Ayrshire's most famous son. (Image: Contributed)

Among his many works are To a Louse, To a Mouse and The Cotter’s Saturday Night. But his most notable was Auld Lang Syne - which is now used to welcome the new year in throughout the English-speaking world.

After an apprenticeship in Irvine, Burns and his brother farmed for four years at Mossgiel near Mauchline. Burns fathered nine children with wife Jean Armour, but only three survived.

By 1989, Burns had spent most of his earnings from his published poems and had to get a job as an Excise Officer in Dumfries. He died on July 21, 1796, aged just 37.

Baron Kelvin of Largs

Baron Kelvin is a name that still stands tall in the world of science.

Born in Belfast, William Thomson came to Glasgow at the age of six after the death of his Scottish mother. Simultaneously, his father was named Professor of Mathematics at the University of Glasgow.

William Thomson was made Baron Kelvin of Largs for his contribution to science. (Image: Contributed)

William entered university at the age of 10 - and remains in the Guinness Book of Records for that feat. By the age of 22, he was appointed Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy at Glasgow University.

He went on to develop the science of thermodynamics, and formulated the ‘Kelvin’ scale of absolute temperature. He supervised the laying of the first trans-Atlantic insulated electric telegraph cable which revolutionised world communications.

Kelvin, who lived at Netherhall, Largs, was knighted in 1866 for his contribution to telegraphy and became Baron Kelvin of Largs in 1892.

Sir Tom Hunter

Businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Thomas Blane Hunter was born May 1961 in New Cumnock.

By 2007, he was reported in the Sunday Times Rich List as the first ever home-grown billionaire in Scotland.

Sir Tom has given billions to charities since selling Sports Division in 1998. (Image: Contributed)

He attended Cumnock Academy and his first business idea came from his father’s work on a market stall in Irvine indoor market, when Tom decided to start selling trainers from the back of a van.

In 1989 he opened his first Sports Division store in Paisley selling sports kit and shell suits, and in 1995, with some help, bought Olympus Sports.

This made Sports Division into the number one sports chain in the UK, with 250 stores. He sold the business in 1998.

Since then Sir Tom has given billions to charities and and in 1998 he co-founded the Hunter Foundation, now headquartered in North Ayrshire. 

Peter Howson

Born in London in 1958, Peter moved with his family to Prestwick when he was four and he grew up in the town.

His blossoming talent for artwork saw him  join the Glasgow School of Art in 1979.

Peter Howson moved with his family to Prestwick when he was four years old. (Image: Contributed)

He became part of the group of artists known as ‘The Glasgow Boys’ who revolutionised Scottish art with their striking images.

A complex character, Peter experienced difficult times in his life and this was reflected in his graphic and gory work.

But life changed when he was commissioned to paint images of the war-torn former Yugoslavia and he found a new lease of life. This led to possibly the most successful period of his career and he was named among the 500 most influential artists of the last century.

Eddi Reader

Singing sensation Eddi Reader has performed to audiences across the globe, and her success can be traced right back to Ayrshire.

As a teenager in 1976, Eddi and her family moved out of an overcrowded Glasgow flat to a council development in Irvine New Town.

Eddi Reader busked on Ayrshire's streets as a teenager. (Image: Contributed)

She busked on the streets throughout her teen years and worked in an Irvine factory as well as Sirocco Recording Studio in Kilmarnock.

Her career hit the big time when she formed Fairground Attraction. In 1988 the band released their first single, “Perfect”, which became a UK number one, winning best single at the 1989 BRIT Awards.

Their first album, The First of a Million Kisses, hit number two in the UK Albums Chart, and winning best album at the 1989 Brits.

Eddi has since gone on to become a popular solo artist and her performances of songs by Burns wowed audiences. 
 

Bill Shankly

The man who uttered the immortal words ‘football isn’t a matter of life and death, it’s far more important than that’ became a national legend.

Liverpool manager Bill Shankly remains to this day a hero on Merseyside and is still fondly remembered in Ayrshire.

Bill Shankly's life in football began with the Glenbuck Cherrypickers. (Image: Contributed)

Born and brought up in Glenbuck, his earliest days as a footballer were with the Glenbuck Cherrypickers. But he left the now-lost mining village to being a successful career in England starting with Preston North End.

He was appointed Liverpool manager in 1959. In a spell of football dominance that few will ever match, his successes included several league titles, a UEFA Cup triumph in 1973 and countless FA Cup wins.

The game was rocked in 1981 when Shankly died of a heart attack.

Look out for six more Ayrshire heroes next week.