Irvine, The (Gael. iar-an, ` westward-flowing river '), a river of Ayrshire, rising on the Lanarkshire border, at an altitude of. 810 feet above sea-level, near Drumclog, and 7 miles SW by W of Strathaven. Thence it winds 29½ miles westward, dividing Cunninghame from Kyle, till it falls into the Firth of Clyde at Irvine town. Its principal affluents are Glen Water, Polbaith Burn, Kilmarnock Water, Carmel Water, Annick Water, and the Garnock; and it bounds the parishes of Galston, Loudoun, Kilmarnock, Riccarton, Kilmaurs, Dreghorn, Dundonald, and Irvine, under which full details are given as to the town, villages, mansions, and other features of its course. If the beauty of the stream, gliding slowly over its pebbly bed, the richness and verdure of its haughs, the openness of its course, the array of mansions looking down upon its meanderings, the displays of industry and wealth which salute it on its progress, are taken into view, the Irvine will be pronounced one of the most pleasing rivers of Scotland, more grateful to the eye of combined patriotism and taste, than not a few of the highly picturesque streams which have drawn music from a hundred harps, and poesy from a cluster of the most gifted bards. The Irvine used to yield tolerable sport, and down to Kilmarnock the trout-fishing still is fair, but lower down its waters are poisoned by the refuse of public works and by town sewage. A few salmon ascend as far as Shewalton.Ord. Sur., shs. 23, 22, 1865.
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