A large village in the Cunninghame district of Ayrshire, West Kilbride lies a mile (1.5 km) north of Seamill and 4 miles (6.5 km) northwest of Ardrossan on the Firth of Clyde. It developed as a weaving village in the 18th century and became a dormitory settlement after the arrival of the railway in 1878. Its mild climate and fine views have made the village a popular place for retirement. From 1998, West Kilbride began to market itself as Scotland's Craft and Design Town, with a number of galleries and studios in the village. The Barony Centre occupies the former Barony Church (1873) and is run by West Kilbride Community Initiative providing exhibition space, craft studios and a cafe.
The village also has a museum and the 15th-century Law Castle lies on its northeast margin. To the west is another 15th-century castle, Portencross, and an Iron Age fort. Busbie Muir Wind Farm lies behind the village, while to the northwest is the Hunterston nuclear power station. There is an 18-hole golf course nearby.
Born in West Kilbride were the mathematician Robert Simson (1768) and violinist Nicola Benedetti (1987).
