Dreghorn is a village in North Ayrshire, Scotland, 3.5 kilometres east of Irvine town centre, on the old main road from Irvine to Kilmarnock. It is sited on a ridge between two rivers. As archaeological excavations near the village centre have found a significant neolithic settlement provisionally dated to around 3500 BC, as well as medieval structures, scholars have suggested that Dreghorn could be Britain's oldest continuously inhabited village. Both Irvine and Dreghorn have grown in size and they are now separated by the Annick Valley Park, which incorporates a footpath and National Cycle Route 73 on the route of the disused Irvine to Busby railway line. It had an estimated population of
3,450 in 2020.
Dreghorn Main Street, from the war memorial
Townfoot (B7081) crossroads, old Post office and Parish Church
Main Street, looking east along the B7081 from the B730 crossroads
Ridge seen across Annick Valley Park and the Annick Water
North Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. The council area borders Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire to the northeast, and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the east and south respectively. The local authority is North Ayrshire Council, formed in 1996 with the same boundaries as the district of Cunninghame which existed from 1975 to 1996.
North Ayrshire
Brodick, a settlement in North Ayrshire on the Isle of Arran.
A view from Millport. Tourism, particularly in the islands, is a strong sector of North Ayrshire's economy.
Irvine is the most populous town and the administrative centre for North Ayrshire Council