Tarbolton

Tarbolton (Tarbowton) is a village in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is near Failford, Mauchline, Ayr, and Kilmarnock. The old Fail Monastery was nearby and Robert Burns connections are strong, including the Bachelors' Club museum.

Meaning of place-name


''Bal was the Armenian word for the sweet cherry originally found on the Northern coast of Anatolia. The sweet cherry was not only a delicious treat but an important source of Vitamin C for the locals. Folks sought various ways of preserving cherries for the winter months including making it into wine, cherry syrup, jam & drying the cherries & putting them in fruit cake along with nuts. Sweet cherries are very finicky requiring not only good weather during the Spring & Summer but about 20 days of frost in the Winter to trigger the bloom. Baal was originally a weather god that the locals prayed to for favorable weather for the cherries & other crops. Baal became one of the main Gods of the Celtic religion." Google translates the word English word "fire" as the Welsh word "tân." It was very common for Celtic folks to hold their Baaltân Baalfire celebrations on a hill or tor. [research into the name "Bolton" by Gordon Alexander Bolton] Beltane or Bealtaine (Irish pronunciation: [ˈbʲal̪ˠt̪ˠənʲə], approximately /ˈb(j)ɒltɪnə/ B(Y)OL-tin-ə)[5][6] is the Gaelic May Day festival, marking the beginning of summer. It is traditionally held on 1st May, or about midway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Historically, it was widely observed in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. In Irish the name for the festival day is Lá Bealtaine ([l̪ˠaː ˈbʲal̪ˠt̪ˠənʲə]) while the month of May is Mí na Bealtaine, in Scottish Gaelic Latha Bealltainn ([l̪ˠaː ˈpjaul̪ˠt̪ɪɲ]), and in Manx Gaelic Laa Boaltinn/Boaldyn. Beltane is one of the four main Celtic seasonal festivals—along with Samhain, Imbolc, and Lughnasadh—and is similar to the Welsh Calan Mai.'' Wikipedia

Tarbolton has been suggested as having one of three meanings:
 * Village by the tor or hill, from Old English torr 'tor, hill, cliff' and boðl-tun /bothl-tun "village with buildings, equivalent to Bolton in Greater Manchester. The name was recorded as Torbolten in 1138, suggesting this origin.
 * Village by the field and hill, from Old English torr 'tor, hill, cliff' and bāll 'field (not meaning the same as ball 'ball', i.e. football), as in Dunball, Somerset, with tun 'farm, village'. The name's record in writing as Torballtone in 1209 suggests this origin may be possible.
 * Village by the hill, from Old Gaelic tor, modern Gaelic tòrr, (where the Old English word is derived from, and baile "village, usually Bally- in Irish place-names, with the tautologous Old English tun "farm, village" added by Anglo-Saxon settlers who did not understand the language. Records of the name as Torbalyrtune in 1148 suggest this origin.

Location
Tarbolton is 7 mi east-northeast of Ayr, 7 mi southwest of Kilmarnock, 5 mi West of Mauchline, and 1+1/4 mi from its own now disused railway station. It has a school, church, a gospel hall, two pubs, and is home to the Bachelors' Club, a frequent haunt of Robert Burns. The village is in the Cumnock and Doon Valley (it is strange that Tarbolton falls under South Ayrshire Council when its postcode is KA5 which links to Mauchline, East Ayrshire

The monastery and later castle of Fail existed at the hamlet of that name near Fail Toll. Fail Loch once covered a significant area however it survives now only as an area liable to flooding.

Nearby going towards Failford was the Old Montgomery Castle or Coilsfield House where one of Robert Burns's loves worked.

Tarbolton Primary takes pupils from surrounding farms and from Failford, a small hamlet north of the village. Its houses are Fail, Afton, Coyle and Montgomery, named after local areas and rivers.

Famous residents

 * Alexander Tait, the poet, was a tailor by trade, and lived in Tarbolton for many years. He was a contemporary and critic of Robert Burns of Lochlie Farm and David Sillar of Spittalside Farm.
 * James Allan, footballer and founder of Sunderland A.F.C. was brought up in Tarbolton.
 * Jimmy Hay, who captained Celtic between 1906 and 1911, and Billy Price, who played for Celtic between 1961 and 1964, were from Tarbolton.
 * Retired footballer Kris Boyd was also born and raised in the village.
 * Boxing legend Evan Armstrong, who was British Featherweight Champion from 17 September 1973 until 8 July 1974.
 * John "Ian" (Mighty Mouse) McLauchlan, a Scottish Rugby Union Footballer from 1969 until 1979, was born and raised in the village.
 * Winner of Britain's Got Talent (series 5) 2011, singer Jai McDowall, is also from Tarbolton.