the carter and his horse

sculpted by David Annand 1996 and erected at Irvine harbourside

"We're the Cairters of Irvine and we tramp the country roon
Haulin' goods fae Irvine tae the merchants o' the toons.........."

This recalls the 18thC when Irvine was the most important port importing goods and exporting coal from the Ayrshire collieries. Once the larger towns upriver like Troon Ardrossan Greenock and Glasgow had channels dredged and harbours built Irvine lost its trade