Dalmellington - Izeria

Dalmellington (Scots: Dawmellinton, Scottish Gaelic: Dail M'Fhaolain) is a market town and civil parish in East Ayrshire, Scotland. In 2001, the town had a population of 1,407. The town owes its origins to the fault line separating the Southern Uplands of Scotland from the Central Lowlands. Dalmellington sits at the issue of a river from the uplands into Dalmellington Moss plain. The town has a history as a rest area, market town, weaving centre and mining village. The Chalmerston open cast coal mine to the north of the village covered some 742 hectares, but the operations have now ceased and the first phase of the site restoration has been completed. The town used to have a working museum to record the history of the area, but it was closed in January 2017.

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Dalmellington railway station

Dalmellington railway station served the town of Dalmellington, East Ayrshire, Scotland, from 1856 to 1964 on the Ayr and Dalmellington Railway.

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Doon Academy

Doon Academy is a secondary school in Dalmellington that caters to the local surrounding areas Dalmellington, Patna, Rankinston and Bellsbank. The current head teacher is Kenneth Reilly who took over from John Mackenzie in 2014. Doon Academy’s Motto is Respectful, Resilient, Ready.

Bellsbank

Bellsbank is a village half a mile away from the market town of Dalmellington in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It is the second-highest place in East Ayrshire; only Muirkirk is higher than this. Bellsbank is now classed as a separate town from Dalmellington.

Scottish Dark Sky Observatory

The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory (SDSO) was an astronomical observatory designed by Glasgow Architects G.D. Lodge located near Loch Doon, East Ayrshire, Scotland. It was situated on a hilltop site near the village of Dalmellington. The site is located in the northern edge of the Galloway Forest's Dark Sky Park, and within the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere, enjoying relatively low levels of light pollution. The observatory was constructed during 2012 and was officially opened by the then First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond. The building and facilities were extended in 2017 by a design team led by Beecher Architect with the addition of a planetarium, officially opened by the Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran John Duncan. The SDSO was open year round with its principal aim being to encourage people of all ages and abilities to learn about and experience the wonders of astronomy and space. It was a valuable and unique educational asset for the region. The SDSO suffered a devastating fire during the early hours of 23 June 2021. The fire is currently being treated as suspicious. In late 2023, following the results of an independent feasibility study, the Board of Trustees of the SDSO confirmed that, for a number of reasons, the observatory will not be rebuilt on its former site. The SDSO have successfully completed the purchase of an old visitor centre at Clatteringshaws Loch. When built, the new £1.5m observatory will include two observing domes, a planetarium, a gift shop and a small cafe. The Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Prof Catherine Heymans, will be the observatory's patron.