J. Walker Kilmarnock

Location type

Works

Name and dates

J. Walker Kilmarnock (1969-2012)

Served by the Glasgow and Kilmarnock Joint Railway.

Description

The bottling plant of Johnnie Walker in Kilmarnock, just north of Kilmarnock station, was rail served. It was previously the site of Kilmarnock Joint Goods (Kilmarnock Hill Street Goods).

Sidings within the plant were originally approached from Kilmarnock Goods Junction, to the north east. There were exchange sidings within the 'V' of the junction alongside the main line. Within the works were three groups of sidings. There was a headshunt alongside the junction. The plant operated in conjunction with the J. Walker warehousing at Hurlford and Port Dundas Distillery.

With the closure of the goods junction in 1976 entry was altered. The approach from Barrhead was eased and realigned a little to the south and the course of the former joint line from the was retained to only serve the headshunt, which was now approached from Kilmarnock station, to the south east, requiring a reversal to enter the site.

By the mid 1980s rail traffic ceased.

The bottling plant was closed in 2012, with the loss of over 700 jobs - a major blow to the town of Kilmarnock where the brand originated.

The site of this former goods yard and bottling plant is now Ayrshire College.

Ayrshire College

Tags

Whisky Johnnie Walker Bottling Plant