Wreaths were laid at the John Galt Plaque last week to commemorate 240 years since the birth of one of Irvine’s most famous sons.

Born on May 2, 1779, in the building which now houses the Bank of Scotland in Irvine’s High Street, novelist and entrepreneur Galt later moved to Canada, where he founded the City of Guelph in 1827.

The Provost was joined on Thursday, May 2 by a group of 12 visitors from Guelph, including Leanne Caron Piper of Guelph City Council, who were in town as part of a visit to Scotland, with activities jointly organised by North Ayrshire Council, Irvine Burns Club and the John Galt Society.

Provost Ian Clarkson said: “We were thrilled to welcome our visitors from Guelph this week, and delighted that they were able to join us for the annual wreath-laying ceremony in John Galt’s honour.

“We hope that they very much enjoyed their time here and returned home with a clearer picture of what life would have been like for their city’s founder growing up in Irvine as a young boy.”

The group followed the wreath-laying with a tour of Wellwood Burns Centre and Museum, where Galt’s letter of acceptance to become an honorary member of Irvine Burns Club is on display.

In the afternoon, some of the group visited Irvine Royal Academy to perform a play titled ‘John Galt and the Lost City’.

On Friday, the group joined Irvine Lasses Burns Club for a guided Harbourside Heritage Walk before visiting the genealogy and local history facilities at Irvine Townhouse.

And on Friday evening the group attended the annual John Galt Society Lecture in the Townhouse, which this year was delivered by Professor Ian Campbell of Edinburgh University.