TV presenter Paul Murton will explore the River Irvine in an up-and-coming episode of Grand Tours of Scotland’s Rivers.
The episode will air on BBC One Scotland on Monday, January 29 at 8.30pm, but is already available to view on BBC iPlayer.
From its source close to Loudoun Hill, Paul follows the river through ancient battlefields and discovers a legacy of lacemaking and a treasure trove of gemstones along its banks.
At Kilmarnock, he salutes the memory of whisky giant Johnnie Walker – but is shocked to learn how the national poet Robert Burns once contemplated emigrating to Jamaica to work on a slave plantation.
In Irvine, Paul visits the Scottish Maritime Museum and pulls at the oars as he joins a team of rowers heading out to sea.
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