The Battle of Loudoun Hill

Was fought in May 10th, 1307 between a Scots force led by Robert Bruce and the English commanded by Aymer de Valence. It took place beneath Loudoun Hill, in Ayrshire, and ended in a victory for Bruce.
Bruce had an army of 600 men de Valence came with an army of 3,000 strong.

Historical Marker at top of Loudoun Hill:
BATTLE OF LOUDOUN HILL, MAY 10, 1307. THROUGH DEVOTION AND BY WILLING HANDS THIS STONE WAS HAULED HERE TO COMMEMORATE THE FIRST VICTORY OF KING ROBERT THE BRUCE WHO WON FOR US FREEDOM FROM SERFDOM.

Loudoun Hill Station
The railway line from Darvel to Strathaven opened on the 1st of May 1905.
The line was shared by the Caledonian Railway and the Glasgow & South Western Railway companies, with stations at Rylands, Drumclog and Loudoun hill.
The trains were very popular taking people from Strathaven to the Loudoun Valley lace mills, then laterly used mainly by the farming community.
The line closed on Monday 11th September 1939 and the track lifted in 1951.

On 1 June 1679 a large conventicle, or outdoor religious service, was held at Loudoun Hill. The service was organised by the outlawed Covenanters, but was well attended. John Graham of Claverhouse, recently appointed to suppress the religious rebels, heard about the conventicle and headed to the area. His attempt to break up the gathering led to a skirmish known as the Battle of Drumclog, in which Claverhouse's dragoons were humiliatingly routed. The battle site lies around 1 km east of the hill. This battle formed the initial action of Walter Scott's novel Old Mortality.