Sandbed Street, Kilmarnock

Running alongside the Kilmarnock Water, Sandbed St was the main road south of the Cross until King Street was opened in about 1808. Stage coaches would leave the yard behind the Crown Hotel, cross the bridge and speed south to Ayr. There are still some old buildings in the Sandbed but most sites were rebuilt to face King Street. John Walker and Sons original shop is one such site.   James MacKay was a native of Kilmarnock and painted several local scenes. He was the brother of Alexander MacKay, an established portrait painter and David MacKay who was a Provost of Kilmarnock.