Dunlop (; , or ) is a village and parish in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It lies on the A735, north-east of Stewarton, from Kilmarnock. The road runs on to Lugton and the B706 enters the village from Beith and Burnhouse. History The village The name, first recorded in 1260, may be derived from the Gaelic words Dun (a castle) and Luib (a bend). Therefore, it is the fortified hill by the bend in the river. The old local pronunciation was Dulop or Delap without an 'n' and this has led to suggestions of other origins. In the 1600s, Dunloppe had two fairs a year for the sale of dairy stock, one on the second Friday of May; and the other called Hallowday, on 12 November. The Estate was erected into the Barony of Dunlop in 1688. Dunlap, Dunlapp, Dunlape, Dunlopp, Dunlope, Dunloup, Downlop, Dalape, Delap, DeLap, Delappe, Dulop, Dulap, Dulape, Dullope, Donlop, Donlap, Dounlap, Dunlip, Dewlap are all recorded variations of today's Dunlop. Dunlop cheese, a sweet milk cheese, was first made by Barbara Gilmour who went to Ireland to escape the covenanting prosecutions. Her stone cheese press was said to be preserved at 'The Hill' Farm in the 1860s but the existing press is dated after her death. The cheese became world famous and created a cottage industry, with cheese merchants from Kirktoun buying up the cheeses and taking them to Glasgow for sale. The cheese-making used up excess fresh milk but the coming of the railways reduced the need for cheese manufacture. Dunlop cheeses are still made at Clerkland Farm (2010). Tam Giffen was reputed to be a warlock from the Dunlop Parish and many anecdotes are told of his marvellous doings in the 1860s. Tam could not get over the flood swollen Lugton Water so he just ....came through below it. On another occasion he was prevented from helping the Devil blow a man off the thatched roof he was repairing by the man uttering God save me and had to make do with blowing off the man's wig and bonnet; finally he once entered a blacksmith's house by flying down the chimney. Tam died in odd circumstances, supposedly being murdered by the fairies for giving away their secrets. In 1791 Dunlop is recorded as having six masons, 12 weavers, three smiths, three shoemakers, four tailors and three inn-keepers; by 1874 the village had 10 shoemakers, eight