IRVINE

royal burgh (town), North Ayrshire council area, historic county of Ayrshire, southwestern Scotland, on the Firth of Clyde. The last of Scotland's five new towns, Irvine was designated in 1966 in an attempt to rehouse population from Glasgow and provide a focus for the economic and industrial rehabilitation of the area. Silting of the harbour and competition from Troon and Ardrossan during the 18th and 19th centuries had earlier resulted in the decline of Irvine as Glasgow's chief coastal port. The new town incorporates the existing burgh, an old coal-mining area, and an important chemical complex. Irvine's industries include chemicals, engineering, and electrical goods, and several foreign firms have operations there. Pop. (1991) 32,988.