Situated on the River Garnock 10 miles (16 km) north of Irvine in North Ayrshire, the town of Kilbirnie contains a 15th-century parish church, constructed for the Crawford and Cunningham families. Other facilities include a post-office and shops located around Main Street, a large supermarket, a library, police station, fire station, two further churches, a Gospel Hall (1897), Salvation Army Citadel (1921), public park, golf course, bowling club and the Radio City community and sport centre created within a former Art Deco cinema. There are two primary schools, but Garnock Academy moved to the new Garnock Community Campus at nearby Glengarnock in 2017.
The town once held one of the largest horse fairs in the West of Scotland, visited by poet Robert Burns (1759-96). Former local industries produced fishing nets, textiles (linen and flax spinning) and ropes. Begun in 1831, the substantial Stoneyholm Mills building remains close to the town centre. Glengarnock Iron Works Kilbirnie was founded a mile (1.5 km) to the southeast in 1843. Kilbirnie was extended to the south 1916-17, following 'garden city' principles, to provide good housing for workers at what had by then become the Glengarnock Iron and Steel Works.
Born here were the architect James Houston (1893 - 1966), actor Jameson Clark (1907-84) and footballer Gordon McQueen (b.1952).
Nearby stood Kilbirnie Castle (the Place of Kilbirnie) which was the seat of the Earls of Crawford.
The town gives its name to the district of Kilbirnie in Wellington (New Zealand).
