New Viaduct lights bring vibrancy to the town centre

The unique architecture of Kilmarnock’s historic Viaduct can once again be viewed in all its splendour, thanks to the installation of a new coloured lighting scheme.   

Previously, the B-listed Viaduct arches were lit from the ground with a blue coloured uplighter. These lights were installed over 10 years ago, but over time they had become non-operational and obsolete.

In September 2019, Cabinet agreed to recommendations by Ayrshire Roads Alliance to install a replacement lighting system for the Viaduct that would make future maintenance of the lights more efficient and economical.

The new system features 124 LED lights across 15 arches and the colour of the lights can literally be changed at the touch of a button, as they can be controlled by the use of an app on a mobile device. Using the colour changing aspect, the Viaduct can now be lit up in recognition of days of significant or national importance, such as red for Remembrance Week.

Works started in September, and over the last two months, all the original fittings have been removed and new lights installed within the ground adjacent to the viaduct arch walls.

Councillor Douglas Reid, Leader of the Council welcomed the new installation. He said: “The new lighting installations at the Viaduct are stunning and vibrant and really do show off one of our town’s greatest assets, but more importantly, we now have a lighting system which can be easily and efficiently maintained.

“And thanks to the wonders of technology, we are now able to change the colours to show our support for seasonal events and partnership causes.”

Built in the heart of Kilmarnock town centre in the 1840’s, the Viaduct was an incredible feat of engineering that reflected the town’s rise in prominence and wealth. The Viaduct connected Kilmarnock to Carlisle, ensuring that manufactured goods and coal could be easily transported south for home markets and to ports for export.