Doura Colliery

Overview

A colliery in the parish of Kilwinning in Ayrshire, worked from at least the sixteenth century — the Doura pits supplied coal to the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Edinburgh Castle in the time of Mary Queen of Scots, and in the eighteenth century and before the name was, as the district had it, a household word for the quality of its coal. It passed through a run of owners from John Barr in the 1850s to the Doura Coal & Fireclay Co. Ltd in the early twentieth century, working fireclay alongside the coal.

History

The Doura pits were being worked by the sixteenth century, when they supplied coal to the Palace of Holyroodhouse and to Edinburgh Castle in the time of Mary Queen of Scots. In the eighteenth century and before, Doura was a household word in the district for the excellence of its coal, which was distributed across Scotland; the Statistical Account records the coals there as main and stone coals. The colliery ran through a succession of owners in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries: John Barr from 1854 to 1866, John Barr & McJannet from 1869 to 1875, Robert Armour from 1890 to 1896, and afterwards the Doura Fireclay Co. and the Doura Coal & Fireclay Co. Ltd. The fireclay worked with the coal supported a brick and tile works on the same ground. Notable Carboniferous fossils were found in the workings in 1901. The village of Doura in Kilwinning parish was, in the words of the National Gazetteer, connected with the extensive coalworks in its vicinity.

Geology

The Ayrshire coalfield in the parish of Kilwinning. The Statistical Account records the coals at Doura as main and stone coals, and fireclay was worked with them — enough to keep a brick and tile works going on the same ground. Notable Carboniferous fossils were recovered from the workings in 1901.

Workings

Nothing is recorded of the underground workings. On the surface, the coal and fireclay were worked together, with the Doura Fire Clay Works taking the clay; the colliery was served by the railway that gave Kilwinning East its station.

Closure

The closure date is not known. The Doura Coal & Fireclay Co. Ltd is the last owner recorded, in the early twentieth century.

What remains

Nothing of the colliery is known to survive on the ground. The Doura fire clay works, which took the clay raised with the coal, is separately documented in the record of Scotland’s brick and tile industry.

None identified.

Related mines

• Ladyha Colliery — Neighbouring Eglinton estate workings; the 1841 plan covers Eglinton, Ladyha and Doura.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• The BGS mine-plans catalogue holds a Mining Remediation Authority abandonment plan titled 'Doura' (catalogue 5895, Firec;Ay, dated 1912); the catalogue gives no location and the plan's details do not clearly tie it to this working, so it may belong to another of the same name. (uncertain) ³

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• The Doura pits had been worked during the time of Mary Queen of Scots (1542–1587), when they supplied coal to the Palace of Holyrood and Edinburgh Castle. ¹
• In the eighteenth century and before, Doura was a household word in the district because of the excellent quality of the coal it produced, which was distributed across Scotland; the Statistical Account records the coals there as main and stone coals. ¹
• The colliery had various owners including John Barr (1854–1866), John Barr & McJannet (1869–1875) and Robert Armour (1890–1896), and later the Doura Fireclay Co. and the Doura Coal & Fireclay Co. Ltd into the early twentieth century. ²
• Notable Carboniferous fossils were discovered in the workings in 1901. ¹
• The BGS mine-plans catalogue holds a Mining Remediation Authority abandonment plan titled 'Doura' (catalogue 5895, Firec;Ay, dated 1912); the catalogue gives no location and the plan's details do not clearly tie it to this working, so it may belong to another of the same name. (uncertain) ³

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Lands of Doura — Wikipedia
2. (secondary) Doura Fire Clay Works, Doura, Kilwinning, North Ayrshire — Scotland's Brick and Tile Manufacturing Industry
3. (primary) BGS / Mining Remediation Authority mine plans: DOURA — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority

Record created: 7 September 2026 · Last researched: 7 September 2026