Bowhouse Munitions Factory

Bowhouse Munitions Factory was an Air Ministry facility located about two miles southeast of Hurlford, Ayrshire. The factory was built in 1939, primarily for the manufacture of incendiary bombs, and continued in this role until 1945.

During the 1950s it was used as a bomb disposal site, and later as a depot for redundant vehicles and stores.

During the 1960s, the site was used to host Government surplus sales.

In 1968, its use as a Government depot ended, after which its main used was agricultural.

Site demolition and development

HMP Kilmarnock
� Angela Mudge

In 1998, the site was cleared to make way for the construction of a new privately operated prison, and HMP (His/Her Majesty's Prison) Kilmarnock was opened March 25, 1999, a privately run prison (the first of its kind in Scotland) operated by Serco, a massive business services company which has grown in recent years thanks to the ongoing privatisation of public services and outsourcing of government services in the UK, which took over a 25 year contract from Premier Prison Services Limited, on behalf of the Scottish Prison Service.