Loudoun Hall may be best known as Ayr's oldest surviving house, but its story is not only about merchants, sheriffs and nobility.
In the 20th century it became an important part of Ayr's thriving folk music scene, welcoming musicians and audiences at a time when traditional music was enjoying an extraordinary revival on both sides of the Atlantic.
Ayr Folk Club and the Scottish folk revival
After its restoration, the Hall became a popular meeting place for local clubs and cultural groups. One of these was Ayr Folk Club, which made the Hall a venue for traditional music, new folk songs and storytelling.
In the 1960s and 1970s folk clubs flourished across Scotland, giving musicians intimate rooms to play, often with little more than a guitar, a banjo or a fiddle. Ayr was very much part of this movement.
The town's folk scene included Tannanzie, Speedy and Ian, Pete and Heather Heywood, and Dougie Bell, alongside internationally known names.
Billy Connolly, before the Big Yin
Long before he became one of Scotland's best-loved comedians, Billy Connolly was a folk musician with The Humblebums, the duo he later shared with singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty.
He was part of Scotland's lively folk club circuit, mixing music with the humour and storytelling that would make him famous around the world.
Pete Seeger, and a link to Bob Dylan
Pete Seeger was one of America's most influential folk musicians, known for songs including "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" and "If I Had a Hammer".
He was an important influence on a young Bob Dylan. The two sang together at the Newport Folk Festival in 1963, joining other leading musicians in "We Shall Overcome". Two years later, Dylan's electric set at Newport became one of the defining moments in modern music.
Through the Seegers, Ayr's folk scene has a link to that chapter of music history.
Peggy Seeger and one of the world's great love songs
Peggy Seeger, Pete's younger half-sister, was an accomplished singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, and a major figure in the British folk revival alongside her partner, the singer and songwriter Ewan MacColl, son of Scottish parents.
In 1957, with Peggy in America, MacColl wrote "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" for her and sang it to her down a transatlantic telephone line.
Roberta Flack's recording, on her 1969 album "First Take", became a worldwide hit in 1972, reaching number one in America and winning Grammy Awards. Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and George Michael are among the many who have recorded it since.
Bringing music back to Loudoun Hall
For centuries, Scottish history was kept alive in songs, ballads and stories passed down the generations. The Hall's intimate rooms make a natural home for them.
As Loudoun Hall begins a new chapter, we want to bring live music back: traditional Scottish musicians, acoustic performers, singers and storytellers, in a truly historic setting.
After more than 500 years, there are still plenty of songs to be sung and stories to be told.
Sources: WMA Group, Destination South Ayrshire.