30-592: Loudoun Academy is a secondary school in the outskirts of Galston, East Ayrshire , in Scotland serving the Loudoun district which includes the Irvine Valley, Kilmarnock , and surrounding rural areas of East Ayrshire . The school was built in 1971. The current enrolment as of July 2022 was 926. In 2022, Loudoun Academy was ranked as the 201st best performing state school in Scotland, an increase from its 2021 ranking where it
60-504: A brown Egyptian or red African. Jasper is the main component in the silica-rich parts of banded iron formations (BIFs) which indicate low, but present, amounts of dissolved oxygen in the water such as during the Great Oxidation Event or snowball earths. The red bands are microcrystalline red chert, also called jasper. Picture jaspers exhibit combinations of patterns resulting in what appear to be scenes or images, when seen on
90-405: A challenge. Terms attributed to various well-defined materials includes the geographic locality where it is found, sometimes quite restricted such as "Bruneau" (a canyon) and "Lahontan" (a lake), rivers and even individual mountains; many are fanciful, such as "forest fire" or "rainbow", while others are descriptive, such as "autumn" or "porcelain". A few are designated by the place of origin such as
120-422: A cut section. Such patterns include banding from flow or depositional patterns (from water or wind), as well as dendritic or color variations. Diffusion from a center produces a distinctive orbicular appearance, i.e., leopard skin jasper or linear banding from a fracture as seen in liesegang jasper. Healed, fragmented rock produces brecciated (broken) jasper. While these "picture jaspers" can be found all over
150-522: A deposit at Ettutkan Mountain, Staryi Sibay , Bashkortostan , Russia. (The town of Sibay, in the far south of the Ural Mountains , near the border with Kazakhstan , is noted for its colossal, open-cast copper mine.) Basanite is a deep velvety-black variety of amorphous quartz, of a slightly tougher and finer grain than jasper, and less splintery than hornstone. It was the Lydian stone or touchstone of
180-596: A number of localities. The "Lydian Stone" known to the Ancient Greeks is named for the ancient kingdom of Lydia in what is now western Turkey . A similar rock type occurs in New England . Such rock types have long been used for the making of touchstones to test the purity of precious metal alloys , because they are hard enough to scratch such metals, which, if drawn (scraped) across them, show to advantage their metallic streaks of various (diagnostic) colours, against
210-630: A school blazer in Senior School (S4-S6), with this being optional for Junior pupils (S1-S3). Grey or black trousers or skirt is expected, as are black school shoes. It is to be informed that no shorts of any kind shall be permitted no matter the weather Argent a shakefork Sable, in chief an open book proper and a bordure gyronny Gules and Ermine. 55°36′28″N 4°22′50″W / 55.60786°N 4.38045°W / 55.60786; -4.38045 Galston, East Ayrshire Galston ( Lowland Scots : Gauston , Scottish Gaelic : Baile nan Gall )
240-524: Is a town in East Ayrshire , Scotland , which has a population of 5,001 ( 2001 ) and is at the heart of the civil parish of the same name . It is situated in wooded countryside four miles (six kilometres) upriver from Kilmarnock and is one a group of the small towns located in the Irvine Valley between the towns of Hurlford and Newmilns . To the north of the town is the ruin of Loudoun Castle ,
270-517: Is derived via Old French jaspre (variant of Anglo-Norman jaspe ) and Latin iaspidem (nom. iaspis ) from Greek ἴασπις iaspis (feminine noun), from an Afroasiatic language (cf. Hebrew ישפה yashpeh , Akkadian yashupu ). This Semitic etymology is believed to be unrelated to that of the English given name Jasper , which is of Persian origin, though the Persian word for
300-414: Is due to iron(III) inclusions . Jasper breaks with a smooth surface and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone . It can be highly polished and is used for items such as vases, seals , and snuff boxes . The density of jasper is typically 2.5 to 2.9 g/cm . Jaspillite is a banded-iron-formation rock that often has distinctive bands of jasper. The name means "spotted or speckled stone," and
330-493: Is open to the public on occasions and has proved a very popular venue for weddings. In August 1528, James Campbell of Lochlee abducted Alexander Pawtoun from Mauchline and imprisoned him for 5 days in the dungeon ('spelunca') of the Tower of Galston in order to extort the sum of £20. In an old charter of 12 March 1438, John Lockhart, Lord of Barr, provides for an annual rent to be paid to the chaplain for saying three masses annually for
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#1732854804330360-403: Is the presence of the alien invader, the pink purslane or Stewarton flower, which will spread rapidly and destroy the native herbs by out-competing them (2007). It needs to be removed as matter of urgency. A new (2008) metalled path has been created through part of these woods, greatly improving access. A new wood has been planted along part of the new path and this will in time extend and protect
390-671: The Irvine at Galston. It is named after St Anne , said to be the mother of the Virgin Mary . "St Anne's Holy Well" is marked on the 1860 OS map and lies above Bank Wood, flowing into the Burn Anne. The Holy Well has been destroyed by the construction of a concrete tank which collects the spring water for Cessnock Castle , first constructed for the Duke of Portland in Victorian times. The Carsewell Hole nearby
420-627: The Saturday of the Glasgow Fair. It belonged to the group of sports that Gaelic handball still represents. John Galt refers to handball being played in Irvine against the back wall of a malt-kiln. Jasper Jasper , an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases, is an opaque , impure variety of silica , usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. The common red color
450-672: The ancients. It is mentioned and its use described in the writings of Bacchylides about 450 BC, and was also described by Theophrastus in his book On Stones ( Ancient Greek title: Περὶ λίθων : Peri Lithon ), a century later. It is evident that the touchstone that Pliny had in mind when he wrote about it was merely a dense variety of basalt . Basanite (not to be confused with bassanite ), Lydian stone , and radiolarite (a.k.a. lydite or flinty slate) are terms used to refer to several types of black, jasper-like rock (also including tuffs , cherts and siltstones ) which are dense, fine-grained and flinty / cherty in texture and found in
480-452: The emerald-like jasper may have been akin to the modern chrysoprase . The Hebrew word may have designated a green jasper. Flinders Petrie suggested that the odem – the first stone on the High Priest's breastplate – was a red jasper, whilst tarshish , the tenth stone, may have been a yellow jasper. Jasper is an opaque rock of virtually any colour stemming from the mineral content of
510-634: The four angle towers are discernible. The castle was built for the Lockhart family who held the Barony of Galston; enthusiastic opponents of the Catholic faith. In 1670 the property was purchased by the Campbells of Cessnock Castle nearby. In 2019 celebrations will be held to mark the 125th anniversary of the castle being used as a Masonic Lodge by Lodge St. Peter 331. It also houses a museum of local artefacts. The castle
540-412: The habitats and the biodiversity of the site. This tributary of the Irvine was famous for its rich jasper pebbles; semi-precious stones which were collected, cut and polished for use in jewellery. Probably dating from the 15th century, this five-storeyed red sandstone tower castle still stands as a prominent feature (NS 505 360) on a rocky knoll close to the Burn Anne, within the town's boundaries. It
570-514: The mineral jasper is also yashp ( یَشم ). Green jasper was used to make bow drills in Mehrgarh between 4th and 5th millennium BC. Jasper is known to have been a favorite gem in the ancient world; its name can be traced back in Arabic , Persian, Hebrew, Assyrian, Greek and Latin . On Minoan Crete , jasper was carved to produce seals circa 1800 BC, as evidenced by archaeological recoveries at
600-636: The old Barony of Galston and the feudal rights of the Campbells of Loudoun. The site has a nearby lime kiln and old ruins next to the Hag Burn which may have been a forge. This station on the Glasgow and South Western Railway line to Stonehouse via Strathaven , closed in 1964. This game was popular with farm workers who used clenched hands to hit a hard ball off the side wall of the Barr Castle – similar to Gaelic handball and fives , or rather like squash without
630-701: The original sediments or ash. Patterns arise during the consolidation process forming flow and depositional patterns in the original silica-rich sediment or volcanic ash . Hydrothermal circulation is generally thought to be required in the formation of jasper. Jasper can be modified by the diffusion of minerals along discontinuities providing the appearance of vegetative growth, i.e., dendritic . The original materials are often fractured and/or distorted, after deposition, into diverse patterns, which are later filled in with other colorful minerals. Weathering, with time, will create intensely colored superficial rinds. The classification and naming of jasper varieties presents
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#1732854804330660-525: The palace of Knossos . Although the term jasper is now restricted to opaque quartz, the ancient iaspis was a stone of considerable translucency including nephrite . The jasper of antiquity was in many cases distinctly green, for it is often compared to emerald and other green objects. Jasper is referred to in the Nibelungenlied as being clear and green. The jasper of the ancients probably included stones which would now be classed as chalcedony , and
690-546: The repose of his soul at the altar of the church of Saint Peter in Ardrossan. The renowned reformer and Protestant martyr George Wishart preached at the castle in 1545 and in 1556 John Knox also preached here; both were under the protection of John Lockart of Barr and his fellow reformers. A justice hill survives in a patch of woodland on the Hag Burn near the Loudoun Country Club. This site may have been linked to
720-493: The site of Loudoun Castle theme park from 1995 to 2010. In 1874 the population was 4,727. The name Galston means "place of the strangers" from the Gaelic word Gall (a stranger), and the Toun or Ton was a farm and its outbuildings. The word baile was anglicised in more recent history as toun like many other place names in Scotland which were originally "bal". The Burn Anne joins
750-436: The use of rackets or a soft, squashy ball. The court was of earth, beaten hard. Galston became World Champions at this handball sport, however it is no longer played, the last official game being in 1939. Local legend has it that the game was used by William Wallace to help keep his men fit for battle. Handball was popular in these parts during the 19th century and Galston was the site of the most important competition, held on
780-603: The world, specific colors or patterns are unique to the geographic region from which they originate. One source of the stone is Indonesia , especially in Purbalingga district. From the US, Oregon 's Biggs jasper and Idaho 's Bruneau jasper from the Bruneau River canyon are particularly fine examples. Other examples can be seen at Ynys Llanddwyn in Wales . A blue-green jasper occurs in
810-409: Was also known as Lockhart's Tower and was built to control the nearby access points up the Irvine Valley. William Wallace is said to have taken refuge from pursuing English soldiers within the tower, eventually escaping siege by climbing down an overhanging tree. It has a practical, if not authentic, roof which does not hide a view of the continuous corbelling of the parapet. The bottom section of
840-617: Was appointed as the new Head of Education for East Ayrshire Council. In January 2018, Scott Robertson was appointed Acting Head Teacher, and in April 2018, Robertson was appointed the permanent Head Teacher following interviews. Mr Robertson moved in March 2022 to Grange Academy, Kilmarnock as Head Teacher. In August 2022, David Falconer (previously Depute Head Teacher at Lanark Grammar School, South Lanarkshire) took up post as Head Teacher of Loudoun Academy. Pupils at Loudoun Academy are encouraged to wear
870-501: Was placed at 216th. Mr Rob Findlay retired in June 1994 as Rector, and he died in 2017 aged 82 years. The subsequent Headmaster, Brian Johnston, retired in 2009, and was succeeded by Peter Flood. Flood left the school in 2012 to a new position in Perth, leaving Graeme Walker as Acting Head Teacher. The role was then passed onto Linda McCauley-Griffiths who held the post until December 2017 when she
900-761: Was used for adult baptism. The woodlands here have a high plant biodiversity value and are a registered provisional wildlife site as designated by the Scottish Wildlife Trust . Species noted in 2007 include woodruff, bird cherry, primrose, common violet, oak, stitchwort, golden male (scaly) fern, bugle, opposite-leaved golden saxifrage, bluebell, dog's mercury, broad buckler fern, watercress, lady fern, male shield fern, kidney vetch, woodrush, woodsedge, blackthorn, hawthorn, marsh marigold, foxglove, sweet cicely, herb robert, red campion, bistort, ribwort plantain, water avens, wood avens, moschatel, elm, alder, and many liverworts. A pair of buzzards were noted. A great danger
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