The Annick Water is the largest tributary of the River Irvine. Its name has been recorded over the centuries as Annack, Annoch (1791), and Annock. It likely derives from the Gaelic word for "overflowing" — and true to its name, Strathannick is still prone to flooding today.
The river flows from Long Loch in East Renfrewshire, running southwest through North Ayrshire and East Ayrshire until it meets the River Irvine near the coast. Along its banks, Mesolithic people used it as a waterway thousands of years ago.
The Mills of the Annick
A number of mills once stood along the river:
- Cunninghamhead Mill — the only one still standing today
- Lambroch Mill — located near Laigh Castleton Farm
- Scroaggy or Fairliecrevoch Mill — a waulk (cloth) mill that operated until the 1960s
- A corn mill at Perceton, near the old church
Today the river is clean — a 1999 survey in the Bourtreehill area found a strong colony of freshwater shrimp, which only survive in relatively unpolluted water.