When the town of Maybole is spoken of, there is one man who comes to mind and that is David Kiltie. I have known David my entire life particularly from attending St. Cuthbert’s church when I was at school.
I have always been interested in history and particularly the history of Maybole. This is due to the fantastic Maybole.org website. David was instrumental in setting up this site alongside Rich Petit. When it was launched at a time when the internet was just finding its feet, it was the 11th most visited website for a locale.
David has worked tirelessly for the people of Maybole and beyond for many years. This began when he was the honorary treasurer for the Town Council. From there such roles included Chair of Maybole Community Council, Founder Member of Maytag and was a Justice of the Peace for many years.
Throughout David’s time working in the heart of Maybole he was entirely selfless and had the people’s interests in mind at all times. David was a rare type of person who would do anything for Maybole and never expect anything in return. David also wrote for the Ayrshire Post ensuring that Maybole news was included regularly.
When David was (quite rightly!) awarded his MBE, he insisted on receiving it at Maybole Town Hall so that his family and friends could be with him.
Latterly, David was a board member of NCCBC and editor of the NCCBC newsletter.
For me, David’s interest and contributions to ensuring that Maybole’s history will always be remembered has been an inspiration. David has written many forewords in historical publications related to the town and was the go to person for anything Maybole related.
David will be missed by many and I believe we shall never see someone make such an impact on Maybole again.
I send my best wishes to David’s family at this sad time.
Words by Simon Glendenning 06/12/2023
