is a small town in
North Ayrshire ,
Scotland . Its population at the 2001 census was 6,346.
2001 census - population profile for Beith
One of its many claims to fame is that a signatory of the
American Declaration Of Independence ,
The Rev. John Witherspoon , was a former minister of its parish.
The sixteenth century poet
Alexander Montgomerie was born in Hazelhead Castle, which is on the outskirts of Beith.
Dr
Henry Faulds , the originator of the forensic use of
Fingerprint ing as a means to identify criminals, was born in Beith in
1843 .
It was also home to many world-famous cabinet works, such as
Stevenson And Higgins .
The town was once served by two railway stations:
Beith North and
Beith Town . Both these stations are now closed, with the nearest station now being
Glengarnock .
Beith also has its own golf course (the 8th hardest amateur course in Britain), two
Church Of Scotland churches, 102nd
Scout Group , and modern Primary school. The
Royal Navy also maintains an armament depot,
DMC Beith , in the area.
