Kilmarnock is a burgh in the county of Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of about 40,000. It is roughly between Glasgow and Ayr. It is also remembered in the name of Portmarnock in Ireland.

Its traditional industries were carpets (manufactured by BMK) and other textiles, as well as making locomotives (Thomas Barclay and Sons) and valves (Glenfield and Kennedy). Carpet-making finally ceased in Kilmarnock in early 2005, but locomotives are still made by Hunslett-Barclay and Glenfield and Kennedy is still in operation. It has a prison, HMP Kilmarnock, and a football club named Kilmarnock F.C., the oldest professional club in Scotland. It is also home to Johnnie Walker's Scotch whisky.

The first collection of work by Scottish poet Robert Burns, Poems, chiefly in the Scottish dialect was published here in 1786. This edition of his work is known as the Kilmarnock Edition.

In the Castle of Kilmarnock, Dean Castle [1], there is a famous exhibition of ancient music instruments.