Girvan’s First-Ever Town Flag Unveiled
On Saturday 2nd August 2025, Girvan celebrated a special milestone with the official unveiling of its very first town flag at a hoisting ceremony at Stumpy Corner. The striking design, created by Winter Ingram of Sacred Heart Primary, features a bold black silhouette of Ailsa Craig set against green waves symbolising both the River Girvan and the sea — a proud reflection of the town’s maritime heritage and civic identity.
The project began with local residents and school pupils submitting their own ideas, which were then shortlisted to four finalists. These designs went to a public vote, where Winter’s flag won almost half the ballots cast. Three other finalists, Ebony Taylor, Dawn Cabadunga, and James Hodgson, were also recognised for their inspiring entries.
The four shortlisted designs
The project was a community effort, developed in consultation with the Court of the Lord Lyon (Scotland’s heraldic authority) and supported by the Flag Institute. Local schools played a central role, with pupils from Girvan Academy, Girvan Primary, Sacred Heart Primary, and Invergarven School all contributing designs during workshops led by vexillologist Philip Tibbetts.
The Girvan Town Flag, featured below, is now a free public symbol — available for all to use with pride.
Behind the Flag: An Interview with Project Lead Alan Jeans
Roddy MacDonald, Girvan Town Team Project Coordinator, spoke with Alan Jeans, who led the Girvan Community Flag project, to find out more about how this idea came to life.
Where did the idea come from?
Duncan McIntosh, a colleague from the RNLI, saw a town flag in Caithness. It begged the question – does Girvan have one? Following some research, we found out that the town didn’t.
What did you do next?
We opened a conversation with local groups about the appetite for a flag and whether they would support it financially in principle. Support and funding, in due course, was received from the Girvan Arts Festival, the Community Council, and the Town Team. So, we set up a group to take this forward.
Plain sailing?
Well, no! Having an official flag for Girvan required engagement with the Office of the Lord Lyon.
So what happened then?
I engaged with Philip Tibbetts, Scotland’s official flag expert, following his appointment as the first-ever Honorary Vexillologist at the Lyon Court. He agreed to help and assisted in the consultation process, which led to the design of a number of options.
Who was involved in the workshops?
Representatives from local groups and pupils from our local schools – Girvan Academy, Girvan Primary, Sacred Heart Primary, and Invergarven – guided by Philip.
So what happened next?
Draft designs were produced. There were 173 entries and 221 people voted. The winning design had 48% of the vote; the next nearest was 22%. Around 95% of the designs were from young people and 5% from adults. Philip continued to offer advice on the designs to keep us onside with the requirements of the Lord Lyon. After this, the shortlist of four designs was shared with the community, plus a number of interested parties, and the flag which received the most votes was selected as the Town Flag for Girvan.
Any lessons learned through this journey?
Yes! Firstly, the process was more complicated than I originally thought. However, the support, patience, and professional expertise of Philip guided us all safely through the process with a successful outcome. Secondly, the enthusiasm and the quality of work from our pupils was truly inspiring. The future of our town is in safe hands!
Finally, where is the flag flown in Girvan?
At Stumpy Tower. It looks amazing!
Girvan Town Team’s Role
Girvan Town Team was proud to play a small but meaningful role in making the project happen. Chair Lee Wilson sat on the working group, and the Town Team contributed £250 from our Micro-Grants Fund to support the initiative.
As Alan reflected, this was a complex but rewarding journey that brought together pupils, community groups, and national experts to create something lasting for Girvan.
