We need a CK plaque

Town veteran Nan McFarlane is on a crusade to get proper recognition for Troon’s great education benefactor, writes Stephen Houston. Charles Kerr Marr died 100 years ago next Friday, February 15. He was aged just 63. Embarrassingly there is neither a statue nor a simple plaque to the man, outside of his astonishing legacy Marr College. Former town councillor Nan , seen below, spent 16 years on the Marr Trust, seeing at first hand the great work it continues to do a century on. Generations of students going on to further education benefit every year from CK bursaries. The childless widower left his fortune of £ 330,795 to his trustees “to apply the same in the advancement of education.” Allowing for just inflation and no investment, that fortune would be worth £ 16,236,000 today. Surprisingly little is known about the man himself, and after extensive research Nan has put together a commemorative article for the Ayrshire Post. And Nan said: “I imagine the Marr Trust will still be going in another 100 years. His is an amazing story and it has always baffled me why, when he had left Troon at a reasonably early age, he gave his money to the town’s education. “Thousands have benefited from this pot of money. “I have a suspicion it was because he had to travel to Irvine for senior education once he had left the primary. “I would say Troon owes him great gratitude and it would be marvelous a century on if we could show our permanent appreciation.”