small burgh (town) and agricultural centre in East Ayrshire council area, historic county of Ayrshire, Scotland. The town was formerly a coal-mining centre. James Keir Hardie (Hardie, J Keir), the father of Scottish socialism, lived most of his life in Cumnock, and a memorial outside the town hall is dedicated to him. Nearby is Auchinleck House, which was built by the father of the noted biographer James Boswell (Boswell, James), who is buried in the family tomb there. Pop. (2001) 9,358.