THIS week, we look at four more Ayrshire heroes, including an industrialist, a leading politician, an actress and a shipping tycoon.

And whether born in Ayrshire or making their name in the county, they all certainly left their mark.

(Image: Contributed) David Dale

Stewarton-born David Dale started out as an apprentice to a Paisley weaver.

In 1783, having developed an interest in the cotton industry, he joined Richard Arkwright - inventor of the spinning frame, a machine for spinning cotton - in building the New Lanark Mills on the banks of the Clyde, which opened in 1786 and made him famous.

Dale continued on his own and by 1793, following numerous extensions, New Lanark had the largest water-powered spinning mills in Britain, with over 1300 employees.

Unlike most mill owners, Dale treated his employees well, including child workers, who attended school on the site, were well clothed and well fed.

While working in New Lanark, Dale’s daughter Caroline married Robert Owen - a Welsh entrepreneur, who would soon take over the mill. Over the next two decades Owen became famous for the improvements he made to the social conditions of his workforce, some of which were built on practices established by Dale, who died in 1806.

(Image: Contributed) George Younger

Viscount Younger, who died in 2003, originally hailed from Stirling but is fondly remembered as Ayr’s Conservative MP, a position he held from 1964 to 1992.

He would play a key role in the successful campaign to save Prestwick Airport from closure in the early 90s after transatlantic traffic was moved to Glasgow and the Ayrshire airport faced an uncertain future.

During a long and distinguished political and Cabinet career, George Younger served as both Secretary of State for Scotland (from 1979 to 1986) and Secretary of State for Defence (1986 to 1989).

Lord Younger served with the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders during the Korean War. Involved in business as a board member with the Royal Bank of Scotland after leaving the Cabinet in 1989, Lord Younger became chairman after standing down as an MP in 1992. That same year he was made a life peer, and also inherited the family’s hereditary title on the death of his father in 1997.

(Image: National Portrait Gallery) Danielle Nardini

Largs actress Daniella Nardini’s rise to stardom was an overnight success after she appeared as sassy lawyer Anna Forbes in the legal drama This Life.

Born in 1968, her father Aldo Nardini was a director of the Nardini’s Cafe on Largs seafront for decades.

Daniella was educated at St Mary's Primary School  then Largs Academy. She then trained as an actress at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow.

Starring in two hit series of This Life, she won a prestigious BAFTA award in 1998 and gained celebrity status with front page coverage in many newspapers and magazines.

She went on to appeared as Lady Huntly in the four-hour BBC epic Gunpowder, Treason & Plot in 2004.

In 2006, she reprised the role of Anna Forbes for the 10th anniversary reunion episode of This Life (This Life +10), before showing her stage skills in hit theatre productions in Scotland and London’s West End.

In late November 2012, Nardini joined the cast of BBC One's drama Waterloo Road for the third instalment of its eighth series, filming on location in Greenock.

(Image: Contributed) Alexander Allan.

Born in Dundonald in 1780, Alexander Allan was the sea captain who founded the Allan Shipping Line in 1819, creating an Transatlantic dynasty.

He was hailed for establishing of the Firth of Clyde as an international centre of shipping.

Sandy Allan was born at Fairlie Estate, Dundonald, the third son of James Allan, who worked there as a carpenter. His wife Jean was the aunt of Robert Burns.

Initially, Allan worked as a shoemaker in Kilmarnock and Galston, but moved to Saltcoats, intent on learning to be a ship's carpenter. Instead, he went to sea as mate to Captain John Wilson. Within a few years, Allan had served as Master and part-owner of several first-class ships trading out of Saltcoats.

In the Peninsular War, Captain Allan was master of the 175 ton brigantine Hero, transporting troops, cattle and goods to Spain to supply the Duke of Wellington's army. 

He then began trading between Greenock and Montreal in Canada and set a record for the fastest crossing between Scotland and Quebec. In 1830, the 329 ton ship Canada was built for Allan and the Greenock launch of this vessel was one of the notable events of the area.

With his five sons joining him in the Allan Company, he became a shipping magnate and died in 1854, aged 74.