Near which Scottish town was Alexander Fleming born?

Alexander Fleming was born near Darvel, a small town in Ayrshire, Scotland. His birthplace was Lochfield Farm, close to Darvel in the Irvine Valley, rather than in the larger nearby towns offered as alternatives.

Fleming was born on 6 August 1881 into a farming family. He spent his early years in the area and attended local schools before later moving to London. His Scottish upbringing preceded a medical career that eventually led him to St Mary’s Hospital Medical School.

At St Mary’s, Fleming became a bacteriologist and worked under Sir Almroth Wright. His research into bacteria and infection eventually led to his observation of penicillin in 1928, when mould inhibited bacterial growth on a culture plate. Fleming’s discovery helped launch the antibiotic era, although other scientists later developed penicillin into a mass-produced treatment.

Darvel is sometimes overshadowed by Kilmarnock because Fleming attended Kilmarnock Academy, but he was born at Lochfield near Darvel. That distinction is why Darvel is the canonical answer.