A video posted to Facebook by a local home improvement company shows a massive chunk of concrete narrowly missing his van parked beside the old bingo hall building at Boswell Park, Ayr. Business owner of Darryl white home improvements shared a video on Facebook yesterday evening showing the debris all over the footpath below. The area which is commonly busy with pedestrians due to bus station access and local bars was luckily quiet due to the time of night when the part of t

Young people from six South Ayrshire secondary schools recently showcased their talents in an exciting modern languages football competition. The annual event, held in collaboration with Ayr United Football Club, took place on Tuesday 28 April and was organised by the South Ayrshire 1+2 languages and South Ayrshire Reads teams. S3 pupils from Queen Margaret Academy, Belmont Academy, Prestwick Academy, Marr College, Kyle Academy and Carrick Academy presented a video of footb

Detectives are appealing for information following a wilful fire in Saltcoats. Around 11.20am on Saturday, 2 May, 2026, we received a report of a fire at a property on Canal Street. Emergency services attended, the fire was extinguished and there were no reports of injuries. Following enquiries, the incident is now being treated as attempted murder. Detective Constable Neil McGregor said: “This reckless, deliberate act of setting fire to the door of the property could have ha

Ayrshire Cancer Support Launches New 100km Community Challenge Ayrshire Cancer Support has launched a brand-new fundraising challenge for 2026, encouraging people across Ayrshire to get active throughout May while supporting local people affected by cancer. The Ayrshire 100 invites individuals, families, friends, workplaces and community groups to complete 100 kilometres over the course of the month. Participants can take part in any way that suits them, including walking, ru

A family-run island business has been named Business of the Year after helping to champion local creatives on Arran. The Isle of Arran Candle Company, founded by Daniel and Vik Steel, received the honour at the North Ayrshire Community Champion Awards in recognition of its business growth and wider contribution to the island community. The company was praised for the launch of the Arran Design Collective, an initiative created in 2025 to support local makers and give them a s

A colourful new art exhibition has opened in Kilwinning, showcasing the creative journey of 24 local people who have been developing their skills through community art groups. The exhibition, organised by the Kilwinning Locality team, is located in the community room behind Kilwinning Library’s reception area and celebrates work created by members of the Tuesday art group at Cranberry Moss and the Friday group at Kilwinning Library. Both groups run from 10am until 12pm and ar

A Primary 7 pupil from Dalmilling Primary School has enjoyed a night to remember after being crowned the overall individual winner at a brand-new schools cluster darts competition. Ramsay Canniffe took part in the first-ever competition following a six-week block of darts coaching delivered to pupils by Coach Ryan from Newton Primary School. The initiative proved to be a huge success for Dalmilling Primary, with the school being named overall winners. Ramsay also claimed the

An Ayrshire man has been banned from owning animals after keeping his pet dog and tortoise in squalor Ronan Jackson was sentenced at Ayr Sheriff Court on Tuesday 21 April to a Community Payback Order and has been placed under supervision for one year. He was also handed a disqualification order for owning and keeping animals for five years, after failing to provide his Border Collie Meg and pet tortoise Pebble with a safe and sanitary living environment, exposing his dog t

Young people across Ayrshire are increasingly rethinking how they travel, as rising fuel costs continue to impact day-to-day life. New research from Stagecoach shows that 55% of young people in Scotland have already changed how they commute due to higher petrol prices, with many turning to public transport as a more affordable and practical option. The under-22s free bus travel scheme is playing a key role in supporting this shift, helping young people stay connected to work,

Dobbies Garden Centres is encouraging the nation to embrace their creative side this May with a brand-new cottage garden-inspired Hanging Basket Workshop, taking place at its Ayr store on Saturday 9 and 16 May. Happening ahead of Dementia Action Week (May 18-24), money from the sale of every ticket will go to Dobbies’ National Charity Partner, Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity. Guaranteed to get attendees feeling inspired this spring, the

Police are appealing for information after the front door of a property was deliberately set alight in the Keir Hardie Hill area of Cumnock. The incident happened around 5am on Sunday, 19 April. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service attended and no one was injured. Detective Constable Fraser Murray said: “The fire is being treated as wilful and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances. “We are asking anyone who saw anything suspicious at the time to get in tou

More than 300 young people from across South Ayrshire have been recognised for completing their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at a special ceremony in Ayr Town Hall. The event, organised by South Ayrshire Council’s Thriving Communities Health and Wellbeing team, celebrated the achievements of young people who had completed their Bronze, Silver and Gold awards. Parents, carers, school staff and members of the wider community were among those in attendance as participants were hono

A community roofing project at Auchincruive has been praised for delivering lasting benefits to both residents and young people, while transforming a derelict building into something positive once again. The initiative, led by Andy Kerr, Operations Director at KRB Group (Ayr) Ltd, brought together professionals, students and residents in a hands-on effort to rebuild a collapsed and dilapidated roof at River Gardens, Auchencruive. The building is linked to a local alcohol and

The next stage of internal construction works has commenced at the Citadel Leisure Centre as part of the significant upgrades to the facility. To support this transformation, there will be temporary changes to the way customers access gym facilities. For a period of approximately four weeks beginning Monday 20 April, members should access the gym via the rear of the building. Non-members who wish to attend the gym should visit the main reception as normal to pay for their ses

Colleagues at Asda Kilmarnock have gone the extra mile for charity by walking an incredible 6,229 miles and raising more than £500 for breast cancer causes. The fundraising challenge was organised as part of Asda Tickled Pink, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Staff at the Kilmarnock store originally set themselves a target of 300 miles, but the effort soon grew into something much bigger. What began with a small group of front-end colleagues quickly gather

Two men have been convicted following the death of a 43-year-old man in Irvine. Image - Scottish Courts Simon Roberts, aged 32, and Sean McKie, aged 37, were found guilty at the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday, 14 April, 2026, following a trial. They are due to be sentenced at a later date. The incident happened around 6pm on Tuesday, 24 September, 2024, when Malcolm McCandlish was seriously assaulted on the town’s High Street. He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University

Residents and interested parties are invited to view the final plans for 43 modern, energy efficient homes at the site of the former Fullarton high flats. Following the completion of demolition of the five tower blocks in late 2023, North Ayrshire Council will give the site a new lease of life with the creation of 36 general needs homes, four amenity bungalows and three properties suitable forwheelchair users. A drop in event to view the final plans is scheduled to be held

A talented young showjumper has been chosen to represent Team GB at the Nations Cup in Compiègne next week. Nineteen-year-old Fergal Holohan has earned his place on the team after a series of outstanding performances, underlining his growing reputation in the sport. Fergal secured selection with his two horses, Karima and Celtic Son, following an impressive display at the recent viewing trials. Competing across three classes, he delivered remarkable consistency, winning two c

Young learners in the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere have been celebrating spring with peers in Sweden through an innovative learning exchange taking place through March and April. Pupils at Ballantrae and Colmonell primary schools have connected with children at schools in Kristianstads Vattenrike UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, using the social platform Discord to share photographs of their favourite outdoor spaces and the seasonal changes taking place. Faith H

The Children’s Ward at University Hospital Crosshouse has been given an Easter boost thanks to a generous donation led by local man, Michael Kirkum, from Kilwinning. Michael, who has very kindly coordinated the collection of Easter eggs for many years now, delivered approximately 800 Easter eggs this year, along with craft items and treat-filled gift bags, to bring some seasonal joy to young patients spending Easter in hospital. Michael visited the children ward last week to