East Ayrshire Council has launched a new vocation training programme as part of the Ayrshire Growth Deal’s ambitions to upskill residents in Cumnock and Doon Valley, enabling them to access employment in the emerging electric vehicle and hydrogen automotive sector. The pilot project is a key component of the Community Renewable Energy project (CoRE) which will develop new skills pathways in creating a pipeline of skilled individuals aligned to the needs of local employers, wh

A new bin collection service will be rolled out in two phases starting in Cumnock and the surrounding area from May 2026, and Kilmarnock and the surrounding area from October. The new collection service will see the recycling trolley replaced with three separate wheeled bins for paper and cardboard, plastics and cans, and glass. Each of the new bins, along with the general waste bin, will be collected once every four weeks, while the food caddy will be collected weekly alongs

East Ayrshire Council’s Cabinet has agreed the Ayrshire Roads Alliance’s programme of investment works that will allow improvements to be carried out to carriageways, footways and street lighting, in addition to bridge strengthening and investment in transportation, traffic and road safety. For 2026/27 the overall roads capital budget will be £5.752 million, and a number of carriageway and footway schemes have been identified and prioritised for action. The investment will se

Detectives are appealing for information following a housebreaking and theft in Ayrshire. Around 6pm on Tuesday, 25 February, 2026, a property near the B739, between Tarbolton and Monkton, was broken into. Jewellery and clothing worth approximately £300,000 were stolen. It is believed two males were involved in the break-in and they would have needed access to a vehicle. A team of detectives has reviewed CCTV and carried out extensive enquiries in the local area. Detective Se

Pupils at Glencairn Primary school in Stevenston welcomed innovators from the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland this week for a very special STEM visit! Shining a spotlight on the power of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), the unique learning experience was organised by education officers from North Ayrshire Council’s STEM team as part of British Science Week. Pupils were excited and had the chance to see Spot the Robot dog in action. Spot is a

This marks the end of firefighting at the site of the fire on Union Street, which resulted in the collapse of a historic Glasgow building, and the beginning of the recovery phase. Public safety remains the top priority and work will now begin to assess the remaining structure and establish a safe zone while this work is underway. SFRS will maintain a presence at the site to support partners. At its height, 18 fire appliances and specialist resources attended the fire, which w

Prestwick Leisure Club is making a big splash after its major refurbishment, with new figures showing soaring memberships, rising visitor numbers and major energy savings since reopening. Councillors on South Ayrshire Council’s Service and Partnerships Performance Panel were given an update on the popular facility on 10 March, following its reopening in October 2025 after an extensive transformation. The refreshed club has already delivered a strong performance, with active f

Detectives are appealing for information following an attempted robbery in Kilmarnock. Around 12pm on Sunday, 8 March, 2026, a 79-year-old woman was walking on London Road at it’s junction with Dunure Drive, when she was approached by a man who attempted to forcibly pull her bag from her.   The woman was assisted by a member of the public before police were contacted. She was not injured during the incident but was left badly shaken. The suspect is described as male, aged 25-

The Broadway Cinema in Prestwick has taken another significant step towards its restoration with the arrival of an original Wurlitzer cinema organ, donated by a private collector and set to be installed once work on the building is complete. When the project is finished, The Broadway will become the only cinema in Scotland to house a fully operational cinema organ. The instrument has a rich history of its own. It was originally installed at the Ritz Cinema in Luton, formerly

New redeployable CCTV cameras are being installed in priority areas across East Ayrshire to tackle environmental crime and improve community safety. In May last year, Council agreed as part of the Strategic Review of Community Safety and Enforcement, to fund six new deployable cameras bringing the total across the area to 14. The cameras are currently being installed in areas that have been identified in partnership with key stakeholders, taking account of feedback from resid

The Leaders of South Ayrshire Council and Dumfries and Galloway Council are once again calling on the Scottish and UK Governments to invest in the A77 and the A75.   These two major trunk roads are critical for connecting passengers and freight between England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Despite this, the roads which run from Ayr to Stranraer and from Stranraer to Gretna, are mainly single carriageway.   The speed limit for heavy goods vehicles (HGV) is restricted and alt

Ardrossan Harbour is to be brought into public ownership and the replacement of the MV Lord of the Isles will go to competitive tender Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop today announced as part of a package of investment in ports and ferry services. Ms Hyslop set out to Parliament the progress made on a number of key milestones in the delivery of the Clyde and Hebrides and Northern Isles ferry services. These milestones include: The successful conclusion of negotiat

South Ayrshire Council is calling on residents to make full use of their food recycling caddies, as part of a new campaign to reduce waste, boost recycling rates and protect the environment.    Every year, households across Scotland throw away thousands of tonnes of food that could be recycled. When food waste goes into the general waste bin it is sent to an ‘energy from waste’ facility for incineration. Transporting food waste for incineration is five times more expensive an

Detectives are appealing for information following a serious assault in Old Street, Kilmarnock on Saturday, 28 February, 2026. The assault occurred around 9.55pm when the 34- year-old man was struck over the head with a glass bottle. He attended University Hospital Crosshouse, Kilmarnock for treatment. The suspect is described as a white male, aged between 16-22 years, around 5ft 8, thin build, red hair and was wearing a grey coloured tracksuit and white baseball cap. He was

Marr College has been awarded Intermediate level of the British Council’s prestigious International School Award in recognition of its work to bring the world into the classroom.   The International School Award celebrates the achievements of schools that do exceptional work in international education to support our young people in gaining a wider cultural understanding.   To achieve this award Marr College undertook various international projects including the exchange of le

South Ayrshire based Land Energy is thrilled to announce that it has been shortlisted for two prestigious industry awards in recognition of its continued commitment to innovation, sustainability and business excellence in Ayrshire and the wider region. The company has been confirmed as a finalist in the Resilience category by the Glasgow based Centre for Engineering, Education and Development (CeeD) at its Industry Awards. The awards celebrate innovation, excellence and colla

North Ayrshire Council’s Capital Budget will deliver investment worth more than £324 million in the coming years to help support communities and residents. The Capital Budget supports investment in buildings, infrastructure and regeneration projects and the newly-approved programme will see a focus on a number of major developments across North Ayrshire. The rolling programme - approved by Elected Members yesterday (Wednesday 25 February) - will see investment in North Ayrshi

North Ayrshire Council has approved its Budget for 2026/27 after a meeting of Elected Members. This was recognised as a particularly challenging budget to set as the Council had to deal with a major funding gap, particularly related to health and social care services. Following a series of votes, elected members agreed to raise Council Tax by 8.5 per cent from April. This is comparable with other Council Tax increases already approved in Scotland and reflects the determinatio

Nick Page, Chief Executive of Scotland's new national awarding body, Qualifications Scotland and Chief Examiner Donna Stewart visited SL33 in Kilmarnock recently to find out more about the service the team provide. Welcomed by Director of Education and Skills, Linda McAulay-Griffiths and Chief Executive Eddie Fraser - Nick and Donna met with Margorie Harvie, Skills and Learning Employability Manager, Ian Burgoyne, Assistant Director of Education and Skills, and the wider team

Scotland’s ultimate new spa break destination has opened its doors to visitors on the Ayrshire coast, just 40 minutes south of Glasgow.   Boasting commanding sea views over the Firth of Clyde towards the Isle of Arran, the family-run Waterside Hotel at West Kilbride has unveiled its stunning new sea-view spa and restaurant this week following a major £3 million development.   Owned and operated by SimpsInns, The Waterside Hotel & Spa is now home to one of the most exciting le