Ayrshire is gearing up for a sleepless night of football as Scotland prepare to make their long-awaited return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1998. Image - Scotland National Team Steve Clarke’s side will kick off their World Cup campaign against Haiti at 2am on Sunday morning, marking the end of a 28-year wait for Scotland fans who have dreamed of seeing the national team back on football’s biggest stage. Across Ayrshire, excitement has been building throughou

The site of the much admired Robert Burns Mural at the corner of John Dickie Street and Strand Street in Kilmarnock will be undergoing a makeover in June, as work starts on a brand new public feature and events space, named Poets' Corner. The project is part of the overall “Kilmarnock Masterplan” – one of many projects being undertaken now and, in the future, to enhance Kilmarnock’s townscape, natural and built environment to boost wellbeing, prosperity and opportunities for

246 children and young people from seven primary schools and Doon Academy have taken part in the annual outdoor water safety day at Loch Doon. Across Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service regularly respond to emergency calls from people who have witnessed someone getting into difficulty in open water and tragically, Water Safety Scotland have reported 39 accidental water-related deaths in Scotland in 2025, with the highest number of fatalities taking place in August. To

Ayrshire is in a strong position to sustain long-term digital growth, economic resilience and competitiveness thanks to their participation in the 5G Innovation Project. The region received £4.4million from the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) team in 2024 to become one of ten 5G Innovation Regions (5GIR) across the UK. And a report, commissioned to assess the impact of the 5G Innovation Region Project, says the funding and support has

Scottish Water is advising customers to plan ahead for a one-day road closure in Darvel, East Ayrshire, with significant diversions in place. Essential maintenance work to replace three defective manhole covers means the A71 East Main Street will be closed to all traffic between the junctions with Glenbrig and John Morton Crescent from 930am to 6pm on Tuesday 30 June 2026. During these times the official diversion route will be via the A71, A726, A77 and A719 and vice ver

Football fans across Ayrshire are preparing for one of the most unusual nights in recent Scottish sporting history as Scotland’s long-awaited return to the FIFA World Cup kicks off against Haiti at 2am on Sunday, June 14. Image - Scotland National Team Facebook Page And while most of the country would normally be fast asleep at that hour, pubs and sports bars across Ayrshire are expected to be packed with supporters determined to turn the middle of the night into a full-blown

Exciting STEM events have been taking place in schools across East Ayrshire with over 1500 P6 and P7 children benefitting from the extensive programme. The events, organised by Gary Neilson, ICT co-ordinator in partnership with the Council’s IT Service, involved educators including VEX robotics – a leader in educational robotics, and the National Robotarium, the UK’s centre for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence based at Heriot-Watt University. The children were encouraged

Cannabis with an estimated value of £210,000 has been recovered in Newmilns. On Thursday, 28 May, 2026, officers searched three properties, one on Bridgend and two on Main Street. A 26 -year-old man was arrested and charged in connection and is due to appear at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Friday, 29 May, 2026. Detective Sergeant Allan Auld said: “Drugs cause misery in our communities and this recovery demonstrates our commitment to removing drugs from our streets. “We

Emergency One, the UK’s leading manufacturer of specialist fire and rescue service appliances, has received a funding boost for 12 new trade apprentices. The £72k cheque from The The 9CC Group is the latest phase of a pioneering four-year £1.5 million investment in young Cumnock and Doon Valley residents, taking the current total to 20. The apprenticeships initiative has been seed funded by an advance payment of £120K community benefit following an agreement negotiated by The

Members of East Ayrshire Council’s Cabinet recently took an extensive tour of areas of Cumnock and Doon Valley following the conclusion of the Coalfield Communities Landscape Partnership (CCLP) projects which, since the first investigations in 2016, have been instrumental in transforming landscapes and communities left devastated by the collapse of the opencast mining industry in the area. Since the inception of the first projects in 2020, nearly £6.5million in funding and in

At the recent meeting of Full Council elected members agreed that a letter will be sent to the Scottish Government requesting a review of existing environmental health and antisocial behaviour legislation to explicitly include pets and other animals. Image - Southern cross vet The agreed motion means that the Council will urge the Scottish Government to review and amend existing environmental health and antisocial behaviour legislation to: explicitly include pets and other an

Loudoun Academy was a hive of activity last week for Eco Week and Mental Health Awareness Week, with the young people taking direct action to tackle environmental issues around the school and focusing on their wellbeing. The school had a full programme of activities encouraging young people and staff to look after the planet and their minds. The events focused on ‘Small steps. Big Impact. Together’ and included a mental health walk at lunchtime, a bake sale in aid of ‘SAMH fo

Park School has come out top in the Big Walk and Wheel – the UK’s largest walking, wheeling, scooting and cycling challenge. The challenge, which took place between 16 and 27 March, encouraged children and young people to travel actively to school and learn more about air quality improvements as a result. In 2025, 4,550kg of nitrogen oxide was avoided as a result of the ten-day challenge and 2,880 tonnes of CO² were avoided. Each day of the challenge, schools recorded how man

Police Scotland have charged a 12-year-old boy after reports of bricks being thrown onto the busy A71 carriageway in Kilmarnock. Police Said: “On 28th April 2026, Police Scotland received reports of bricks being thrown onto the A71 carriageway near to the bridge over Campbell Street, Kilmarnock endangering moving traffic.” “A 12 year old male has now been charged in relation to this incident.”

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

From Sunday 3rd May, Stagecoach bus fares will increase in price across Scotland.  Image - Stagecoach Stagecoach has said: “These decisions are never taken lightly. The changes reflect the rising costs of running our services and ensure we can continue to invest in what matters most – delivering reliable, sustainable bus services for our customers and communities. As a result, prices of Single, DayReturn, DayRider, Flexi 5 & 10, 7 day and 4 week MegaRider, and MegaRider

The Music Service has showcased the talent and dedication of children and young people across East Ayrshire during March - a month of incredible energy, achievement, and musical celebration. Throughout the month, over 900 pupils took part in Benedetti Foundation classroom workshops, bringing world-class musical inspiration directly into schools. These engaging sessions ignited creativity, built confidence, and offered pupils the chance to experience music-making on a whole ne

One of Galston’s most prominent buildings has been brought back into public use, following a £3.45m restoration project undertaken by East Ayrshire Council. The new Galston Town Hall will officially open its doors to the public on Wednesday 8 April 2026, offering a new location for the public library, and a skills and learning hub to enhance further the Council’s commitment to giving local people the skills to learn and work. The refurbishment officially got underway in Janu

Amey, on behalf of Transport Scotland, is undertaking essential resurfacing on the A77 at Bellfield Roundabout, including the slips, from Monday 30th March until Thursday 2nd April 2026 between the hours of 9pm and 6am each night. This work will require overnight closures of the roundabout and slips, and signed diversions will be in operation. Traffic wishing to use the southbound A77 off slip will be directed to follow the southbound A77 to Bogend, Tarbolton Road and th

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