Families across North Ayrshire have made their voices heard as North Ayrshire Council officially confirmed its school term and holiday dates for the 2027/28 academic year. ​The newly-published calendar covers both mainland and Arran schools, mapping out exactly when classrooms will be open and when pupils can enjoy their well-earned breaks. ​Currently, North Ayrshire’s Education Service operates with two school holiday calendars - one for schools on the mainland and Cumbrae,

A talented young musician from Garnock Community Campus has earned national acclaim after being named runner-up at the prestigious Scottish Young Musicians Solo Performer Final. Jake Kenny, a pupil at Garnock Community Campus, represented North Ayrshire at the national event, held at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on Sunday 24 May. The competition featured competitors from all 32 local authorities across Scotland, along with a representative from the independent schools’

A North Ayrshire Council partnership project has seen more than 30 homes on Great Cumbrae being fitted with solar panels and battery storage systems. The Millport Solar PV and Battery Project is a community-led, phased programme with three aims: ● reducing Scope 2 carbon emissions – resulting from grid supplied electricity ● tackling fuel poverty and ● building local energy resilience. It is part of the Carbon Neutral Islands (CNI) Project, which is a Scottish Government prog

An update on the progress of the Ardrossan Campus will be provided at a meeting of Cabinet on Tuesday. In a report to elected members, it will confirm that the new facility - which will incorporate an early years centre, primary and secondary school, library and swimming pool - will be completed at the end of May 2028 and open for its first intake of pupils a few months later in August. The revised timescales for the Campus are a result of recent works to remove contaminants

North Ayrshire Council’s Customer Service Centre located at Bridgegate Irvine and the Housing Advice Team at Galt House are moving to Cunninghame House on Monday 18 May 2026. A new system will also operate for customer appointments and upon arrival to the ground floor entrance (facing the Rivergate Shopping Centre), members of the public will be required to check-in. Walk-in appointments are also still welcomed, and these will operate via a digital self check-in ticketing sys

An activity group for people aged 50 and over has become so popular that a second one has been set up to meet demand. The waiting list for theKilwinning Discovery Group, which started three years ago,became so busy that another one was establishedin 2025to allow more people to enjoy the programme. TheDiscoveryAward is a fun and free personal challenge for people aged over 50 and is run by the Discovery Award Federation. It has four categories for its challenges: Service In th

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

North Ayrshire Council’s Ranger Service and country park staff have shared their disappointment following the discovery of significant damage caused by illegal, off-road vehicle usage at Eglinton Country Park. Taking place during the Easter weekend, the park's busiest weekend of the year for families to visit, several locations have been affected with water pooling and tyre marks now prominent in key areas including the perimeter lawn of Eglinton Castle and land adjacent to t

Staff and pupils at a North Ayrshire school are burying a time capsule as part of celebrations marking its 50th anniversary. Skelmorlie Primary school turns 50 this year and the time capsule will contain: a letter from each class and Early Years for future children, explaining what it is like to be a pupil in their class in 2026. This will include a mixture of writing and drawing class photographs showing the children as well as their classroom environment and a letter from t

A multi award-winning mobile chip van has called for a review of a North Ayrshire Council licensing rule which it says is making it difficult to trade safely and effectively. Photo: Ayrshire Daily News Joanna’s Chippy Van, which serves communities across Ayrshire, has been in contact with the local authority regarding a condition attached to its itinerant licence. The rule restricts traders to a maximum of 20 minutes at any one location before they must move on. Owner Calum K

North Ayrshire Council has confirmed that ongoing repair works to the Allt Mor Bridge on Arran’s String Road will need to be extended after further inspections revealed more extensive repairs are required. The additional works mean that, when repairs resume in late April, a full road closure will be necessary to allow specialist plant and equipment to safely access the bridge and carry out the repairs. The council is aware of concerns about the impact of the works, particular

Talented young musicians from across North Ayrshire were celebrating an exceptional weekend of musical achievement. North Ayrshire Music Service celebrated a landmark success with ensembles excelling at both the Ayrshire Music Festival and the Scottish Concert Band Finals in Perth. Ayrshire Music Festival’s Ensemble Day Over 200 pupils from across the three Ayrshires took part, with North Ayrshire ensembles delivering standout performances. The Junior String Ensemble impresse

Significant progress has been made in the ongoing operation to demolish the fire‑damaged Forum Centre in Irvine. Contractors working on behalf of North Ayrshire Council have been carefully dismantling the building following the major fire in early February. Recent high winds have slowed the process however, work will continue over the coming weeks to make the structure safe and secure the surrounding area. A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “This is a complex and del

A Council programme that helps care experienced young people to map out their next steps in life is open now for applications. First Steps is an employability initiative that runs four times over the course of a year for care experienced North Ayrshire residents aged 16 to 24. It offers opportunities in activities such as food hygiene, cooking, barista skills, team building, First Aid, the Duke of Edinburgh Award and a host of other group and interactive training sessions. Mo

A local horticultural group are celebrating after receiving a substantial financial boost that will help ‘grow’ their organisation. The Three Towns Growers will receive just under £25,000 over two years from North Ayrshire Ventures Trust (NAVT) to help them establish their Hub. The money - £12,420 each year – will help them install and purchase Heat Recovery Ventilation Unit (MVHR), Air Conditioning Heat Pump (ASHP) and Solar (Photovoltaics) to help develop the The Hub, which

Construction work to deliver a major upgrade to one of North Ayrshire’s most important roads is now officially underway. A groundbreaking event yesterday (Thursday, 12 March 2026) officially marked the start of construction on the first phase of the B714 upgrade. This follows the UK Government’s formal approval of North Ayrshire Council’s Full Business Case for the project, paving the way for the £34.7million investment to move ahead. The transformational scheme will bring su

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

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

North Ayrshire Council has moved quickly to protect public safety and begin the recovery process following the major fire at Irvine’s Forum Centre. With Police Scotland investigating the origin of the blaze, the Council is using its available powers to start demolition works at the severely damaged building so that nearby streets and pathways can be reopened as soon as possible. Demolition contractors are already on site and work is expected to continue over the coming weeks