The Waverly has started her winter refit programme at the James Watt Dock in Greenock. This is part of a programme of restoration and repair that will see more than £500,000 spent on her this year. She will sail regularly from Largs in 2026 and is also expected make some sailings from Ayr and Troon during the this summer’s Clyde Sailing season from 26th June to 30th August. Details of the summer sailing programme will be released mid-March. Bookings will be possible at that t

Demolition of the Arran Mall in Ayr is set to begin on 23 February 2026. The buildings to be demolished include the three-storey concrete office block on Alloway Street and the single storey mall and retail units behind. The works, which will be carried out by Dem-Master Demolition Ltd, will take approximately six months to complete. Secure hoarding will be put in place around the demolition area. The hoarding will maintain existing access from Dalblair Road to neighbouring p

Detectives are appealing for information following a serious assault in South Ayrshire. Around 5.30am on Sunday, 8 February, 2026, a man was riding a bicycle when he was approached by four men and seriously assaulted on Drumley Drive in Mossblown. The 32-year-old man attended at hospital for treatment for serious injuries. The four men were all white, wore dark clothing and spoke with a local accent. Detective Constable Rebecca Scott said: “This was a terrifying incident for

Dobbies has unveiled a vibrant new cottage kitchen garden style foodhall at its Ayr store. Ayr is one of Dobbies’ first stores to transform its foodhall with a further 47 stores planned in the coming weeks, offering customers the opportunity to discover and celebrate great food. The new foodhall reflects Dobbies’ commitment to investing in the Ayr store and responding to what local customers want. By listening to feedback from the Ayr community, new ways were identified to im

At around 10.40pm on Saturday, 13 September, 2025, an accelerant was thrown at a property in Whiteford resulting in a fire. A member of the public forced entry to the building and assisted a 21-year-old woman within. There were no injuries. A male was seen running away from the scene, towards Assel Place, around the time of the incident. He is described as being in his late teens and was wearing dark-coloured clothing and a black baseball cap. Detective Constable Stewart Gord

A Stagecoach South Scotland–backed dementia programme has successfully achieved its goal of establishing a sustainable, ongoing community activity for people living with the syndrome and their carers after celebrating its one-year anniversary. Launched last year in partnership with club charity, Ayr United Football Academy, the Dementia Friendly Walking Football initiative has grown from a six-week pilot into a well-attended, permanent programme. Many of those taking part are

DO YOU WANT TO BE IN THE STUDIO AUDIENCE OF A BBC TV PROGRAMME?   Debate Night is   BBC Scotland’s political discussion show and we want the people from across  Scotland  to have their say.   The programme is travelling around the country on Wednesday evenings, and we would love to welcome local audiences at a location near you:   Upcoming Filming Dates:   Wed 04 Feb   LANARK                  Wed 11 Feb   FORT WILLIAM    Wed 18 Feb   EDINBURGH          Wed 25 Feb  AYR       

Aviation Editor Doug Maclean – 21st January 2021 On December 8th a press release from the Airbus SE announced they had completed the acquisition of many aircraft manufacturing sites owned by Spirit Aerosystems. The Spirit manufacturing site at Prestwick had been working for both Airbus and Boeing. Prestwick Aerosystems proudly takes its place at a historic site - Image Eddie Wallace Picture Eddie Wallace Prestwick Aerosystems is the new name for aircraft manufacturing at the

The Quay Zone (TQZ) leisure facility in Girvan is set to re-open its doors on Friday 23 January. Image - Quay Zone The facility, which was closed following major storm damage in 2024, has undergone a complete overhaul culminating in a phase 1 reopening of the swimming pool, fitness suite and gym. TQZ will be operating 7 days a week. Customers will be able use the gym's brand-new Pulse Fitness cardio, resistance and free weight equipment. The fitness studio has also been impro

The squad emerged victorious from a highly competitive tournament involving authority teams from East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, Glasgow and Dundee. South Ayrshire faced Glasgow in the final, securing the title and confirming their status as the top primary school authority football team in Scotland. Image - South Ayrshire Council This latest success marks South Ayrshire's second consecutive Association Sevens Championship win. The team is run by the Ayr & Dist

Five Scottish regions to benefit from a share of a new £140 million UK Government Local Growth Fund. Image - UK Gov Launched today [Thursday 8 January] by Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander, the Local Growth Fund will help drive economic prosperity across Scotland. The five regions’ allocations from the programme over the next three years (26/27 - 28/29) are: Glasgow City: £60.9 million  Edinburgh & South East: £37.8 million Tay Cities: £19.5 million Ayrshire: £11.8 million

Snow and ice may cause some disruption on Tuesday morning, particularly to travel. Valid 00:01 Tuesday until 11:00 Tuesday An area of mainly light snow will move east across southern Scotland into northern England on Tuesday morning before largely fading and clearing during Tuesday afternoon. A few heavier bursts are possible over the Southern Uplands, the Lake District and the northern Pennines. Most places will see no more than 1-2 cm of snow but a few places over higher gr

South Ayrshire Council continues to deliver affordable housing, with 147 more homes to be completed or started on site by the end of 25/26. Image - UK Gov The figure comes from the Council's Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP), which outlines affordable housing investment priorities and targets. The SHIP reveals that 258 affordable homes were completed in 2024/25 thanks to large-scale housing developments in Mainholm and Prestwick, and projects delivered by RSL partners.

Stagecoach South Scotland is celebrating the countdown to Christmas with the launch of its first-ever Golden Ticket Giveaway, offering customers the chance to discover a £10 Love2Shop voucher on selected bus services across Angus, Perth & Kinross, Dundee, Fife, Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. Beginning Monday 22 December, 150 Golden Tickets will be distributed across Stagecoach’s South Scotland, with customers encouraged to “keep their eyes peeled” for festive surprises on board. T

Amey, on behalf of Transport Scotland, is undertaking essential resurfacing on the A78 at Monktonhead Roundabout under two phases. Phase A completed in mid-December 2025. Phase B commences early January 2026 and details are as follows: Phase B :  A single overnight closure of the A78 southbound  carriageway will be in operation from 8pm  on Thursday 8th January until 6am  on  Friday 9th January . Traffic will be diverted via Warrix Interchange to Corsehill Mount Roundabout an

South Ayrshire Council recently launched the Winter Blue Health Calendar. The Winter Blue Health Calendar completes the set of four seasonal blue health calendar brochures which have been created to inspire individuals to connect with water and enhance their health and wellbeing.   The free Winter Blue Health calendar, which is available in both online and paper format, was launched at an event held at Dolphin House Outdoor Education Centre . The Centre provided a stunning co

South Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) are delighted to announce the appointment of Gary Hoey as the new Head of Children's Health, Care and Justice Services for South Ayrshire following an intensive assessment centre and panel interview process. Gary has worked in Social Work and Education for over 30 years, predominately within South Ayrshire. He will be taking up this role following three years as Chief Social Work Officer for South Ayrshire. In his role

Berelands House, located in the coastal town of Prestwick, has become Renaissance Care's 19 th home after it was sold by The Priory Group.   The chain, founded by Scottish entrepreneur Dr Robert Kilgour, operates care homes across Scotland, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Ayr, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Blairgowrie, Inverness, and Moray.    Yvonne Richardson, Renaissance Care's Operations Director, said: “With over 20 years of experience, our vision is to deliver high-quality, p

Hayes Garden Land garden centre in Symington has been destroyed by a fire in the early hours of Monday 15 December. Photo: Hayes Garden Land Facebook Several Scottish Fire and Rescue Service crews were called to the scene and remain in attendance as efforts continue. The business confirmed the extent of the damage in a statement posted on social media, saying: “We regret to inform you that we will be CLOSED for the foreseeable future - the Garden Centre & Cafe have burned dow

Heavy and persistent rain may lead to flooding and travel disruption Valid 18:00 Saturday until 09:00 Monday - Covers all areas of Ayrshire. Outbreaks of rain will spread in from the northwest during Saturday afternoon and last through Sunday before finally clearing away on Monday morning. The rain will be persistent and heavy at times with accumulations 40-60 mm developing quite widely. Across high ground totals during this event could exceed 100 mm. Strong southwesterly win