The first viewings of Wicked for Good which hits cinemas this Friday is set to sellout at the Ayr Astoria Merlin cinema. The movie which will predominantly be shown on screen 4, the biggest screen currently in use is expected to attract large crowds, during the 1st instalment of wicked last year lines of people where seen outside the cinema with almost every sitting sold out. Anyone looking to attend the first viewings are advised to book online to avoid disappointment at the

A range of service changes will take place across the network including here in Ayrshire which includes the Ayr service 7 being replaced with a new 3B service. Ayrshire Service 97 Ayr – Craig Tara Holiday Park Our seasonal service 97 will no longer operate from Tuesday 2nd December, the last day of service will be Monday 1st December and will return in March 2026.   Service 12 Ardrossan – Stevenston Services on a Sunday will now depart every 70 minutes. See timetable here .

South Ayrshire Council has confirmed that around £230,000 was spent developing plans for the now-abandoned Care Village project at the Hourstons and Arran Mall site in Ayr. Photo: ADN The Council revealed the figure following an enquiry from Ayrshire Daily News, confirming that the money was used for initial design work and site surveys when the Care Village proposal was being explored. A Council spokesperson said: “Since 2019 a range of options all focussing on boosting foo

Stagecoach South Scotland has teamed up with Ayr United and The Night Before Christmas Campaign to help bring festive joy to children and families across Ayrshire this festive period. Now in its fourth year of support for the charity, Stagecoach is calling on fans and members of the local area to donate gifts at Somerset Park ahead of Ayr United’s home fixture against Arbroath on Saturday 15 November. The goal will be to fill an entire bus with presents that will be distribut

Pupils at Carrick Academy have buried a time capsule in the grounds of the new Maybole Community Campus for future generations to open. Image - South Ayrshire Council In 2024, during the demolition of the former Carrick Academy building in Maybole, a time capsule dating back to 1925 was discovered. The contents of the time capsule were carefully inspected and preserved by the Ayrshire Archives, details of which can be found in our blog: https://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/artic

Culzean Castle visitors get the chance to win tickets and vouchers for upcoming Christmas shopping fair   Marc Peters Glass at Culzean Castle (© JSH Pix) Deck the Halls, a brand new Christmas gift fair coming to the SEC from 28-30 November, is teaming up with partner, National Trust for Scotland to host a giant festive gift hunt at Culzean Castle this weekend.   Culzean Castle in Ayrshire will host the gift hunt from Friday 7 - Sunday 9 November, giving visitors the chance to

South Ayrshire Provost Iain Campbell and South Ayrshire Council's Director of Communities and Transformation, Jane Bradley, attended an awards ceremony at Edinburgh castle for the Lowland Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Association Employer Recognition Scheme. South Ayrshire Council was awarded the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Award. The ERS recognises employer organisations that pledge, demonstrate, or advocate support to Defence and the Armed Forces community,

A 35-year-old man has been convicted of murdering a young man in Troon. James Thomson was found guilty of the murder of 22-year-old Callum Pollock following a trial at Glasgow High Court on Thursday, 30 October 2025. He will be sentenced at a later date. Emergency services were called around 11.40pm on Saturday, 6 July 2024, to a property at Ramsay Court, Scott Crescent, after reports of a man being seriously injured. Callum was pronounced dead at the scene, and Thomson was l

South Ayrshire Council have this afternoon revealed that a paper will be brought to the council on 6th November which will recommend scrapping the care village plans for the former Arran Mall & Hourstones site in Ayr. Instead the council will look at the potential of a residential development for the area. SAC Said: “A paper will be brought to Council on 6 November to advise Councillors that proposals to deliver a Care Village at the Hourstons and Arran Mall site in Ayr, is n

The Reel Plaice in Ayr has been named one of five national finalists in the prestigious Peter Hill Award 2025, organised by Middleton Foods. The award, created in memory of the company’s late CEO Peter Hill, celebrates excellence and passion within the fish and chip industry. This year’s competition received a large number of entries from across the UK, with The Reel Plaice earning its place among the top contenders. Ryan Baker, Sales Manager at Middleton Foods, said: “We lau

The Citadel Leisure Centre in Ayr has received a major facelift as part of its exciting refurbishment programme. Image - South Ayrshire Council The construction of the centre's brand-new entrance façade was completed earlier this month (October 2025). South Ayrshire Council has worked with delivery partners Alliance Leisure and Robertson Construction Central West to deliver a modern, visually striking exterior at the busy facility. Works included curtain walling glazing, a ne

More than 230 people were screened for heart conditions at an event hosted earlier this month by the South Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership, NHS Ayrshire & Arran and the Pumping Marvellous Foundation. A team of experienced medical and nursing staff provided free screening from 10am until 3pm at Girvan Community Hospital. Staff from Pumping Marvellous, the largest patient-led heart failure charity in the UK, was also on hand for information and advice. Throughout th

The South Ayrshire Volleyball Club has secured a £500 sponsorship from a new backer to support its growing programme of junior and senior volleyball in the region. The donation from Girvan based wood pellet and briquette producer, Land Energy, will fund new club-branded sportswear, provide additional resources for volunteer coaches, and strengthen community engagement by encouraging more local people to take part in the sport. The club runs two competitive senior men’s teams,

The Ayrshire Small Scale Tree Planting Programme is continuing through 2025/26, with grants of up to £1,000 available for planting native trees in South and East Ayrshire within the UNESCO Biosphere region.   Hosted by the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership and backed by funding from South Ayrshire Council, Scottish Forestry, the Woodland Trust and Land Energy, the scheme is now in its third season and has seen the planting of over 2700 trees since its launc

Could your dog be a lifesaver? Pet Blood Bank UK is currently appealing for dogs in Ayr to come forward as blood donors to help save the lives of other dogs. Dalblair Vets in Ayr is one of the charity’s host venues and they are looking for happy, healthy, and confident dogs to register for their donation sessions.   Pet Blood Bank is just like the human blood service, but for dogs. They collect blood donations from donor dogs across the UK which then go towards helping to sav

A well-known Tarbolton pharmacist has announced he is hanging up his white coat after two decades of serving the local community. In a heartfelt statement shared on Tarbolton Pharmacy’s Facebook page, pharmacist Richard said it was “with a heavy heart” that he had decided it was time to bring his long chapter at the village pharmacy to a close. “It has been an absolute privilege and my life’s work to serve you all over the years and I take with me so many special...

Ayr SNP MSP Siobhian Brown is highlighting the importance of fire prevention along Ayrshire’s coastlines as she joins national efforts to strengthen Scotland’s resilience against wildfires. Ms Brown, in her ministerial capacity co-chaired a national wildfire summit in the Cairngorms National Park recently alongside Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie, bringing together representatives from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), NatureScot, Scottish Land and Estates, enviro

Independent candidate and local businessman Wullie Hogg has been elected as the new councillor for Ward 3 – Ayr North following Thursday’s by-election. Image - Ayrshire Daily News The count took place at Ayr Academy, with the result announced shortly after 11:30pm on Thursday 16 October. Hogg, who runs the well-known Ayrshire firm the mighty “WSH Fencing”, secured the seat with 850 first preference votes. Known locally for his successful fencing business and large social medi

Police have confirmed that the body of a man has been found during searches for a missing man in South Ayrshire. The man has yet to be formally identified, but the family of 60-year-old John Doherty, who was reported missing from Ayr on Wednesday, 15 October 2025, has been informed. Police said there are no apparent suspicious circumstances, and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

Analysis of market trends and smart investment at Prestwick pays off in spectacular fashion. Aviation Editor Doug Maclean Image - Wikipedia A couple of years ago Prestwick airport management did a deep dive into market trends. Prestwick has always faced stiff competition in its business and it has survived by adapting to airline trends and providing the best service it can to all of its wide customer base. Business Development Director Nico Le Roux and the Board identified th