Ayrshire Daily News

Bestselling author Sir Michael Morpurgo visited the Barony Campus on Friday as part of the Boswell Book Festival’s education outreach programme. Sir Michael spoke to P7 pupils from Lochnorris Primary School and S1 pupils from The Robert Burns Academy about his new book, Black Beauty – A Retelling. The Boswell Book Festival, held annually at Dumfries House, is described as the world’s only festival of memoir and biography. Organised by the Boswell Trust, the festival also includes education...

Generations across Ayrshire, the Clyde Coast and beyond have grown up hearing the unmistakable beat of her paddles, watching crowds gather at piers and harbours as one of the world’s most recognisable ships appeared on the horizon once again. Now, in 2026, the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer is celebrating an incredible 80 years since her launch in 1946. Built as a replacement for the earlier Waverley lost during the Dunkirk evacuation while helping rescue Allied troops in 1940, the...

A talented young cricketer from Prestwick has seen her design become Scotland’s brand-new international cricket shirt ahead of the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Thirteen-year-old Millie Chaudhary, a junior member of Prestwick Cricket Club, was revealed as the winner of Cricket Scotland’s nationwide “Design the Shirt” competition after beating hundreds of entries from across the country. Her winning design was officially unveiled on Prestwick Beach as Scotland internationals Abtaha...