90 care packages cut in North Ayrshire

North Ayrshire Council has confirmed that 90 people have had funding for their care packages withdrawn between April 1 and August 31, 2026. The figures were discussed at a full council meeting after Irvine councillor Nairn Angus-McDonald asked about the number of packages affected and questioned the impact of the policy, saying further savings of £4.6 million were being sought through the eligibility criteria. Health and social care leader Margaret Johnson said each decision followed an individual reassessment and review […]

18/09/2026 20

News

McLurkin performs for the King

An East Ayrshire youngster celebrated a memorable achievement after performing his own composition, for His Majesty The King for his visit to the region. Logan McLurkin from New Cumnock performed Dumfries House: A Decade of Music, forming part of celebrations marking the 10-year anniversary of The King’s Foundation at historic venue. Following his performance, Logan was personally congratulated by The King and met guests including Sir Tom Hunter, Sir James MacMillan, founder of The Cumnock Tryst, and film composer Patrick […]

18/09/2026 22

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30 young musicians to open Ayr Concert Series

30 young musicians from South Ayrshire Music Service are set to take to the stage alongside the Orchestra of Scottish Opera at the opening of this year’s Ayr Concert Series. The musicians will join the orchestra at Ayr Town Hall on Wednesday 7 October, performing a programme of British-inspired string music. The concert will feature works by Elgar and Vaughan Williams before concluding with Jeff Moore’s folk-inspired Fiddlers’ Hill. Molly Turner, associate conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra, will conduct the […]

17/09/2026 21

News

Popular Pumpkin Patch return at Farm Park

Heads of Ayr Farm Park is bringing back its popular Pumpkin Patch for Halloween. The Ayrshire attraction says demand is already strong, with families being encouraged to book early for the event. The Pumpkin Patch is returning as part of the farm park's spooky season offering, giving local families another seasonal attraction to look forward to.

17/09/2026 28

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Police probe for Three Towns robberies

Police Scotland is investigating two petrol station robberies in the Three Towns on Tuesday, September 15. The Esso in Ardrossan and BP in Saltcoats were both targeted, with the incidents taking place just hours apart. Officers say the two robberies are not currently believed to be linked.

17/09/2026 15

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‘Unexploded bomb’ discovery in marina test works

Work on the planned Millport Marina on Cumbrae is moving ahead despite an unexploded bomb being discovered during preliminary test works. The discovery has been made as part of the early work connected to the marina plans. North Ayrshire Council says a meeting with North Coast members is due to take place on September 25.

17/09/2026 22

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King holding AI chiefs meeting at Dumfries House

The King is heading to Dumfries House today for an AI summit involving senior figures from Nvidia, Anthropic, Google DeepMind and OpenAI. The meeting brings together major names from the artificial intelligence industry, with discussions taking place against a backdrop of growing concerns about the misuse of AI. The visit puts Ayrshire at the centre of discussions involving some of the world's biggest technology companies.

17/09/2026 71

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Ayrshire sides discover Scottish Cup opponents

The draw for the first round proper of the Scottish Cup was conducted on Sunday, with several standout ties involving Ayrshire sides from across the divisions. It will be déjà vu for fierce rivals Cumnock Juniors and Auchinleck Talbot, who have been paired together at this stage of the competition for the second consecutive season following their televised encounter at Beechwood in September 2025. This latest East Ayrshire derby will see Stephen Swift's Cumnock host Tommy Sloan's Talbot at Townhead […]

16/09/2026 46

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Primary school closure after ceiling incident

New Cumnock Primary School has been closed for the rest of Monday and Tuesday this week after an incident involving a ceiling in an unoccupied classroom. East Ayrshire Council says the closure is a precaution while further inspections are carried out. Parents and carers have been notified, with arrangements made for pupils to be collected from 1.30pm on Monday.

15/09/2026 18