Area
Business & Openings Fort
Narture CIC says more than 2,000 people visited its new Auld Toy Shop social enterprise space on Newmarket Street during its first major exhibition, marking a significant early response to plans for creativity, skills development and town-centre regeneration.
Community Fort
Long summer evenings are fading quickly in Ayr, with the town set to lose around two hours and 15 minutes of daylight during September alone. Here are the key dates, times and seasonal changes residents can expect.
Community Fort
Pro-Palestine campaigners say they expect to target the International Ayr Show after South Ayrshire Council confirmed Thales as a key sponsor and claims emerged that BAE Systems and Leonardo are also backing the event. The council says sponsors are assessed on their community benefits and STEM support.
Crime & Public Safety Fort
Cases covered this week by Ayrshire Weekly Press titles included the jailing of a Cumnock man after an axe assault in Ayr, the return to custody of a sex offender and charges involving racist abuse at an Ayr barber shop.
Community Fort
An Ayr Advertiser nostalgia feature revisits photographs and stories from late August and early September 2011, including a successful Fort fun day, young cyclists in Carrick, Highland dancers at Coylton and a major Mossblown community event.
Crime & Public Safety Fort
Anthony Ramage was given a two-year community payback order and 160 hours of unpaid work after admitting a road-rage assault that caused severe injury and permanent disfigurement to a driver in George Street, Ayr.
Business & Openings Fort
Plans have been submitted to convert the vacant former Keepsakes shop at 161 High Street, Ayr, into a BoyleSports betting shop, with a proposed £350,000 refit and six permanent jobs.
Culture Fort
Ayr residents and visitors can explore historic, cultural and religious buildings during Doors Open Day Ayrshire on 12 and 13 September 2026, with free entry at participating venues and advance booking required for some tours.
Crime & Public Safety Fort
Charles Lee, also known as Edward Taylor, admitted breaching sex-offender notification requirements by failing to register an online username and a new bank card. Ayr Sheriff Court heard he had hidden a second mobile phone under a couch at his Ayr Main Street home; sentencing was deferred after he was recalled to custody.
Traffic & Construction Fort
A Royal Canadian Air Force Hercules CC-130J will join this year’s International Ayr Show programme with a special flypast above Ayr on Saturday, September 5.
Crime & Public Safety Fort
Cumnock man Adrian McGhee has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after admitting an axe attack and threatening behaviour in Ayr.
Crime & Public Safety Fort
Alistair Steven, 36, appeared privately at Ayr Sheriff Court after Graham Milliken died following an incident on Main Street, Dundonald, on August 23. Police Scotland is appealing for dash-cam, doorbell and witness footage.
Traffic & Construction Fort
A person has died near Ayr railway station after emergency services were called to reports of a casualty close to the tracks on Station Road.
Business & Openings Fort
Euro Express in Smith Street, opposite Ayr railway station, has been approved to sell alcohol from 10am to 10pm daily, despite concerns raised by councillors about the shop’s fridge layout and children buying soft drinks.
Crime & Public Safety Fort
Jordan Goodwin, 28, and Allan Hugh Bolland, 45, have pleaded not guilty at Ayr Sheriff Court to allegations including threatening behaviour, possession of weapons and pursuing a vehicle in Kirkmichael.
Crime & Public Safety Fort
Joseph Rae admitted racially aggravated abuse at Magic Scissors on Ayr High Street, threatening damage to the shop and biting a police officer during his arrest. He was jailed for 12 months at Ayr Sheriff Court.
Crime & Public Safety Fort
Retired police officer Barry Sommerville has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after being convicted at Ayr Sheriff Court of offences involving indecent images of children found on electronic devices at his Prestwick home.
Culture Fort
Ayr residents will be able to explore historic buildings and unusual locations during Doors Open Days 2026, including the Tower of St John’s, Ayr Gaiety, former police cells beneath Ayr Town Hall and Carnegie Library. The free Ayrshire-wide event takes place on 12 and 13 September, although some tours are already fully booked and venue arrangements vary.
Crime & Public Safety Fort
A murder inquiry has been launched after Graham Milliken, 57, died in hospital following an early-morning incident in Dundonald. A 36-year-old man has been arrested and charged, with a court appearance scheduled at Ayr Sheriff Court.
Business & Openings Fort
A proposed wine and whisky lounge at 29-32 Queens Court, Ayr, has won provisional licensing approval after the operators agreed that a shared outdoor area would not be included in the licensed premises.
Crime & Public Safety Fort
Ayr MSP Siobhian Brown says she is working with Police Scotland to establish regular meetings between town-centre retailers and local officers, while new Scottish Government surveys seek views on smartphones, social media and online harms affecting young people.
Culture Fort
TripAdvisor ratings and reviews have highlighted five lesser-known Ayrshire attractions, including a volunteer-run steam railway, a medieval castle, a historic mill, a coastal lighthouse and a hidden heritage site in Largs.
Business & Openings Fort
Planning permission has been approved to convert the vacant retail unit at 19A Carrick Street, Ayr, into a studio flat for one or two people.
Crime & Public Safety Fort
Recent cases heard at Ayr Sheriff Court include a two-year sentence for a serious assault, a breach by a registered sex offender and a forthcoming trial over a fatal crash on the A737.
Crime & Public Safety Fort
Kyle Fellowes, 23, has been sentenced to 10 months in prison after admitting possession of an improvised offensive weapon inside HMP Kilmarnock. The makeshift item, described in court as three blades attached together, was discovered in a locked safe during a cell search on April 18. Fellowes said he had obtained it because he feared for his safety after previous assaults and claimed he had enemies in the prison.
Crime & Public Safety Fort
Steven Telfer, who was jailed after more than 500 indecent images were found on a phone at his Maybole flat, has been admonished at Ayr Sheriff Court after admitting he failed to tell police about a new username.
Business & Openings Fort
Mulligan’s in Ayr town centre is set to join the family behind Drouthy Neebors, with plans for free-to-use entertainment, Tennent’s on tap and a dog-friendly welcome. An opening date has not yet been confirmed.
Crime & Public Safety Fort
Jack Moodie appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court accused of abducting and assaulting his partner at a Wilson Street property on March 4. He denies the indictment and will remain in custody until a trial later this year.
Culture Fort
A United States Air National Guard C-130J Super Hercules will return to the skies above Ayr shorefront during the 2026 International Ayr Show – Festival of Flight.
Crime & Public Safety Fort
Connor Hendren, 31, has been given a three-year community payback order after admitting online sexual communications with an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old boy and possessing 15 moving indecent images of male children.
