Local archive
Sport Craigie
Ayr United have unveiled a Refer-A-Friend programme aimed at increasing support at Somerset Park, with season-ticket holders offered 20 per cent off next year’s ticket when they introduce a friend who buys a season ticket of equal value.
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.
Business & Openings
A new GP-led walk-in service is planned for Ayr, offering same-day access to a GP or nurse from midday to 8pm, seven days a week. Ayr MSP Siobhian Brown welcomed the announcement and said she had campaigned for the service.
Traffic & Construction Kincaidston
Eight-year-old Mack Caddis from Ayr visited Stagecoach’s Kilmarnock Depot on 14 August after years of studying buses, photographing services at Ayr bus station and visiting the company’s depots.
Traffic & Construction
Passengers travelling between Ayr, Troon and Kilmarnock face two weeks of disruption while major track and station works take place.
Traffic & Construction
The Buf on Prestwick Main Street will reopen on Saturday, August 29, for a final run before Golf-X transforms the building into a new venue in January 2027.
Sport
Galbraith will continue sponsoring Ayr RFC during the 2026/27 season, with its branding appearing on the senior men’s and women’s shirts and on the club’s 1XV pitch post protectors.
Community
Proposals are being developed for a GP-led walk-in service in Ayr as part of a Scottish Government rollout intended to widen access to same-day care and reduce pressure on existing practices and hospital A&E departments.
Business & Openings
Dobbies Garden Centre in Ayr has opened general ticket sales for its 2026 festive programme, including Santa’s Grotto, quieter sessions for children with additional needs, Santa Paws, breakfast with Santa and wreath-making workshops.
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.
Culture
Families with Italian heritage from Ayr and across Ayrshire are expected to join celebrations in Barga, Tuscany, when the town’s annual Scottish festival returns from September 4 to 6, 2026.
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.
Sport
Historic paddle steamer Waverley will make its final sailing of the Clyde Summer programme from Ayr Harbour on Sunday, August 30, travelling to Brodick and offering passengers the option of continuing towards Pladda and Holy Isle.
Traffic & Construction
The Grooming Studio by Claire Macgregor is preparing to open at 97 Main Street in Ayr after its owner collected the keys to the new premises.
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.
Education
Every child starting Primary One in Scotland during the 2027/28 school year is set to receive a Welcome to School Bag, with pupils in Ayr, Prestwick and Troon among those expected to benefit.
Business & Openings
Fulfilment Pictures, an independent production company based in Ayr, is asking the public to help complete its short supernatural thriller Initial Contact after filming across Ayr and Callander earlier this summer.
Community Craigie
The Ayr and District Flower Show brought flowers, baking, beekeeping, crafts, children’s classes, trade stands and entertainment to Ayr Racecourse over two days.
Community
Saving and Rehoming Strays will hold its annual Big Wag fundraising event on Sunday, September 13, at Muirmill Equestrian Centre near Symington, with activities for dogs and their owners from 12pm to 3pm.
Business & Openings
The former Busy Bees nursery near Ayr Hospital has been placed on the open market after closing because of low attendance and recruitment difficulties. Former concerns about childcare places and jobs have since been resolved, according to a parent quoted in the original report.
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.
Sport
Historic paddle steamer Waverley will make one final departure from Ayr Harbour on Sunday, 30 August, after more than 3,300 passengers boarded at Ayr this season—50 per cent more than last year.
