New Ayr riverside events centre to finally open this weekend

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Ayr's new riverside events centre will open this weekend. The Cutty Sark Centre will finally welcome visitors on Saturday (May 13).The new facility will be used to house events and celebrate local art, history and culture.It will be part of a new public space that has been created at the bottom of the High Street.A total of £5 million was spent on the project which involved bulldozing old buildings and then rebuilding the historic quay wall.The grand opening of the new community building will come more than two months after it was first unveiled.Delays in finding staff and furniture for the new centre have been blamed for the protracted opening.

The Cutty Sark was named in March by Ayr Grammar pupil, Esme Clark, who was inspired by Burns' iconic poem Tam' O Shanter, with Cutty Sark the name of the witch's nightie in the epic Ayrshire tale.

Council chiefs have promised a fantastic day to open up the centre.Family friendly activities such as face painting; Bookbug sessions and performances from local artists will mark the occasion.Councillor Alec Clark, South Ayrshire Council’s Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Culture and Rural Affairs, said: “The Cutty Sark Centre has certainly opened up the whole area to the historic River Ayr and brought leisure and life back to the bottom of Ayr High Street. "The opening event is set to be a fantastic day showcasing all that the facility has to offer.”The events will kick off at 10am on Saturday until 4pm. Don't miss the latest Ayrshire headlines – sign up to our free daily