THOUSANDS of people across South Ayrshire celebrated Earth Hour.

Events and workshops took place in the county on Saturday, March 24, ranging from an adventure trail at Belleilse, Earth Hour Bookbug sessions at Ayr’s Carnegie Library and Girvan Off the Grid at Girvan Community Garden.

South Ayrshire Council also switched off their floodlights at a number of public buildings and landmarks, with this year’s events following a council ‘Promise to the Planet’ to stop buying plastic straws alongside a commitment to review the purchases of all single use plastic items by 2022 to ensure items which are more sustainable are bought in future. 

Cllr Ian Cochrane, said: “We’re proud to support Earth Hour and the great response we had to events across South Ayrshire will help to change attitudes and help protect our planet for future generations.

“This year people were encouraged to consider their actions, think about the products they use, and question whether they could make small changes to the way they live to cut down on waste, something which I hope to build momentum towards a lasting legacy.

“For our part, the Council is committed to protecting the environment and recently banned the purchase of plastic straws in our buildings and are also reviewing single-use plastic items to cut out unnecessary waste, something we hope will inspire others to follow.”