AYRSHIRE Archives will close this weekend for a full year.

Shutting on Sunday, March 1 the main service located at Watson peat Building in Auchincruive, just outside Ayr, will close.

The purpose of the move is for the service to be switched to a newly built facility in Ayr, which is set to re-open in early 2021.

The archives is the officially local authority provision for North, East and South Ayrshire Council.

The other archive facilities at the Townhouse in Irvine and the Family History Centre at Burns Monument Centre in Kilmarnock will also be impacted by the closure.

However, some good news for those who use the service is that North Ayrshire Council’s heritage service will continue to provide access to local history and genealogy at the Townhouse and Saltcoats’ Heritage Centre throughout the next year.

For further information before the planned closure on Sunday contact archives@south-ayrshire.gov.uk or call 01292 521819.

Likewise, contact North Ayrshire’s Heritage Service on naheritage@north-ayrshire.gov.uk or 01294 464174.