A BIG year is ahead for the Ardrossan Castle Heritage Society as they look to bring back the local landmark to its former glory.

The castle, which is situated in the middle of the town, has long been revered by the people of the Three Towns and visitors.

The society is now deeply involved in planning a number of events and is trying to put Ardrossan on the map – with the castle as the focal point of the town.

They have again been nominated for the Provost’s Civic Pride Awards in the Arts and Culture section and after a nomination in 2013 too, they will be looking to go one step further and get some more recognition for the cause.

One of the main aims of the group is to restore the castle grounds and make it accessible for visitors to investigate what it is like and steep themselves in the great history that the town has to offer.

There have been plans in motion for a number of months to get a specialist team in to maintain the ground and ensure it is safe before removing the fencing that has recently been erected.

North Ayrshire Council is working closely with the group and Historic Scotland to ensure that this happens.

A spokesperson said: “Weather permitting, the scaffolding will be erected around the ruins of the castle on March 27 and 28. Thereafter, North Ayrshire Council, working with Historic Scotland, will undertake a high level survey of the ruins, to establish the areas requiring stabilisation and the extent of the work required. This survey is planned to be carried out on April 4.” The group has a number of ventures which will provide local people with information about the castle, its history and their ideas for the future.

There are plans for an arts competition involving local schools, which will see the pupils depicting what the castle and its grounds mean to them.

They also hope to put together an education pack allowing schools in the area to teach children about what the castle represented through the ages – from the days of Cromwell to the present day.

The group have already been into Stanley Primary and will be doing a talk with the local Opportunities In Retirement group at the start of next month to widen the net of knowledge for those who are older and may also have an interest in the history.

The society has also been lucky enough to receive funding to produce a 24-page booklet about the castle for promotion purposes.

The booklet, which should be out this year, will cover the history, the architecture and all the myths and legends that surround the castle.

After a donation from a local resident, the group now has the money to go ahead with the plans to make a 3D model, in digital form, which will show the castle as it was back in the 15th and 16th centuries before it became the ruin that we all know today.

Society treasurer Gail Reid said: “We received an anonymous donation from a local resident who was keen to see what the castle looked like in its heyday. Research has been carried out and you can see the drafts that have been completed by Bob Marshall.

“The finished article will add animals and people and he is also really keen to get the prominence of the land into the model. This will be really good for educational and historical purposes.

“We are also looking to be putting up signs to point people in the direction of the castle and its surroundings.” There are also plans with Craig Crosthwaite of the Church of the Nazerene, in Glasgow Street, to create a heritage centre within the grounds of the church where locals and visitors will be able to learn more about the history of the castle.

Craig said: “The Ardrossan Church of the Nazarene is delighted to be working with the Castle Heritage Centre on developing an attraction for the benefit of local people as well as the tourists who pass by Ardrossan on the way to Arran.

“Currently, the church has commissioned architects to draw up designs that will accommodate not only the Castle Heritage Society’s needs but also that of our range of community projects.

“It is an exciting time for us as we develop our joint venture and we are both deeply keen to see what concepts and costs the architect proposes.” There will be a fundraising evening on Friday, May 16 at Ardrossan Indoor Bowling Club and tickets will be on sale in the near future.

If you want to get involved with the Ardrossan Castle Heritage Society, they meet on the first Tuesday of every month at Ardrossan Indoor Bowling Club at 7.30pm.

Why not head along to see what they are doing or even offer your own ideas on the history of the great and mysterious castle?

You can also visit the group’s Facebook page – found on www.facebook.com/pages/Ardrossan-Castle-Heritage-Society – where there are some great photos to be seen.