ARDROSSAN Castle will play host to a special event in celebration of being named one of ‘Scotland’s Hidden Gems’.

The iconic ruin was voted one of six top sites in the Dig It! 2017 Hidden Gems competition.

The competition celebrated Scottish archaeology and was sponsored by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and Archaeology Scotland. The aim was to find Scotland’s six best-kept heritage ‘secrets’.

To celebrate the castle’s success in the competition, Ardrossan Castle Heritage Society are planning a major event as a centrepiece to Scottish Archaeology Month in September.

It is hoped that the event and the achievement will attract visitors to the castle and raise the profile of the town.

Dr Amanda Simpson, secretary of Ardrossan Castle Heritage Society, said: “It is absolutely brilliant to be among the winners of this Scotland-wide competition and thanks are due the thousands of people who supported the campaign to win. It is a real testament to our community’s strength that the castle performed strongly throughout the eight weeks and finished with over 2,100 votes.

“Ardrossan Castle is now officially on the map as one of ‘Scotland’s Hidden Heritage Gems’.

“Locals have long known the castle is special and this is our opportunity to show everyone else how special it is. We hope this win will stimulate confidence in the castle as a town asset that we can be proud of and that can be used to help drive economic recovery in the town.”

Ardrossan Castle Heritage Society’s annual general meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 29 at 7.30pm at Winton Park. Members of the public, and new volunteers, are all welcome to attend.