Last weekend’s Ayrshire Potato Day was the “most successful yet” according to the organisers.

Hosted by the Three Towns Growers, the event at Saltcoats Town Hall saw hundreds of keen gardeners visiting from as far away as Glasgow and Lanarkshire to obtain their favourite varieties of spuds.

There were activities for children, workshops, and stalls selling a range of locally made products, crafts, plants and gardening supplies.

Visitors were also treated to a talk by ‘Potato Professor’, John Marshall, who told of the humble spud’s origins in the Peruvian Andes.

Dr Frank Clarke, committee member at the Three Towns Growers, said that the event on Saturday, February 3 was the charity’s “most successful yet.”

He added: “Thirty varieties, including rare heritage potatoes, were available, with local varieties that tolerate frosts and therefore can be harvested early – so called ‘first earlies’ – proving especially popular, such as the famous Epicure and Arran Pilot.

“Renowned potato expert Professor John Marshall was on hand to talk on the development and culture of potato varieties in Scotland and shed his recent experiences hiking in the Andes of South America to learn about the origin of the first potatoes brought back to Europe.”

The Three Towns Growers Allotments and Community Gardens, based at Elm Park in Ardrossan, works to achieve positive outcomes in the local area through a broad range of activities, opportunities and experiences revolving around growing.