Work has concluded on the revitalisation of a former opencast coal mine in East Ayrshire.

The Dunstonhill site, near Patna, was closed down in 2013 after the liquidation of the Scottish Coal Company.

The 80 hectare mine quickly became a safety risk as the quarry pits filled with rainwater, so in 2015 the local council ordered work done to render the site safe.

This work has now been completed and the land has been returned to its owners.

It is anticipated some of the land will now be used for grazing animals and possibly forestry.

Meanwhile, reopened pathways are expected to become part of East Ayrshire Leisure's Core Paths network in the future.

The rest of the former mine has been regraded and designed to form a landscape sympathetic to its immediate natural environment.

Councillor Jim Roberts hailed the local community for their help in remaking the site.

He said: "The conclusion of these works is a testament to five years of hard work and commitment from the council, landowners and the local community, all united by a common aim to make this site secure and bring it back into local use.

"This has been a major concern for the people of East Ayrshire's southernmost communities since the collapse of Scottish Coal Ltd in 2013 left some sites abandoned.

"In the time that followed we have worked with the Scottish Government Coal Taskforce and many other agencies to find solutions on a site by site basis to the environmental and employment issues arising from this situation, and the completion of Dunstonhill marks a significant milestone in the wider restoration of opencast coal sites in East Ayrshire."