The new Bishop of Galloway is set to be ordained in Ayrshire later this year.

It was announced in Rome last month that Pope Francis had nominated Father Frank Dougan as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Galloway.

He will succeed Archbishop William Nolan, who served as the Bishop of Galloway from 2014 to 2022 before assuming the position of Archbishop of Glasgow.

Since that time, the role has been administered by Fr William McFadden.

The role will see Fr Frank Dougan become the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Galloway, which covers the council areas of Dumfries and Galloway, South Ayrshire, East Ayrshire and mainland North Ayrshire and Cumbrae.

The episcopal ordination of the bishop-elect is to be held in St Peter's in Chains, in Ardrossan, on Saturday, March 9, starting at 11am.

Bishop Francis Dougan will then formally take possession of the Cathedral Church of St Margaret's, in Ayr, at 3pm the following day.

Both ceremonies are to be held by ticket only to control capacity.

Reacting to his appointment, Fr Frank - formerly of the Motherwell Diocese - said he was looking forward to "coming home."

He said: "I am humbled and more than a little bit nervous that Pope Francis has asked me to take on this office. I feel confident, however, that I will not be alone in spreading the joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"I will be joining with every single person in Galloway Diocese, all of whom have a role to play, my role being just one of them.

"With God's grace and the deep faith of the Church in Galloway, we can continue to build on the solid foundations left by those who have come before us, stretching back to St Ninian who first planted the seeds of the Christian faith in Scotland here in Galloway.

“My mother was from Ayr, and I spent many childhood summers here, so you could say there is a little bit of coming home for me!

"But most importantly, we must proclaim a Church where everyone can feel at home and welcomed."