I DON'T know whether it's the weather or simply that Ayrshire folk are hardier than most, but while Rob Cooke enjoyed Inverclyde's open-air pool on his own on Monday (your front-page picture, May 19) there were more than 50 bathers at Cumnock open-air pool.

While, admittedly, the number of open-air swimming-pools in Scotland is falling, Inverclyde cannot lay claim to having the last remaining one. In East Ayrshire, Cumnock pool was opened in 1936 and attracts more than 30,000 swimmers a year. Last weekend alone, more than 2000 people revelled in Ayrshire's glorious sunshine at our Cumnock pool.

What's more, East Ayrshire has a second outdoor swimming-pool in New Cumnock. Opened in 1966, this pool still attracts 17,000 swimmers a year.

And while our neighbours in Inverclyde have to wait until the end of this month to enjoy outdoor swimming, we Ayrshire folk always get the benefit of the Cumnock and New Cumnock pools from Easter weekend to September weekend, come hail, rain, or shine.

Nice try, Inverclyde!

Councillor John Smith,

Chair, Community Services Committee,

East Ayrshire Council,

London Road, Kilmarnock.

May 19.

SCOTLAND's only open-air council swimming-pool is not just at Gourock (May 19). Scotland's only open-air heated Olympic-size swimming-pool is here in Stonehaven, and open from June 6.

H William Munro,

Area Manager,

Kincardine and Mearns,

Aberdeenshire Council, Stonehaven.

May 20.