What is it about Ayrshire? Birthplace of Scotland's national bard, everyone's favourite violinist and the country's greatest living composer, this south-westerly corner of Scotland is currently hatching the next talented generation to follow in the footsteps of Burns, Benedetti and James MacMillan.

'It must be something in the water,' says Sir James, as he speaks about launching his new learning and teaching initiative, which aims to put Scotland in the global limelight as a centre of excellence for composers. Formed under the banner of The Cumnock Tryst, a festival founded by MacMillan in 2013, the idea is for Cumnock to lead the way in supporting budding composing talent and composition teachers, both in higher education and at school.

'We've always had a focus on composition at the Tryst,' he says, 'and it's been a constant in everything we've been doing since we started. We've been working with young composers from local secondary schools, university and college and have run an international composition course channelled through the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The music they have written has gone on to be programmed at the festival.' This link to world-class performing is critical to MacMillan's planning. 'We'll be working with Genesis Sixteen, The Sixteen's scheme for young singers, and writing for The Sixteen too, with me mentoring the composers.'

Other top-notch performers include ensembles from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Mr McFall's Chamber and the Edinburgh Quartet. In their first year, working in a way that complements local authority music teaching, MacMillan and the festival's chief executive, Jennifer Martin, are delivering Build It Loud for Advanced Higher Music students attending the new Robert Burns Academy in Cumnock. Exploring the creative parallels of music and architecture, their new campus school and its 500-seater auditorium provide the impetus for new music for brass quintet.

'It's been more difficult this year,' says MacMillan, 'but we've continued teaching by zoom. It's intense, with one-to-one sessions and if the kids are committed, it's possible to work this way.' The Tryst also arranges high-quality recordings with professional performers for pupils' SQA submissions. 'This is not an add on,' he says, 'it's absolutely part and package of the curriculum.'

Results over the years of the festival from younger generation composers so far are impressive. In partnership with Trinity College London, MacMillan is now poised to extend his work worldwide. 'I really believe that here we have the skills and resources to create an internationally recognised centre of excellent which will benefit the potential composers in the area, but also those around the world.'

For more information, visit thecumnocktryst.com.