Police have urged the public not to approach a prisoner who failed to return to an open jail from an approved home visit.
The alarm was raised when James Fitzpatrick, 36, did not report back to HMP Castle Huntly in Dundee on Tuesday.
He was last seen in Irvine town centre about 11:20 on Monday and it is thought he may have boarded a bus heading to Ardrossan.
Officers said extensive inquiries were ongoing to trace Fitzpatrick, who has connections in the Ayrshire area.