Walk 5 – Irvine Beach, Ayrshire

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A double rainbow touches a sandy beach in front of dark grey clouds
Sandy Irvine Beach is wild, beautiful and seems to go on and on forever! In fact it stretches 3 miles along to Barassie therefore this walk can be up to 6 miles in length should you complete the entire return route. Lined with high sand dunes and the Isle of Arran visible to the west, the beach here is popular with locals out for some fresh air and exercise.

Print  Dog-friendly walk

  Parking at Beach Drive Car Park (KA12 8PP). Start point is 1 mile from Irvine Train Station. Local bus service stops close by.


WALK REVIEW: 7th January 2016

If you are a fan of wild sandy beaches you will love this walk. From the car park some steps lead directly down onto the beach. Straight away I was welcomed with the stunning rugged coastline view which I know this beach so well for. It’s a bit of a favourite of mine, an old haunt. Before I had the kids I used to walk here often, even took up jogging along it at one point. When I was training for the West Highland Way a few years back this was my stomping ground. Its just so beautiful, untouched, and best of all – not busy!

I loved that today I had the place pretty much to myself apart from the odd dog walker. This was thanks to the brisk wind and the fact that it had been a particularly rainy morning so most people had opted to stay away! Armed with my woolly hat, gloves and full waterproofs I was quite happy. Even more so that I could walk at a good pace since I had no kiddies with me πŸ™‚ My first child-free walk of 2016!

Features to look out for along the way are the natural sand dunes which align the beach, the stone dragon which sits up on the hillside (excellent for kids and also one of my favourite vantage points in Ayrshire), Ailsa Craig and the Isle of Arran.

Sandy beach seen from a high vantage point behind grassy sand dunes
Looking south along Irvine beach towards Barassie, from the Dragon Viewpoint
sandy beach and sand dunes
Irvine Beach – the further along you walk the less people there will be πŸ™‚
sunset on sandy Irvine beach with two people on horseback silhouetted against a backdrop of the mountainous Isle of Arran
Some beautiful sunsets can be enjoyed from Irvine Beach, and it is popular with horse riders. That’s the mountains of the Isle of Arran silhouetted in the background.

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