Buggy-friendly walk (some woodland paths with tree roots – is your buggy suitable?)
Dog-friendly walk (in some parts of the country park dogs must be kept on a lead – refer to signage onsite)
Car parking available next to the Tesco store, Glasgow Rd, Kilmarnock (KA3 1UT). Rather than using the supermarket car park, use the area beside the row of shops/takeaways, close to the Glasgow Road/B7038. Closest train station is in Kilmarnock, 1.5 miles away. Local bus service from Kilmarnock town centre and buses to/from Glasgow stop on Glasgow Road, at the start of the walking route.
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Cross over the car park and grass verge to reach Glasgow Road. Cross at the pedestrian crossing then turn left to walk along the roadside pavement.
Continue for 500m until you see a country road on your right-hand side signposted ‘Borland’. Turn right here. After 300m you will reach a crossroads – keep right.
After a further 260m keep right again, at which point the road becomes Assloss Road. Enjoy the open countryside for the next 600m after which you will reach a crossroads opposite the Riding Stables. You are now in Dean Castle Country Park.
Turn into the road on your left and then turn almost immediately right onto a woodland trail heading into the trees. Initially you will be up quite high and will be able to see the Craufurdland Water appear far below you on your left. The path starts to descend fairly steeply and then hugs the river (still on your left) as it winds its way past the animal enclosures.
After 1km on this trail, you will arrive at a surfaced road where there is a crossroads. Turn left onto the road and across a bridge. You will begin to see your first signs of Dean Castle ahead. Continue on this surfaced road to pass along the side wall of the castle and then turn right to arrive at the front of Dean Castle. Explore the grounds if desired, then retrace your steps to the bridge.
Cross the bridge then turn left to follow the footpath along the Fenwick Water. This by-passes the play area, Rural Life Centre and duck ponds which are all well worth a visit if you have kids with you: the paths across to these amenities are obvious from the riverside footpath, which you should re-join when ready to continue the walk.
After a gentle uphill slope, the path leads to Assloss Road at a barrier. Beyond the barrier, turn left and left again to cross a road bridge above the Fenwick Water.
Walk up the hill ahead for 170m, then turn right onto a residential street called Forest Grove. At the end of Forest Grove walk past a row of garages and you will pick up a lane leading to Glasgow Road.
Cross Glasgow Road at the pedestrian crossing and retrace your steps to go across the car park and return to the start point at the Tesco supermarket.
WALK REPORT: 13th January 2016 (updated Oct 2025)
A child-free day and a lovely crisp morning so I put on my hiking boots and set off on a one of my favourite walks through Dean Castle Country Park. It was so nice to walk at my normal pace and with no buggies to worry about. On a cold day like today you don’t want to be hanging around! What I particularly loved was how cheery everyone I passed was – each and every person took the time to smile and wish me a good morning. It took me back to my hillwalking days as a child. Why is it that people greet each other so freely when out in the countryside but the same people would walk past each other on the street??
The Dean Castle was probably closed for renovations and covered in scaffolding when I first wrote this guide, but has since reopened and looks really stunning both inside and out. Built by the Boyd family back in the 1300s but best known as the castle that Lord Howard de Walden restored after it was badly damaged in a fire. It was he who later gifted the castle and grounds to the people of Kilmarnock in 1975. It is now managed by East Ayrshire Leisure Trust and you will often see the Countryside Ranger team out and about in the park. Inside the castle you will find displays of medieval arms and armour and a nationally significant collection of early musical instruments.
This is a route I have returned to many times over the years. You can also start it from the main car park off Dean Road which takes you past the visitor centre where there is a cafe and toilets. This route also passes the deer park where you will often see cute bambi-like fallow deer.
It’s a favourite Nordic walking route for my Friday group thanks to the mix of woodland trails and quiet lanes out in the open countryside. It’s a great walk for spotting lambs in the springtime, swishing through leaves in the autumn, admiring the wild flowers along the grass verges in the summer, and gazing over the frozen river in the winter.
