Walk 124 – Ayrshire Coastal Path: Girvan -Turnberry – Maidens (10 miles)

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This section of the Ayrshire Coastal Path involves a mixture of easy terrain including farm tracks, sand or shingle beaches, pavements and (in times of high tide) two field crossings.  It is very well way-marked, entirely low-level and passes some of the most iconic sights in the area, including Ailsa Craig and Turnberry Lighthouse. Golf fans will love walking right through the middle of Trump Turnberry Golf Course! 

  Car park at southern end of Ainslie Park, Girvan (KA26 0HW) and at Maidens Harbour. Bus service between Girvan and Maidens. Girvan is also served by a train station.

ACPlogo Purchase the official Ayrshire Coastal Path Guide Book

Grivan to Maidens

WALK REVIEW: 10TH APRIL 2017

I did this walk as part of my Ayrshire Coastal Path charity fundraiser for the Mark McCloskey Foundation. This was day 2 and I was walking from Girvan to Ayr, some 25 miles. This section of coastline wasn’t one I was very familiar with so I really enjoyed discovering it: The Lifeboats in Girvan Harbour, the fields of Ayrshire tatties, the white sand of Turnberry Bay, the rugged coastline around Turnberry Lighthhouse, and walking through Trump Turnberry Golf Course. Isle of Arran also made an appearance and it was really strange seeing it from the south! Although not a cold day, it was blustery and I needed my winter hat for most of the way! The joys of coastal walking 😉

I found navigation to be pretty easy on this walk thanks the the ACP way-markers. There was one point in Girvan around about Newton Kennedy Bridge which was a little confusing as the signs seemed to be pointing in opposing directions. I was using the route description from Walkhighlands as a backup and a few times I found that the information didn’t quite match what I was seeing. The bridge in Girvan was one of those times and so I was grateful to have mapped out the route in advance to be able to just follow the directional arrow on my mobile phone using the app 🙂

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RNLI Lifeboat in Girvan Harbour. Just as a side note there are public toilets next to the harbour – chargeable.
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As far as I am aware this was my first time seeing Ayrshire tatties in the making! I didn’t know that they were grown with plastic sheets over them. So much work involved! What a view they have 😉
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Hard going on this beach of stones! The blue building ahead is the alginate factory FMC Biopolymer. Rather an eyesore when you get close to it, especially if you need to follow the inland route around the back of it to avoid crossing Dipple Burn. Walkhighlands route description states that there is a concrete causeway across it however on my visit I could find no sign of it and followed the signage inland. In hindsight I wish I had just crossed the burn as it was quite shallow; the inland route was not nice and added extra distance on for no reason…..
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There were so many seabirds along these beaches! They would all stand at the tide line (I assume this is where they source their food…) until I got too close for comfort at which point they would take flight only to re-position themselves a little further along. Little did they know I was going that way…. 🙂 The lighthouse at Turnberry is also visible – it seemed so far away and I had to walk all the way to it!
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Turnberry Golf Course with the legendary Turnberry Hotel in the background. I noticed that at each hole the flag had the ‘Trump’ branding on it :-/
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The harbour in Maidens with the Isle of Arran in the background. The end of the walk!
Go to: next section Maidens to Dunure
Go to: previous section Lendalfoot to Girvan
Go to: full Ayrshire Coastal Path review

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