Reviews, photography and route information for walks in Ayrshire, Fife, Glasgow & the Scottish hills. Buggy-friendly and dog-friendly walks are highlighted.
Walk 176 – Stevenston Beach Circular – 1 mile
A short but extremely sweet walk along the pristine sandy beach at Stevenston, returning to the start via the sand dunes footpath. Teeming with wildlife in the summer, look out for several species of butterflies and wildflowers along the way.
Ample car parking at West Shore, Stevenston (KA20 3LY)
Route: The walk starts from the information board at the end of the car park. From here you will see a bridge leading over the Stevenston Burn towards the beach. Once on the beach turn right and walk along the sand until you reach the ramp at the other end. Turn sharp right here to pick up a track heading towards the sand dunes. At a fork in the path keep right to return to the start.
The bridge to paradise! When I come here I always remember back to when I walked the Ayrshire Coastal Path in April 2017: the sight of this bridge and pristine sandy beach beyond it was so very welcome after a long inland section. Looking back along Stevenston beach at low tide. Just perfect! I wasn’t expecting much from the return path through the sand dunes to be honest; I thought it was going to be a boring cycle track. However I was really pleasantly surprised, especially after the fork in the path, from which point I really felt as though I was on a nature trail! There were loads of these butterflies (I think they are Six-spot Burnets, with the 6th spot hidden under the 5th at the top…..) as well as a multitude of wild flowers. For the more daring there is also a sandy footpath which goes over the top of the sand dunes, however I would personally discourage this in order to preserve the fragile dune ecosystem and avoid erosion.
Dog-friendly walk
Download a route map HERE
Ample car parking at West Shore, Stevenston (KA20 3LY)
Route: The walk starts from the information board at the end of the car park. From here you will see a bridge leading over the Stevenston Burn towards the beach. Once on the beach turn right and walk along the sand until you reach the ramp at the other end. Turn sharp right here to pick up a track heading towards the sand dunes. At a fork in the path keep right to return to the start. 
