Walk 191 – Fairlie Glens and Waterfalls Circular – 4.3 miles

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On a clear day the views from this route are simply outstanding: the islands of Cumbrae & Arran and the pink sandy beaches at Fairlie and Hunterston. A variety of woodland paths, tracks and grassy hillsides lead you gently uphill past the remains of Fairlie Castle and along the base of Black Hill. The return section follows the Fairlie Moor Road and then the Ayrshire Coastal Path. There is the opportunity to visit some fantastic hidden waterfalls along the route if you don't mind some slightly rougher terrain for a few minutes!

JANUARY 2025: the track along the base of Black Hill is heavily rutted due to a combination of recent (early 2024) forestry works and cows. It is very hard-going particularly after any rain. Much of this muddy track can be avoided by de-touring up onto Black Hill and along the ridge. See route description and photos below for more info.

Terrain: This route is graded Moderate. A variety of woodland paths, rough farm tracks, grassy fields and surfaced road/pavement. Parts of the route can be very boggy at times. It is a hilly walk, starting almost at sea level, with 600 ft of vertical height gain (more if you go up Black Hill). There are several kissing gates and metal stock gates. There is one ford to cross, with plenty of stepping stones. See also notes above and photos following forestry works in 2024 which have impacted on part of the route.

Dog-friendly walk (note: sheep and/or cows can be present along most of this route at different times of the year – please be a responsible walker)

Walk starts from Fairlie Train Station (KA29 0DX) where there is a small car park and on-street parking. Regular trains between Fairlie and Glasgow / the Three Towns. Bus stop on Main Road/A78, a couple of minutes walk from the start.


WALK REPORT: May 2019 / January 2025

This is a route which I planned with EnRich Outdoors for the Clyde Muirshiel Walking Festival. I had opted to lead one closer to home than the previous year’s Four Waters to Corlic Hill route, mainly to cut back on travel time. Fairlie wasn’t an area I knew that well, so I had some exploring to do before we could promote the walk on the festival programme!

We recce’d the route on a glorious sunny day in May and were rewarded with the most magnificent views across to the Cumbraes and the Isle of Arran. I couldn’t believe the turquoise of the water or the pink sands of Fairlie and Hunterston beaches – it felt like we were on one of the western isles or abroad. Unfortunately when we led the walk for the walking festival the weather wasn’t quite so kind!

View across a grazed hillside towards Fairlie Sands and the Clyde Islands on a beautiful clear day

Another highlight of this walk is the two woodland sections – first Fairlie Glen where there are lots of mini waterfalls in the Fairlie Burn, and then coming along the Southannan Burn a bit further along, which is just idyllic. Sadly the southern end of the second woodland has been subject to timber felling in early 2024 and on my last visit looked like a disaster-zone. Probably not helped by the fact it was winter and everything was frozen. Hopefully it will regenerate soon, though I can’t help but reminisce about what once was….

A narrow footpath meanders through lush green broad leaf woodland
The beautiful woodland section along the Southannan Burn, summer 2019. Much of it remains but the southern edge has been stolen away 🙁
A wide stream with lots of small rocks in it, forming a ford either side of the trail.
Ford over the Southannan Burn
A frost-covered footpath meandering past a row of leafless trees and to the left a hillside of broken branches and tree stumps
When I emerged from the woodland in Jan 2025, this is what I saw. Quite sad, but somehow also quite atmospheric. And I’m sure it will look very different during the summer months.

If you fancy gaining a bit more height on this walk you can go up Black Hill and along its ridge, instead of using the track along the base. The climb up is quite steep but not far, and it’s well worth it for the additional views. The path along the top can sometimes be in better condition than the one along the base, as the lower path has been used for access during the recent forestry operations. On my last visit it was pretty boggy and uneven. There are directions for both options if you expand the ‘View Full Route Description’ section above.

Some sheep walking along a dry, grassy farm track
This was taken in May 2019 and is how the lower track *should* look. It always did get quite muddy in winter or after a lot of rain, but following the forestry operations in early 2024, it has all been churned up. I am advised that the contractor has completed work to improve the surface and that seeding is planned in the near future…
A waterlogged and deeply rutted farm track
….However that was not my experience of it in January 2025 when I found it to be in this condition. It was so hard-going that we had to traverse the pathless hillside instead. I definitely recommend the alternative route along the wide ridge of Black Hill. Although the day I took this picture the hill was in low cloud and driving rain hence why we stayed low….
Faint tracks leading across a heathery hillside
This is the track along the ridge of Black Hill, taken on a frosty January in 2025.
A lone conifer tree on a natural island surrounded by frozen water, high up on the heathery moorland above Fairlie
A sample view from Black Hill’s ridge line – January 2025. Simply stunning.

The waterfalls were actually a surprise to me on my first visit! Although appearing hidden, it turned out that the first one was not really, as we later crossed over the top of it on a footbridge. Still, it is much nicer to see from below than from above!

The second waterfall we only ‘found’ thanks to an old wooden way marker just off the path which simply said “waterfall”. Of course we were intrigued so followed the path. There were some fallen trees to negotiate and a little bit of scrambling – and all of a sudden out of nowhere there it was! There wasn’t a lot of water in it during our visit, granted, but enough to make an impression. Imagine it when the burn is in spate!

The third and final waterfall was one the EnRich Outdoors team had visited before but was a first for me. Again, it wasn’t far off the main path (not signposted this time though!) and it was another “wow” moment as I approached. This one reminded me of the Yad Waterfall in Maspie Den, Fife because you could actually walk in behind it. I guess you probably can’t always do that, however the water levels were low enough when we were there that it was easily done.

We chose a really colourful time of year to do the walk: the hawthorn trees were in full bloom and bluebells carpeted the woodland floors. There was also coconut-scented gorse along the base of Black Hill, and Fairle Moor Road was lined with irises. We saw lots of hairy caterpillars, found the empty shell of a bird’s egg and an abandoned wasps nest! I can definitely recommend doing this walk in May, though I am sure it is a pleasure most times of the year and especially after heavy rainfall when the waterfalls will be all the more spectacular (and the path all the more boggy!).

Be sure to download the route map to your mobile phone so that you can follow it precisely once you arrive at the start point. You can access the digital map via the purple button further up, underneath the map image.

Enjoy!

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