Ayrshire Coastal Path Discovery Series

Join Gillian’s Walks on a series of guided walks along this magnificent trail

The Ayrshire Coastal Path is a stunning long-distance walking route in South West Scotland. Designated as one of Scotland’s Great Trails and part of the International Appalachian Trail, the 106 mile route travels the length of the Ayrshire coastline from Glenapp to Skelmorlie. It offers the perfect combination of rugged rocky shoreline, cliff-top paths, sandy beaches and esplanades. This is your opportunity to experience the trail on a series of carefully planned full-day guided walks, on which you will get to meet many of the volunteer Path Wardens who take care of the route. 

Tickets

£28 per section with 15% of your ticket price being donated to the Ayrshire Coastal Path at the end of the walk series. These will be available until our maximum group size is reached. More information about each section, including the difficulty rating and what to expect can be found below. 

What's Included?

  • No need to worry about planning travel logistics, checking tide times or navigating, we’ll do all of that for you.
  • Benefit from insider knowledge of the Ayrshire Coastal Path volunteers – some of the Path Wardens will be joining our walks.
  • Learn about our coastal history and wildlife.
  • Meet some new, like-minded people
  • Everyone who completes the whole Discovery Series of 12 walks receives a free personalised Completion Certificate (worth £10)
  • Walk series takes place one Sunday a month for 12 months, between June 2024 and May 2025. Walk dates listed below.
  • 15% of your ticket price will be donated to the Ayrshire Coastal Path so you’ll also be supporting the work of the volunteers by making a contribution towards their annual maintenance costs.

2024/25 Dates

  1. Sunday 23rd June 2024 | Glenapp to Ballantrae
  2. Sunday 21st July 2024 | Ballantrae to Lendalfoot
  3. Sunday 25th August 2024 | Lendalfoot to Girvan
  4. Sunday 15th September 2024 | Girvan to Maidens
  5. Sunday 13th October 2024 | Maidens to Dunure
  6. Sunday 24th November 2024 | Dunure to Ayr
  7. Sunday 15th December 2024 | Ayr to Troon
  8. Sunday 19th January 2025 | Troon to Irvine
  9. Sunday 16th February 2025 | Irvine to Ardrossan
  10. Sunday 16th March 2025 | Ardrossan to Portencross
  11. Sunday 13th April 2025 | Portencross to Largs
  12. Sunday 11th May 2025 | Largs to Skelmorlie
 

Testimonials from previous attendees

"Having a guide was beneficial as it installed confidence in me and always felt I was in safe hands should anything untoward happen"

"Loved all the interesting snippets of information. At first I used to read the guide book before each section but soon I preferred to anticipate what I'd learn on the day instead, I began looking forward to having our knowledgeable walk leaders drop in nuggets of relevant and random information as we came across sights and point on the path."

"The organisation was all done for me so I didn't have to worry or think at all. It was lovely relaxing and enjoying the time not being concerned about tides or trains."

"I really enjoyed the company and chat of all the other walkers and have made good friends with others in the group and hopefully will continue that friendship."

"I really enjoyed this series. I have nothing but praise for the excellent experience I'd do another Gillian's walks trail series again in a heartbeat."

FAQ

How fit do I need to be?
Distance, difficulty ratings & route info are described below: some sections are more challenging than others due to the terrain. We will be walking at a gentle pace with plenty of stops to chat about points of interest, so as long as you can manage the advertised distance (between 5-10 miles depending on the section) we’d love to have you along. If in any doubt please contact us for more details.
 

Do I have to arrange my own transport back to the start point?

Most people book onto the walks as individuals and don’t have the luxury of leaving a car at each end, so don’t worry if you are in the same situation. If you have access to a car then for most sections we advise leaving it at the end point and using public transport to get to the start (full details and options will be provided by us ahead of each walk and walk start times will be arranged around public transport timetables). For sections 5, 10 and 11 there aren’t any simple public transport options so we coordinate a car share programme for those and rely on attendees to take part to make that work.  We also have a private Facebook group for attendees which can be used to arrange lifts with each other if travelling from the same area.  Please note that transport costs are not included in the ticket price.

Can I bring my dog?

This walk series is unsuitable for dogs for the comfort of the group and because there is a possibility of livestock on many of the walks.

Can I bring my child/children?

We have rated this walk series as suited to age 16+. This is mainly because we are out for 5-6 hours, sometimes in inclement weather.  

How do I find out the walk start time and meeting place?
Precise meeting points and times will be communicated to those who have bookings approx 1 week prior to the date of each walk. Normally walks will start in the morning, between 10am and 11am and will last approx 5 hours. 
 
What kit do I need?
Comfortable walking boots with good grips and ankle support | drinking water | snacks | packed lunch | waterproof jacket and trousers | hat | gloves | sunscreen. Optional: walking poles 
 
Why are you donating some of the ticket sales to the Ayrshire Coastal Path?
The Ayrshire Coastal Path is managed and maintained by volunteers and they rely on donations and grant funding to keep the Path in good condition. This donation is our way of giving back after a fantastic experience walking the trail.
 
What is your cancellation policy?
Full terms and conditions including cancellation policy can be found here: Gillian’s Walks | Terms & Conditions.
 
 

Schedule | Distance | Difficulty Rating