The Irvine Valley is a walker’s paradise with an extensive network of footpaths, rights of way and roads which are easily accessible from each of the Valley Towns – Galston, Newmilns and Darvel. 2026 is the 22nd annual Valley WalkFest and Gillian’s Walks is pleased to be hosting a Nordic Walk Taster Session and an Intro to Digital Navigation workshop as part of the programme.
Friday 8th May | Newmilns
Sponsored by The Outdoor Partnership Ayrshire
Nordic Walking is an enhanced walking technique that uses poles to work your upper body as well as your legs. It gives you a highly effective all over workout that doesn’t feel like one! Nordic Walking is a fun and social activity that can be enjoyed all year round. Here are some of the benefits:
Gillian is a certified Nordic Walking Instructor through British Nordic Walking, a member of the International Nordic Walking Federation (INWA). Operating in Ayrshire, south-west Scotland. Beginners Workshops and weekly Nordic Walks are available.
Join my Taster Session – Group Walk – or both!
Enjoy a 60 minute Nordic Walking Taster Session designed to give you a flavour of what Nordic Walking is like. We’ll talk about the benefits of the activity, and introduce you to using the poles for balance and coordination. Taster Session time 9am-10am.
After your taster session, why not stay for our 90 minute group Nordic Walk? Just select both the Taster Session and the Group Walk tickets from the options below. Walk time 10.30am-12pm.
Where: Greenside Park, Newmilns
Price: free – funded by The Outdoor Partnership Ayrshire
Equipment: All provided
Experience needed: None
Spaces are limited and booking is required – see below.
Please do not bring dogs along to this event.
Saturday 9th May 10am-1pm | Galston
Sponsored by Visorando
Have the confidence to explore new places with this hands-on outdoor session! Learn how to use the Visorando map app on your smartphone to find your way around so you can venture beyond familiar paths. This interactive learning experience will equip you with essential skills to plan routes, stay on track, and feel at ease in unfamiliar terrain.
Thanks to funding from Visorando, this session can be offered free of charge (full price £45).
Sessions last 3 hours (first hour indoors at Galston Mission Hall) | Walk distance is around 2.5 miles with frequent stops | Pre-booking essential
What to Expect
During this 3 hour workshop you can expect to learn:
Good to Know
All participants are required to bring their own smart phone.
Pre-course information will be sent out to all registered attendees with detailed set-up instructions (saves time on the day).
The app used to demonstrate the above outcomes is Visorando, which is free to download and use. Following the course, attendees can resort to their app of choice or continue to use Visorando. All attendees of an Introduction to Digital Navigation session benefit from a 3 month trial of ‘Visorando Premium’, meaning you will have free access to all premium app features for that period. Read more about Visorando in this review.
To maximise your enjoyment of the experience, attendee numbers are limited to 5 per session.
Please do not bring dogs along to this event.
Visit the Valley Walkfest Facebook page or email [email protected]
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