A circular route exploring Alloway, birthplace of Robert Burns, and the surrounding woodland and parks. Allow extra time to investigate all the Burns connections along the route.
Pavement, cycle path and earth footpaths.
Many buses that run along the A77 serve Alloway, including service 57 between Ayr and Maybole. .
Burns Cottage car park.
Park at the Burns Cottage car park on Greenfield Avenue (which Robert Burns' father William Burnes was paid £50 to lay out) and cross the main road after passing through a metal archway. Turn right as indicated by the large black and white signpost and follow the wall for about 50m to reach the start of Poet's Path.
This walkway runs parallel to the road for some 350m and features a series of ten weathervanes depicting scenes from Robert Burns' poem Tam O'Shanter along with sculptures including a 2m tall mouse, far removed from the 'wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie' described in Burns' poem To a Mouse.
Just past this statue the path curves left and reaches a wooden footbridge - turn right to cross this and the road beyond to reach the new Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, opened in December 2010 and containing over 5,000 historical artefacts, original manuscripts and pieces of memorabilia relating to The Bard.
Turn right and walk along Auld Nick's View past Alloway Parish Church, built in 1857 and containing a memorial to Burns amongst the many stained glass windows. Cross the main road to reach the Auld Kirk, dating from 1516 and containing the grave of Burns' father William and the setting for the dancing witches watched by Tam in Tam O'Shanter.
Cross the road again and turn right to reach the entrance of the Burns National Monument and Memorial Gardens. The Monument was erected in 1823 and contains a circular room within the triangular base with direction finder showing the many Burns monuments and statues worldwide and a surprisingly small bust of Burns. Ascend the staircase to a walkway around the top of the monument which offers excellent views over the ornamental garden surrounding the monument and the Brig O' Doon.
Explore the gardens then leave via the gate at the southern end signposted 'Brig O' Doon' and cross the lane to reach the bridge, which was built in the 15th century and features in the last verse of Tam O'Shanter as the location where Tam's horse Meg lost her tail in his attempt to escape Nannie the witch. The bridge is also depicted on the current Bank of Scotland £5 note. Cross the bridge and head along the path underneath the entrance drive to Doonholm Estate before reaching the main road. Turn right and then left into Longhill Avenue and proceed along the pavement for 200m, looking out for a small set of wooden steps on the other side of the road heading down the embankment just before the road bridge. Carefully descend these to reach a cycle path. Turn right and follow the tree-lined cycle path - on the trackbed of the Ayr - Turnberry railway line which closed in 1968 - to a bridge over the River Doon. Just on the other side - before entering a tunnel - is Mungo's Well, where 'Mungo's mither hang'd hersel' in Tam O'Shanter.
Go through the tunnel and under the B7024 road to emerge beneath the wooden footbridge crossed earlier. Continue along the cycle path and beneath another road to reach a long stretch of path skirting the eastern extremity of Alloway amid estates of new housing. The path eventually descend via a ramp to the A79 Maybole Road - turn left and then take the first left along Kersepark and then the first right into Pemberton Valley. After 250m look for a narrow lane between the houses on the right - opposite Broadwood Park - and head along this as it curves left and onto a pleasant woodland path. Follow the easy path above babbling Slaphouse Burn, cross the road and re-enter the woods before reaching a path junction at the eastern corner of Rozelle Park. Turn left and follow the path through the trees to Rozelle Pavilion and turn right - crossing the open, tree-dotted parkland to Rozelle House.
Built in the 1700s this mansion and surrounding land was gifted to the people of Ayr in 1968 by the the Hamilton's of Rozelle to be used for culture and recreation purposes. It currently houses the art and museum collections of South Ayrshire Council, including the Tam O'Shanter series of 54 paintings by Alexander Goudie. Continue past the house to a large duck pond - only a few inches deep so popular with ice skaters when frozen. Leave the park and turn left along the main road to reach the cluster of houses and shops that form Alloway village centre, with Burns' Cottage at the far end. This two-roomed clay and thatch cottage (plus barn and byre) was built by Robert Burns' father William Burnes in 1757 and was the birthplace of Robert on 25 January 1759. After a spell as a pub the cottage is now part of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum and has been restored to give an insight into Burns' early years. The car park - and end of the route - is located just past the cottage.
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