Ayrshire Coastal Path 4: Girvan to Maidens

Summary

After an initial stretch round Girvan harbour and a detour inland, the fourth stage of the Ayrshire Coastal Path has a long stretch along the rough shoreline of sand and pebbles. Later it crosses the Turnberry Golf Course before finishing at Maidens.

Grade (key)

Bog Factor (key)

3.5/5

Rating

Terrain

Long stretches on rough shoreline of pebbles and sandy beach. Some pavements, tracks and minor roads.

Public Transport

Both Girvan and Maidens are served by buses, whilst Girvan also has a rail station.

Start

Girvan harbour. Open in Google Maps.

Walk Statistics

Distance: 13.75km / 8.5 miles
Time: 3.5 - 4 hours
Ascent: 50m (Profile)
Start Grid Ref: NX183980

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Walk Description

User reports (1)

Stage 1

From Girvan harbour, keep the river on your left and head towards the town centre. Turn left at the crossroads with the traffic lights, then fork left again (signed for golf course). Go left over the bridge to cross the River Girvan, then turn left again following the lane by the far side of the river. Pass the Coastguard Station then bear left onto a footpath overlooking the harbour.

Stage 2

There are several benches before the path curves right along the seafront. It keeps to the right of a small car park to reach the road. Turn left along this, then almost immediate right to pass between the houses and down to reach another minor road behind. Turn left along this.

Stage 3

Follow this quiet road out of town, with the golf course on your right. Eventually it reaches a t-juncton. Turn left here, reaching Girvan Mains Farm. Turn left before reaching the main road to head into the farm, passing between buildings as waymarked and right through the courtyard behind, onto a farm track beyond which heads towards the sea. The track swings right as the coast is reached, soon passing a sewage works. When the lane swings right, bear left to head onto a rougher track right by the coast. Signs indicate where you may need to divert onto the rough foreshore at one point to pass a field of cattle (December to June).

Stage 4

The grassy track then resumes to reach the cottages by the shore at Curragh. You can head on the shore to pass these, or at higher tide follow the track past them, soon curving right and then turning left along the field edge. At the end of the next field return to the shore - which is mostly sandy. Again, you can stay on the shore to pass the factory at Dipple, or - at higher tide - take the track inland to the main road, then turn left along the verge, then fork left over a gap in a wall to stay by the factory fence, crossing a stile and then heading around the right edge of the field until a track leads back to the shingle-covered shore.

Stage 5

Continue along the shore for 1.5km until a sign indicates where to head briefly inland to cross a footbridge over the Chapelton Burn. Beyond this the path reaches a track, then bears left back to the shore, now the wide sandy expanse of Turnberry Bay. After 500m head inland as marked, into the edge of the golf course. The route crosses a footbridge, and then soon bears left to descend back to the golden sand. Turn right along the beach, continuing to the far end of the bay.

Stage 6

At the end of the sand a grassy path leads up between the dunes, passing a small hidden beach and then bearing right onto one of the Turnberry golf courses. Follow the marked route, near the sea at first, with views to the lighthouse. Black waymarker posts with a white stripe indicate where to bear right across the course onto a landrover track - take care not to disturb the golfers. When the track meets a tarred lane, turn right along this and follow it all the way out to reach the A719. Turn left along a roadside pavement for a little over a kilometre for the final stretch to Maidens.

Next stage: Maidens to Dunure

Route Profile

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