Girvan to Maidens

(S) From Ainslie Park in Girvan head onto the promenade and walk North (with the sea to your left).

(1) After 1.8km just beyond a large kids play area, you'll arrive at a large fountain. Turn right (East) to walk through the car park towards the harbour.

(2) Continue along the edge of the harbour and past the RNLI Girvan Lifeboat Station, reaching a set of steps.

Go up the steps and onto Knockcushan Street. Turn left (East) and at the crossroads turn left again (North) onto Bridge Street.

(3) Take the first left (North West) onto a minor road.

(4) Turn left (South West) after only 100m to cross the River Girvan via Newton Kennedy Bridge.

At the other side of the bridge keep left (West) onto Newton Place, heading towards the shipyard

(5) Just beyond the Coastguard Station turn left onto a footpath beside a landscaped rock garden. Follow the footpath around the perimeter of it, the water on your left-hand side, to reach the car park for Girvan Golf Course after 350m.

Follow the path right (East) here to walk around the outside of the car park.

At the end of the footpath turn right to cross over onto a small street leading between some houses. Turn left (N) at the end of the street onto Golf Course Road.

(6) Continue along this road, which skirts the perimeter of the golf course, for 1km until you reach a crossroads.

(7) Turn left (North West) then after 200m turn left (North) to walk through Girvan Mains Farm.

(8) The next section is along a good farm track running parallel to the coast. About 1km along, shortly after passing the Girvan Waste Water Treatment Plant, the road begins to turn inland and a wooden marker post directs walkers left (North) onto the beach along a wrack road.

After approx 1km you will arrive at a field gate. Depending on the time of year there might be bulls in the field - if not you will be able to walk through this and the next field to arrive at Curragh Cottages. If livestock is present, you will need to go down onto the pebble beach at this point instead.

(9) At Curragh Cottages, you can either continue along the beach if the tide allows, or walk along the road in front of the cottages then along the edge of the field which you enter and exit via kissing gates at each end. Return onto the beach once out of the field.

(10) 1km beyond Curragh Cottages you will reach Dipple Burn. If the tide and depth of the burn allow, cross it and continue north on the beach.

If the burn is not fordable follow the inland de-tour as follows: turn right (E) along a track to reach the A77. Turn left (N) to follow a grassy verge in front of the factory building. Look for a gap in the stone wall after the bus stop (there is usually an orange traffic cone here but can be hard to see if vegetation growth is high). Follow the grassy track along to a stile. Cross over then turn right to walk around the field edge. At the end of the first field, opposite Dowhill Farm, turn left (W) onto a farm track taking you along the side of another field. Cross another stile to access the beach. This short tidal de-tour is fully way-marked.

(11) Continue north along the sandy beach for approx 1.7km to the Milton Burn, which flows out onto the beach at a large pipe. If the tide and depth of the burn allow, cross it and continue north on the beach.

If the burn is not fordable follow the inland de-tour as follows: retrace your steps approx 200m back along the beach and look out for an obvious set of wooden steps built into the sand dunes. Go up the steps and through a kissing gate at the top of the hill. Follow a sandy/grassy trail down towards a small building then left along the base of the sand dunes to a stile. Cross the stile then turn left on a track to reach the beach.

Continue North on the sandy beach for 1.3km, Turnberry Lighthouse visible ahead.

(12) On reaching a rocky outcrop at the north end of the bay, turn inland and follow the Ayrshire Coastal Path way-markers North then East across Turnberry Golf Course and out onto the A719.

(13) Turn left (North) at A719 to walk along the roadside pavement for 1.2km to reach Maidens.

(14) Just past Hamilton Brothers car garage, turn left (W) down a lane which cuts through to Harbour Road. Cross the road and the car park, to find a footpath beside the water. Turn left along the footpath to reach Maidens Harbour, where this walk ends. (E)

For more information and a route review visit Gillian's Walks

Transport

• Car park at Ainslie Park, Girvan and at Maidens Harbour
• Bus services between Girvan and Maidens
• Train services to/from Girvan

Amenities

• Public toilets at Ainslie Park in Girvan and at Maidens Harbour
• Cafes and shops in Girvan and Maidens, tearoom at Balkenna approx halfway along route

Terrain
A mixture of surfaced promenade and minor roads, grassy paths, sandy beaches and field crossings (possibly muddy). Several stiles and kissing gates especially if following the tidal de-tours. Several sets of steps.

You can purchase the official Ayrshire Coastal Path guidebook from their website.

Ailsa Craig
Isle of Arran
RNLI Girvan Lifeboat Station
Girvan Coastguard Station
Fields of Ayrshire tatties (springtime)
Grant's Whisky Distillery
Turnberry Lighthouse
Trump Turnberry Golf Course
Turnberry Castle - birthplace of Robert the Bruce
Maidens Harbour