3 Help land managers and others to work safely and effectively. Do not hinder land management operations and follow advice from land managers. Respect requests for reasonable limitations on when and where you can go.
4 Care for your environment. Do not disturb wildlife, leave the environment as you find it and follow a path or track if there is one.
5 Keep dogs under proper control. Do not take them through fields of calves or lambs, and dispose of their waste properly.
Maps
Four Ordnance Survey Landranger maps (1:50,000 scale) cover the Ayrshire & Arran Coastal Paths.
For the mainland
Sheet 76 Girvan
Sheet 70 Ayr, Kilmarnock and Troon
Sheet 63 Firth of Clyde
For Arran
Sheet 69 Isle of Arran
Furthermore, six Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps (1:25,000 scale) cover the route.
For the mainland
Sheet 309 Stranraer and the Rhins
Sheet 317 Ballantrae, Barr and Barrhill
Sheet 326 Ayr and Troon
Sheet 333 Kilmarnock and Irvine
Sheet 341 Greenock, Largs and Millport
For Arran
Sheet 361 Isle of Arran
Emergency Services
All emergency services (including mountain rescue and coastguard) can be reached by dialling 999 or 112 from a mobile phone. Make sure that mobiles are always charged.
Using this Guide
The book has primarily been written as a continuous route, although each section can be walked as a day route using the area's excellent public transport. Each day has been written to finish where accommodation, meals and provisions are easily attainable (except Lochranza, Day 6, which has hotels but no shop). Further points to remember are as follows:
Some of the sections can prove quite long and if this is the case then the route can, in most cases, be broken down further into easier chunks.
A couple of sections do not pass a shop en route, so it is advisable to stock up on the day's provisions before setting out.
A couple of alternative routes, as well as optional detours, are marked on the relevant maps within the book.
Timing
Route information boxes list the approximate times that you can expect routes to take. These are based on the abilities of a reasonably fit walker and take into account mileage, the difficulty of the terrain and the level of ascent and descent. Some of the routes cross rough, uneven ground, which can significantly slow your progress, so give yourself enough time to complete each route and consider the weather conditions and how much daylight you can expect at different seasons in the year. Ensure you take into account variables such as rest stops and time taken for photographs. As can be expected of coastal walking, the tide can also play its part in considering how long each route will take to complete.
Weather vanes near the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum depict the poet's greatest works, such as Tam o' Shanter (Day 4)
Ardrossan's North Bay grants another wonderful view of Arran (Day 10)
It is crucial that tide times are thoroughly checked before setting out, as several sections can be impassable or extremely awkward at high tide. This can result in slow progress and could therefore prove disruptive to your plans or could even mean missing the next ferry, bus or train. Go to www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast/tides for relevant information. Sections where the tide may prove problematic are highlighted in this guide's route text, so check the information on the website before setting out.
One or two days?
Some of the longer routes can easily be broken down into shorter two-day sections. On the mainland Day 4 Dunure to Troon and Day 5 Troon to Ardrossan could be broken down further by spending the night at Alloway, Ayr, Prestwick, Troon or Irvine. All have accommodation as well as a selection of bars and restaurants to enjoy a night out. Details can be found in Appendix B.
Four days or more?
The four days on Arran could be easily extended to a week, allowing plenty of time to explore the fantastic island. Both Corrie and Sannox have accommodation, which, if you do choose to spend the night, would allow two days to complete Day 6 Brodick to Lochranza. Catacol or Pirnmill could be reached from either Corrie or Sannox but there is limited accommodation on Arran's western side. There is then very little in the way of accommodation between Pirnmill and Blackwaterfoot. The only place to stay between Blackwaterfoot and Kildonan is the fantastic Lagg Hotel and a night spent here is great. Options then increase at Kildonan, Whiting Bay and Lamlash, as each offers a variety of accommodation and places to eat, meaning the time spent on Arran can be extended to suit.
DAY 1
Glenapp to Ballantrae
| Start | Glenapp NX 074 746 |
| Finish | Kennedy Mausoleum, Ballantrae NX 083 824 |
| Distance | 8½ miles (13.5 km) |
| Time | 4 hours |
| Terrain | This route is on mostly rugged moorland tracks and paths, which can be indistinct on occasion and sometimes boggy. A couple of sections are also quite steep. The initial climb from Glenapp is through forest before farm roads and a short section of pavement beside the busy A77 lead into Ballantrae. |
| Maps | OS Landranger 76; OS Explorer 317 |
| Refreshments | There is a shop and hotel in Ballantrae. |
| Transport | A regular Stagecoach bus from Ballantrae to Stranraer stops at Glenapp. See Appendix C for details. |
The first day of the Ayrshire and Arran Coastal Paths is a short one. Glenapp to Girvan in a single day is feasible but it is long, whereas Glenapp to Ballantrae provides a short but memorable first day and guarantees fresh legs for the longer days ahead. An initial walk through forest climbs onto open moorland above Glenapp. Almost immediately you are struck by the rugged and remote nature of the coast, with much of it well away from any main roads. A good track descends through lovely Currarie Glen and then climbs steeply onto a cliff-top path towards Ballantrae providing magnificent views across Loch Ryan to Galloway and across the Firth of Clyde to Ailsa Craig, Arran, Kintyre and Ireland. Along this section the path becomes indistinct at times but the route is well waymarked when necessary. A singletrack road then passes through some farms (dogs should be kept on leads for the majority of this route) and the day ends at Ballantrae where a stroll around Kennedy Mausoleum is highly recommended. Ballantrae has a shop, a hotel and several B&Bs.
The Ayrshire Coastal Path is a 94-mile route that showcases some of Scotland's finest scenery, but it has a relatively understated start point at the humble surrounds of Glenapp. Consisting of only a few houses and a very fine church, Glenapp nonetheless provides a peaceful backdrop to the route's start and it is a lovely location