Continue along the path as it follows the course of a dry stone dyke, reaching two wooden gates at either side of a farm track just to the north of Downanhill Cottage. Once through the gates turn left onto a farm road and walk along it, passing through the substantial Langdale Farm and the smaller Downan Farm. The path then turns northeast to pass Kinniegar Farm to reach the road end. Turn left onto another road and walk along it, passing through the hamlet of Garleffin before the road joins the A77. Turn left here onto the pavement running beside the A77 with views towards the ruin of Ardstinchar Castle on the edge of the village of Ballantrae.
Ardstinchar Castle was built by Hugh Kennedy of Ardstinchar, a commander of Scottish troops who fought with Joan of Arc against English forces at the famous Siege of Orléans (1428-1429), an extremely significant battle of the Hundred Years' War in which Joan of Arc first established her renown. Thanks to his military prowess, Hugh was subsequently chosen to escort King Charles VII of France on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. On his return the king bestowed upon him a knighthood and a substantial golden handshake that allowed him to purchase the land on which Ardstinchar Castle was built. It is said that Mary, Queen of Scots spent the night here in 1563.
The short walk along the pavement then crosses a bridge over the River Stinchar. This bridge was built in 1964 but the older bridge, dating from 1770, can be seen a few yards further upriver. The road passes Ardstinchar Castle and continues onto Ballantrae's Main Street, where the finish point of this route is reached at the small but perfectly formed Kennedy Mausoleum.
Ballantrae was formed as a burgh in the 16th century, following the building of the castle here by the Kennedy family in the middle of the 15th. It translates from the Gaelic Baile an Traighe as ‘the village on the shore’ and its peaceful setting provides splendid views of the surrounding landscape and coast; it is a lovely place to spend some time. For many years Ballantrae was a fishing port, with smuggling commonplace along the coastline. Robert Louis Stevenson used the name of the village in his 1889 novel The Master of Ballantrae.
The compact but charming Kennedy Mausoleum
THE KENNEDY MAUSOLEUM
The Kennedy Mausoleum lies in the heart of the village and was built in 1604 by Lady Bargany. Her husband Gilbert Kennedy (who was Laird of Bargany) was killed in 1601 by the 5th Earl of Cassillis, John Kennedy, in an infamous incident that has since become known as ‘The Maybole Snowballing’. Gilbert's funeral was apparently attended by over 1000 men on horseback and several dignitaries. He was subsequently buried at Ayr but when Lady Bargany died in 1605 both their bodies were taken to Ballantrae and laid to rest in the Kennedy Mausoleum. The graveyard also has some interesting gravestones, many of which commemorate those drowned at sea.
DAY 2
Ballantrae to Girvan
| Start | Kennedy Mausoleum, Ballantrae NX 083 824 |
| Finish | Girvan harbour NX 182 982 |
| Distance | 13 miles (21 km) |
| Time | 5 hours |
| Terrain | Fairly flat using sandy and shingly beach, pavements, an old coach road and grass verge. However, there is one section that travels directly beside the busy A77 trunk road for a couple of miles where only a verge separates you from the road. Take great care here, especially if you are in a large group or with young children or dogs. |
| Maps | OS Landranger 76; OS Explorer 317 and 326 |
| Refreshments | There is a shop and hotel in Ballantrae, a bistro at Lendalfoot and several shops, pubs and restaurants in Girvan. |
| Transport | Regular Stagecoach buses run between Girvan town centre and Ballantrae (See Appendix C). Girvan railway station (services including Ayr, Kilmarnock and Stranraer) is on Vicarton Street. |
From Ballantrae the route heads down to the village's lovely harbour and onto a long stretch of sandy beach leading to Bennane Head (at one time the home of the notorious cannibal Sawney Bean). From here the path climbs directly beside the main A77 trunk road, which has to be crossed twice during the route so real care must be taken. The route descends into the quiet hamlet of Lendalfoot where a mixture of pavement and shore leads towards Kennedy's Pass and onto a superb old coach road that climbs high above the coast, providing magnificent views as well as being home to a variety of wildlife. It then drops back down to the coast and continues alongside the A77 into the busy town of Girvan using pavement, beach and promenade.
From the Kennedy Mausoleum turn left onto Main Street and then first left onto The Vennel. Walk along the pavement towards the shore, passing Ballantrae Parish Church, several houses and the primary school. On reaching a small car park the road sweeps round to the right and onto Foreland. Public toilets are available to the right of the car park.
Continue along Foreland on the pavement, passing Shore Road and Kintyre Avenue on your right until a small harbour is reached, where a waymarked sign points right to the slipway at the entrance of the harbour. Walk down the slipway and onto the sandy beach to continue north, heading away from Ballantrae Bay and towards Bennane Head. The beach provides good walking and the views towards Bennane Head, out to Ailsa Craig and back to Ballantrae are excellent.
As you approach two cottages at Bennane Lea turn right and walk towards a waymarked sign. At this point walk off the beach and onto a grassy track beside the cottages. Turn right to pass through a gate and cross an old road, then cross a cattle grid at another gate. Go through this gate to reach the very busy A77, which must be crossed. Take great care here as the traffic (including many trucks) moves along at the national speed limit of 60mph, making its way to and from the ferry ports at Cairnryan and Stranraer.
Ballantrae's fine, sandy beach leads all the way to Bennane Head
Once safely across turn left and climb steeply alongside the A77, walking on the grass verge between the metal barrier and the fence. This section of path travels beside the road for approximately one mile and although there are several feet between you and the traffic real care must be taken, particularly if there is a large group, children or pets on the walk. As you gain height alongside the road the views back towards Ballantrae are superb. About halfway up the hill the metal barrier stops so take extra care here. Once at the top of the hill the houses of Bennane Lodge and Meikle Bennane are passed on the left, then as the A77 begins to descend the verge crosses a singletrack farm road (which leads to Little Bennane) and reaches a waymarked sign. Carefully cross the A77 here back onto the western side of the road.
Near Bennane Head is a cave that runs to a depth of nearly 200m. Local legend states that this was the home of the infamous Alexander ‘Sawney’ Bean (spelt erroneously on the OS map as Sawny). He was the head of a Scottish family of cannibals who reputedly murdered over 1000 men, women and children in the 15th or 16th century. The clan managed to keep their whereabouts secret for 25 years thanks to the cave being blocked by water at high tide, keeping its murderous inhabitants and the remains of their victims hidden from passers-by. It was only by chance that Sawney Bean and his band of outlaws were finally caught, when they ambushed a man and wife returning from a local fair. The husband put up a furious struggle with his sword and pistol, managing to escape (sadly his wife became the Bean family's final victim) and tell the magistrates at Glasgow. When King James VI was informed, he and an army of 400 men tracked the Beans down to their cave at Bennane Head. Following their capture, Sawney Bean and his clan were