17 July Troon Woodlands

Where the Oak and the Ash and the bonnie Rowan tree,
Are all growing green in my ain countrie.

This was a walk in two halves so to speak. We were reduced to three Ooters this morning as holidays, broken limbs and grand-daughters detained others. And it was a rather uncertain two who drove through the rain to Paul’s place in Troon for a walk in his local area. Uncertain for it looked like a wet day and neither of us really knew what kind of walk Paul had in mind. We suspected a short walk in wet conditions. (‘Ye of little faith’, thinks Paul)
Part one:
We started off up a country road towards Collennan reservoir. The weather was dry for the moment but the prevailing conditions did nothing to lessen the doubts of the travelling two. The wind blew from the sea and chilled. The sky lowered as though ready for another downpour. And we walked briskly to warm the blood. Up through Collennan farm we strode and up through a small works unit to find a well constructed path labelled ‘The Smugglers Road’. Paul knows the walk well and suggest a deviation from the straightforward walk along it. His suggestion was accepted for Paul was ‘the man’ and we left the main path on a pad through Aught Wood. Jimmy and Paul debated the meaning of the word Aught as we climbed slowly through the trees, knowing the origin to be Gaelic. They think it means ‘the wooded field’, the English ‘wood’ being superfluous.
This was delightful part of the walk for we were sheltered from the wind and the sky was beginning to brighten above the summer canopy. Paul spoke of spring days in these woods when the primroses and bluebells are in full flower and the birds are singing. Though the spring is well past, there was sufficient colour to ensure a pleasant stroll through the trees. The birds, though, hid themselves against the wind.
We followed the pad up and down through the woods with Paul looking for another coming in from the left. We began to doubt his woodmanship when he suggested he had missed the turn-off. But confidence was restored when we found it at the bottom of a slope and followed it upward again. This took us up to the edge of Aught Wood and to the edge of Hillhouse quarry. The weather had improved while we were in the wood and now there was a brightness, almost a sunniness, in the sky. And we were still sheltered from the wind. And, as we stepped over the fence and came to the lip of the quarry, the sun shone on us. Now we looked down into the quarry and over it to Troon and Irvine. Even Arran began to show through the westward murk. And, in the north, sun and shadow mottled the Renfrewshire Heights. But we were for eastward yet.
The quarry road was followed for a few hundred yards. Then we stepped over the fence again. Paul said he likes to come this way for he misses the sign which tells how dangerous it is to cross the fence. We agree for we certainly didn’t see any danger coming the way we did. This new pad took us downward to a gate and a fork in the path. At Paul’s direction we went through the gate. Two hundred yards later he suggested we turn back for this was the wrong path. Oops! Confidence in Paul’s direction finding was totally lost. Davie was delighted.
However, back at the gate we found the right path and this took us back into the green shade of the woodland and downwards to Auchans. This ruin called out to be explored but the high fence surrounding it prevented any close investigation and we had to content ourselves with the longer view. Why are all our old, ruined buildings fenced-off against access? Health and safety has a lot to answer for. Or is the scribe just turning into a grumpy auld man?
Then it was on through the wood to come out at the edge of Dundonald. Dundonald Castle can be accessed, for a price, for it is in the care of Historic Scotland. We didn’t pay the price but walked up the hill anyway and viewed the castle from the outside. The view from the castle was also taken in and stretched as far as Loudoun Hill and Blacksidend. But we were no longer sheltered from the strong wind and the sun was gone again and it began to chill. So it was downward and back to the shelter of the woods again.
This time we did take the direct route of the Smugglers Road and this brought us quickly back to the reservoir. We walked across the dam and found the service road that took us back to Collennan and back to Paul’s place for lunch.
Part Two:
The afternoon saw us take the cycle path through Barassie for Shewalton Woods. His time Paul had no need for direction finding for the way was well way-marked. A full map was posted beside the path near the Irvine road. We crossed the old Irvine road and came under the new one in an underpass beside the railway. We followed the railway for a bit then crossed over the branch line that serviced the paper mill by a level crossing. Paul tells us that this must be the only level crossing in the country where the trains stop for pedestrians. We were not inclined to test his assertion and walked smartly over.
The cycle path was left after a bit and a well constructed path was taken through the nature reserve managed by The Scottish Wildlife Trust. This path was followed in a great loop through scrubland, open wetland and mature forest back to the cycle track. The track was followed back to the level crossing and back to Paul’s place.
A different kind of walk from the Ooter’s recent schedule but an extremely interesting one. Taking the two walks together we must have covered ten or so miles, most of them through woodland. This is a walk we should do again perhaps in the spring
Beer was taken in the Tower on the north beach.