Turnberry to Culzean 22nd October

 

Alan McQ, Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Dougie, Graham, Gus, Hugh, Jimmy, Malcolm, Paul, Robert

We had encountered some heavy rain showers on the way to Turnberry, but it was dry when we got there, and nobody decided to don waterproof trousers in anticipation of some better weather. Indeed, the weather was most kind to us and we experienced a much better and drier day than expected.

Leaving the Lodge Road car park, we crossed the main road and headed down to the beach which we followed to the lighthouse, where we stopped to admire the views for a few minutes and were politely reminded that we should not have arrived there by crossing the golf course but followed the designated route of the Ayrshire Coastal Path. No harm done, we then made our way down to Maidens Road and walked to the benches at the harbour where Derval Davie and Isla were waiting for us. A pleasant fifteen minutes were spent here having coffee in the sunshine before walking along the path and then the beach to Culzean and up to the Swan Pond. A brief discussion took place as to whether to turn back from there or continue further into the country park and, with most siding with continuing, we left Davie and Isla to do their own thing and make their own way back whilst we made our way up to the thatched howff in the walled garden for lunch.

Alan then led us out to the ‘Lion Gates’ and then down to the old railway line which we followed back down to the shore front at Maidens. Contact was made with Davie who was starting to leave Culzean at this point and we agreed to meet up at the Cassillis in Maybole later. Four Ooters, Alan, Hugh, Graham and Paul, decided to walk back to Turnberry via Shanter Road whilst the rest retraced their steps along the pavement beside the main road. We could see the four walking parallel to us for most of the way and, as we approached the lodges at Turnberry, they emerged just in front of us so that all were reunited for the last part of the walk back to the cars. We were back at two o’clock having covered ten miles, the longest we have walked in a wee while and, for some, it felt like it.

We had won a watch with the weather, had encountered great views of Ailsa Craig and beyond and had benefited from lovely autumn colours as we had walked, and were now ready for much needed FRT which, as suggested above, was taken at the Cassillis in Maybole where we were joined by Davie and Isla. This was a new haunt for us, but we were well received and accommodated ourselves in the back room/cocktail bar/ dance area which no-one else was using. We spent a good hour there despite the fact that the guys who ordered the cider called’ Outcider’ classified it as ‘rotten’. They didn’t order a second pint of it!

On travelling home most encountered very long tail backs approaching the roundabouts in Ayr making this a long, but somehow rewarding, day.