Dunure to Doonfoot 24 July

Alan, Allan, Davie C, Dougie, Gus, Hugh, Iain, Ian, Jimmy, Johnny, Malcolm, Paul, Robert

We met in the Co-op carpark at Doonfoot on a warm, but overcast, morning in order to catch the 9.34am bus to Dunure. The last time we did this walk (12^th September 2018) we had a schism, where some opted to go up to Fisherton and then on to Browncarrick before rejoining the rest on the beach at ‘Butlin’s’. Today, all were in favour of sticking together for a leisurely walk back to Doonfoot.

The tide times had been checked in advance, so we set off at ten to ten following three other walkers who had got off the same bus. They managed to get a hundred yards or so in front of us as we made our way along the beach meaning that we couldn’t just follow them, but had to keep an eye out for the white markers on the rocks and posts to keep us on the right track. After a while we moved up off the beach and continued on the grass track until making our way back down to the rocky, tricky foreshore. Our three pathfinders had stopped for a breather, so we overtook them and stopped for coffee further along. When they caught up with us, they asked the question ‘Did we not speak to you on the River Ayr Walk a few weeks ago?’ And now that they mentioned it, so they did. They do a weekly Wednesday walk the same as us.
Further along, we found the steep steps which took us on top of the cliffs again and, still following the markers, we made our way on to the old railway line which took us to the Heads of Ayr Caravan Park where we took the track back down on to the beach and round the imposing Heads of Ayr. On reaching the holiday park we noted a group of youngsters in hi-vis jackets doing a litter pick on the grass between the shore and the first line of caravans. It transpired that they were a group from the Ibrox area who were involved in such community projects. Good for them! (Methinks, though, that the owners of the park should have had the area cleared of litter as a matter of course, but there you go!)
We stopped for lunch further down this grassy area only to yet again meet the three guys. They were going all the way into Ayr, so this was to be the last time we saw them today. We could have sat in the warmth for ages but the lure of the pub was too much for some, so we made our way along the beach towards Greenan Castle, but turned off well before the castle and made our way up the path through the barley field to Greenan Farm Cottages and then up past the big house at High Greenan and eventually on to Dunure Road and back to the cars.
We arrived back almost exactly three hours after having started out at Dunure. The gizmos, as they often do, didn’t agree on the distance, but we guesstimated between six and seven miles, although for some it felt longer.
FRT was taken at Wetherspoon’s in Prestwick where it became a three pint, nae chip day!
A grand day out, and a big enough walk, at a sensible pace, in the warm conditions.

Nearly there!

Heads up!

Towards the shore again

Rounding the Heads of Ayr

Heading away from Greenan Castle