Croy to Maidens 20 July

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

Thankfully, the weather was cooler than the last two days making today’s walk bearable. As we got ready at the car park at the top of the hill at Croy, Derval Davie waved as he passed and indicated that he would park at the beach car park, meaning that he wouldn’t need to climb back up at the end of the walk – too smert for his ain guid! The plan was to walk to Maidens and back which we were told was eight miles in total, but, in the end, these turned out to be Jimmy miles. 

 

Making our way down on to the beach at Croy shore we were at Culzean in about thirty-five minutes on a bright and breezy morning with most choosing to climb up to the castle and find a spot for coffee. Alan, Paul, and Robert stayed on the shoreline to explore the caves before we all met up again at the pagoda near the Swan Pond. It was then back on to the beach for the last section towards Maidens where we encountered some really soft sand, more like quicksand, just before the harbour. Lunch was taken at the benches here at quarter past twelve whilst a couple of local women tended the flower tubs. Well done to them!

 

 

  

Twenty minutes later and we were on the return journey, this time sticking to the grass areas along the front of Maidens for as long as we could before dropping back down on to the shore. Entering Culzean at the first opportunity we walked up the road to the Swan Pond where DD and Isla ‘disappeared’. Robert went to find them whilst the rest continued up through Culzean via the Happy Valley before taking the steps down on to the shore at the cottages. Fortuitously, Robert and Davie (and Isla) met up with us as we hit the beach for the walk back to Croy and, for most of us, the climb up to the cars. It was quarter past two by this time and we had covered ten miles or so, and were ready for FRT. It has to be noted though that on our walk back along the beach we noted a number of dead guillemots, a sign of the avian flu times.

A discussion followed about where to have our refreshment and it was decided to motor to the Greenside in Maybole where we could relax in the sitooterie and where Neck Oil was on tap. As usual, after about five minutes of our quiet banter anyone else near us had left and we had the place to ourselves and a good time ensued. A number of us had coffees for our second drink, very average at that, but we were respectful of Robert’s blood pressure, and nobody ordered cappucchinos! DD who, let it be known, had a black coffee, was first to leave, fortunately by car as he is no longer welcome on the Darvel bus!

A grand day out!