Lendalfoot to Girvan 19 October

Alan McQ, Allan, Davie C, Dougie, Gus, Hugh, Jimmy, Malcolm

Our original plan was to meet at the Ainslie car park in Girvan, catch the 10.37 bus to Lendalfoot, and walk back. However, we were all there, at least we hoped so, by half past nine and, rather wait for the bus, decided to take two of the four cars to Lendalfoot and start the walk earlier. This proved to be a good idea as the weather turned to rain earlier than we had bargained for.

Setting off along the beach in decent conditions we turned up to the road just before Pinbain Burn and crossed over to find the old coach road. The first part is a steep uphill section but before long we were heading on the track towards Pinbain Hill. Four of us, Alan, Dougie, Gus, and Hugh had decided to go high, over Pinbain Hill, Grey Hill and Byne Hill, whilst the rest had made their minds up to stick to the lower Coastal Path route along the coach road, but, before splitting, we took coffee together. The views ranged from Ailsa Craig, looking good in the weak, morning sunshine, to the Council coup over behind us. What a variety!

Anyway, the members of the ‘low’ group, including your scribe, left the others to their climb, and made their way, without difficulty, along the track until we saw the sign pointing to the path’s continuation to the right beside a farmer’s fields, close to the road. This section proved to very wet and muddy, and it was with relief that Ardwell Farm was reached, at which point another sign told us to cross the road and make our way along the grass verge until we could get back down to the beach. Lunch was taken, but with the skies darkening to the south, we didn’t delay for long and set off on the final leg. The going on the beach had been tough underfoot, so we decided to walk along the grass verge until we made the pavement at the Ardmillan Castle Holiday Park. Sticking to the pavement from there on in, we made the car park at one o’clock just as the spots of rain turned to more serious stuff. Six miles had been covered.

We reckoned that the rest would be a good bit longer, so Jimmy took us all back to Lendalfoot in his car in order that Malcolm could collect his, and, on returning, were surprised to see the ‘high’ group in the car park. They had missed out the last hill because of the conditions and found a relatively quick way down. Other than Alan, they had found their walk taxing.

FRT was taken in the Greenside in Maybole and, by the time we left, the rain had stopped.