Ayrshire Coastal Path Portencross - Largs

I had hoped to complete the final northern section of the Ayrshire Coastal Path walk to Skelmorlie today but sadly time was against me so I compromised and walked half of it and to be fair I had a good time.

Portencross anchorage at low tide

I parked at Portencross castle car-park early in the morning, the frost was still on the ground and the northerly breeze made it a decidedly chilly. Went to pull up the zip on my base layer and realised I had put it on inside out when dressing in the darkness, that's what I get for trying not to wake up the Mrs!! Time for a quick and chilly striptease. The only other guy in the car-park was unloading a kayak, rather him than me, it would be cold out on the water.
The walk takes you along the front past some cottages and out onto a wide grassy area. The view across the sea has little Cumbrae in your vision for the stretch up-to Hunterston and plenty of sea-birds dotted around the water. 

An impressive dark cold looking cliff face is on your right which had a raven calling loudly. I hear other calling above me and in the clear blue sky I spot a skein of geese heading north, is this a sign that they think things are warming up here and are heading home? I hope so.

The road to Hunterston

The path is a bit muddy but fine for walking, the views are good, in particular Millport and Cumbrae, with the exception that Hunterston nuclear power station looms ahead. The sign outside the site tells outsiders that the principal objective is nuclear safety, which gives me visions of mysterious armed men suddenly turning up ready to shoot me. In some ways it does not seem that big a complex, you kind of expect a nuclear plant to be much larger. 

Boiling sea

As I go past the end of the complex and look out to sea the water is bubbling and boiling furiously. I assume that this is a discharge from the plant, a bit scary what is going into the sea? There has long been tales from fishermen of strange distorted fish caught in these waters, true or not I don't know.
As the path now curves back towards the main road the views are of the huge mudflats where a good number of Shelduck are feeding away. The huge Clydeport terminal is also in view with a ship being unloaded of its cargo of coal. These huge ships are bringing coal from South America which are then put on trains and transported to the Midlands. What is the carbon footprint of these journeys and it seems economic madness?

Fairlie bay

You now join a cycle path and the structured planting of the trees suggest that this was the road entrance to the estate in years gone by. The path goes alongside the main road for a spell which is a bit tedious but you soon reach Fairlie, where a nice small bay is spoilt by the large ore terminal. There is also a vast abandoned hole where they intended to build oil platforms but thankfully you can't see it from here. There are plenty of birds around to keep the ornithologists happy. In this short road spell there was the usual regulars but also included, brambling, reed bunting & buzzards.

Fairlie beach

In the bay the path cuts away from the road and runs behind the houses, some of them large mansions. I am lucky that the tide is out so I can beach walk this section. Easier on the feet as most of the walk so far has been on tarmac. Some nice apartments line the beach with good sized balconies to enjoy the views.
Back onto the main road for a while until you reach the cycle path at the Marina. There are some very impressive and no doubt very expensive boats here, all tightly packed in, a few million pounds worth here.

The Pencil

Shortly after leaving the marina you come to the Pencil monument which commemorates the battle of Largs in 1263 when the ruling Viking fleet arrived to take on a Scottish army. An important but not decisive battle as it was 3 years later that the Western coast of Scotland was signed over by the Vikings to the Scots.
It is now a stroll along Largs promenade, very busy today with locals and visitors enjoying the good weather. You can easily tell that Largs is a retirement town, more than a few grey hairdos around.

The views are still superb as I walk to the end of the promenade, passing the Cumbrae ferry, a 10 minute journey and one worth doing. You can also see in the distance ferries crossing to Dunoon and the Argyll peninsula.
I finish my section today where the signs direct you inland towards the high route to Skelmorlie.
The guide for this section indicates around 9 miles but my gps app tracker indicates my trip was nearly 12 miles, I must have done a bit of wandering about away from the track. All in all another good walk. Time for Nardini's for some warm food, it is not a day for their famous ice creams and then a bus back to the car.
I will get the Skelmorlie leg done over the coming week.

Arran from Portencross

Welcome to Hunterston

Largs marina

Ayrshire Coastal Path Ayr - Troon

Yet another bright and breezy day punctuated with blasts of sleet/snow, the perfect day for a wander. Well not quite but it has not been a good week for getting outdoors and I want a good stint of fresh air. The forecast looks good so long as you are well wrapped up and that I am.

Arran from Barassie beach

My intention was to get the train to Ayr and walk the stretch as per the guidebook but there is a very strong wind-chill factor today, blowing NNW, so I decided to have this wind at my back rather than in my face. This will be a more comfortable walk even though the downside is having the low winter sun in my eyes for most of the trip. Still cant have everything.
I walked along the beach towards the Ballast bank and as you can see from the picture the clouds were full of colour, but it did bring back the rhyme, 'red sky in the morning, shepherds warning', was there to be snow around?
The starting point is the Ballast Bank, a famous landmark in Troon, and even the short gain in height improves the views. From here you have a superb 360 degree panoramic view and if you have picked a good clear air day you will enjoy this spot. If it is the end of your walk, which it will be for most people, remember the Wee Hurrie at the harbour for great fish & chips.

 

Wee Hurrie

The walk takes you along the promenade following the cycle path but I cut onto the beach as soon as I can and walk this all the way to the Pow burn which is at the end of Royal Troon golf course, the Open championship is here next year. The walk will take you alongside the course but you will need to pop up onto the dunes if you want to see the course itself. This is a pleasant straight forward stretch with the sea taking up most of your interest as well as looking ahead to Prestwick, Ayr and the Carrick hills.
It all depends on the weather but the Pow burn is more than likely to be running too high and deep to cross without getting your feet wet so follow the track up into the dunes and walk along and skirt the caravan park.


Pow Burn

If you walk straight on for a few hundred yards you will get a view of Prestwick airport, you probably have had some low flying jets already to alert you to its proximity. Sadly passenger traffic is at its lowest but you might see military or transport planes as well. Just after the park you go through the kissing gate and cut across a bridge which heads you towards the sea again, this is now part of Old Prestwick golf course and the top path along the dunes gives you a good view of the course and an appreciation of why this is also a Championship course, albeit the Open is unlikely to be played here again.

Troon bay

Now dropdown onto the Prestwick beach promenade and either walk along this or go onto the beach again, no option for me as it is high tide. You could also take a short detour and see the remains of St Nicholas's church from the 12th century. On the promenade there is a café/toilets here if you want a break or refreshments. Although similar to the other bays in the area the tide has a greater tendency to break over this seawall and there is plenty of evidence of the sea debris that says this has happened recently. In really bad weather it would not be advisable to walk here, you can walk along the road further back beside the houses.
At the end of the promenade you can walk round the point, weather dependant, but the tide today means I am cutting in slightly and walking along the edge of another golf course, Prestwick St Nicholas. There is a well defined path so you cannot get lost. Do take care here as you are very close to a landing area for drives. Despite the cold weather plenty of golfers are on the course, good for them, I prefer playing in warmer weather, wimp that I am.
After this you drop down onto a large, rundown, promenade and realise you are moving into an industrial area (Newton) on the fringes of Ayr.

Looking towards the industrial port of Ayr

At this stage you have to zig zag through the streets until you reach the River Ayr. Cross the road bridge and go right following the river heading back towards the sea. When crossing the bridge if you look to your left there is the old cobble bridge 'Auld Brig of Ayr'. A short detour takes you across it and I would do it, either now or later as described.

You have now reached the Citadel leisure complex. This area was originally a walled fortress built by Cromwell, with a full on military barracks, hence the name. There are some ruins of the fortress left. The route takes you through the new apartments that have swallowed up the area, some look good but some are looking a bit tatty already.
My walk is just about finished, the new boots are starting to rub a bit so enough for today, I go along the promenade and cut back in to the town passing the Courthouse and the following plaque which gives some very interesting historical info about the areas of the low & high green which we are standing at. 

If you go back to the High Street you can follow signs to the Auld Kirk and its graveyard with some very old gravestones from the Covenanter era. Follow the river and you can cross the Auld Brig, immortalised by Rabbie Burns, the end of this stretch of the coastal path for me.
All in all a very enjoyable walk and with that low sun in my face for most of it I really should have put some lotion on, my face feels a bit skelpt!!  The app drains my battery but tells me that the total from house to finish a shade over 14 miles.

In the above photo that is looking back to Troon from the beach near the Marine Hotel, you can see the black streaks in the sand, a legacy of the coal mining within this area.
The last photo shows the sea just off the ballast bank looking towards the Carrick Hills, at that point, the grey sky hinted off a poor day ahead but it was just a storm passing over. what a contrast to the top picture in this blog taken just a few minutes earlier.