Blazing a trail in the great outdoors

Walking ambassador, Gillian Craig, is on a mission to encourage everyone to lace up their boots and stride out on East Ayrshire’s spectacular network of walking routes

SPRING is almost here and as the days lengthen more people are becoming tempted to get outdoors and enjoy the fresh air. Over the last two years the ranks of regular walkers has been swollen by those who’ve recently discovered the joy of pulling on their boots and exploring some of Scotland’s most scenic spots on foot.

For experienced hill guide and walk leader, Gillian Craig, this rise in interest has been reflected through the growth in visitors to her website, gillianswalks. com, which features details of more than 200 different walking routes.

“During Lockdown my website hits rose from 10,000 to 80,000 a month as people who had explored everything that was on their doorstep began to look for new routes.”

Gillian has walked the length and breadth of Scotland, but as Walking Ambassador for the Ayrshire & Arran Destination Alliance she has huge experience of walking the hills and countryside on her own doorstep, and in particular those that lie in her home district of East Ayrshire, which she believes deserves to be much more widely known.

“East Ayrshire has woodland, river gorges, moorland and, Blackcraig above Glen Afton, one of the biggest hills in southern Scotland, and all of these areas are easily accessible.”

There’s history to be discovered on many of its trails too, with the birthplace of Sir Alexander Fleming in the hills behind Darvel and neolithic cup and ring markings carved into the rock face close to the Ballochmyle Viaduct, which as the highest surviving masonry viaduct in the UK, is itself an important landmark.

“The viaduct sits above the River Ayr Way, which was the first source-to-sea, long distance route in Scotland,” says Gillian.

“It stretches for 44 miles, from Glenbuck Loch to where it joins the Firth of Clyde at Ayr and at Failford it passes through the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Ayr Gorge Woodlands.”

This is a spectacular stretch, where the river has carved out a steep ravine, and the encroaching trees are home to all kinds of wildlife, including several species of bat.

Meanwhile the woodlands and country estates that are clustered around Kilmarnock and Stewarton will soon be covered in bluebells, and Gillian recommends Dean Castle Country Park, Caprington Woods and the Big Wood at Newmilns as some of the best places to find spring flowers.

At 1945ft, Cairn Table near Muirkirk is 350ft smaller than Blackcraig, but it still offers a bracing challenge for anyone who wants to enjoy the expansive views stretching from Ben Lomond to the Lake District that are visible from its summit while, further south, Ness Glen is another scenic gorge, this time on the River Doon where it tumbles out of Loch Doon south of Dalmellington.

“There are lots of rapids in Ness Glen, it’s a true hidden gem in East Ayrshire and close by you will also find the spectacular Dalcairney Falls, a really popular beauty spot..”

There is a network of paths along the River Irvine, where it passes through Hurlford, Galston, Newmilns and Darvel “Throughout the Irvine Valley there are loads of quiet country roads where you can walk for miles.”

The disused railway line that passes through Darvel is one of Gillian’s favourite spots.

“It has thankfully never been upgraded, so the surface is grassy and there are lots of old features from its days as a railway to be discovered while you walk.”

East Ayrshire provides ideal walking country, whether you want a pleasant stroll, space for children to run off steam, or a long-distance challenge and the landscape is at its best as it begins to waken up from winter, when there are lambs in the fields and primroses underfoot.

Gillian’s website offers suggestions for walkers of all ages and abilities, and she also recommends the district’s many walking festivals as a great way of getting to know the area.

“Valley Walkfest, in May has been taking place in the Irvine Valley for 20 years and is extremely well-attended,” says Gillian.

Then in August she is looking forward to both the Kilmaurs

Walking Festival, and the Jim Dunlop Community Walking Festival, which will take place over several locations. And finally, in September, the first ever Ayrshire Walking Festival will see North, South and East Ayrshire come together in a partnership between the Active Travel Hubs in Ayr, Irvine and Kilmarnock to showcase the whole area as a walking destination for all ages and abilities.

Gillian will post dates of all these events on her Facebook page as they are announced.

„„Gillian is awarded Community Path Volunteer of the Year. The prize was given by Scotland’s walking charity, Paths for All, at its annual Volunteer Awards at the Scottish Parliament.