Baking hot weather.
We are the Cunninghame Ramblers. We open the way for everyone in our local community to enjoy the pleasures of walking.
This walk is mostly flat (no hills) with the exception of an incline at the tarmac road up to the farm at the start of the walk and walking up the path behind ‘Mills Milk’ at the end of the walk. The walk start time is 10.20am the finish time is 3.30/4pm (at the crematorium bus stop).
Stage one:
We cross the road at Kilbirnie Place Golf Club and walk up a tarmac residential road, locally known as the ‘Bluebell Glen Road’. At the farm at the top we go through the gate into the field and proceed to walk the path (sometimes muddy) through three fields. On the recce there were sheep and approx. 6 cows in the fields. We cross a stream into the forest and negotiate long grass/soft ground/bog in places before we come onto a rough track. We will likely have a tea break here as there may be logs to sit on. We then cross this track and pass by the ruined Coldgreen Farm. There are overgrown trees here which we need to push past before we cross a stream and go through a couple of fields, again with long grass, soft underfoot, possibly muddy. We then arrive at ruined cottages where we will have lunch and enjoy the view over the reservoirs below us.
Stage one hazards: livestock in fields, long grass, muddy underfoot, overgrown trees, small streams to cross.
Stage two:
We descend from the ruined cottages and go through a gate which takes us on to the Largs/Kilbirnie Road. There is a short section of verge side walking single file along this very busy road until we cross the road at the entrance to the reservoir. We step over the fence and walk round the reservoir tracking the path of the old drove road, part of which was submerged when the reservoir was built. We exit the reservoir via the drove road, crossing the road again at Mills Milk, we walk up the path through the farmyard at Mills Milk and it is at this point that the official walk ends as we walk to the bus stop outside the crematorium on the Largs Road utilising the path to the bus stop.
Hazards on this stage: short section of verge walking on a busy road, soft ground/stream crossing when walking round the reservoir, crossing road,
Stage three:
Those who want to continue walking on the drove road- can follow the road around to Greeto Falls and into Largs. This is a well known route, often used by Ramblers and will be an enjoyable extra few miles walk if the sun is shining.
What to bring- boots, gaiters, poles, suncream, enough water. I would recommend long trousers/long sleeves (at least until we are past stage one).
This is a linear walk from Kilbirnie to Largs, please bring your bus pass if you have one. McGills ‘all day ticket’ is approx. £6.00.
Glengarnock Rail Station (Kilbirnie side- platform one) at 10 am. There is parking on either side of the station with the Ardrossan Harbour train getting in to Glengarnock at 9.52 am. We will then get on the McGills 904 bus which is scheduled for 10.10 am at Glengarnock Station to the last bus stop in Kilbirnie and alight near Kilbirnie Place Golf Club KA25 7AT (where there is also ample free parking should anyone want to park there instead of taking the bus/train).
Kilbirnie Place Golf Club (where there is also ample free parking should anyone want to park there instead of taking the bus/train).
The walk 'officially ' ends at Mills Milk farmyard's nearest bus stop outside the crematorium on the Largs Road utilising the path to the bus stop. Those that want to continue walking on the drove road- can follow the road around to Greeto Falls and into Largs. This is a well known route, often used by Ramblers and will be an enjoyable extra few miles walk if the sun is shining.
