North Hill

This circular walk is fairly strenuous on a variety of surfaces and mixed scenery: farmland tracks, grassy hillsides, windfarm paths, boggy patches, forest paths and shingle beach.  There are stiles and gates to climb.

From the Ardrossan North Shore (south) carpark, we take care to cross the busy A78 then walk a path uphill, over a rail bridge and follow a grassy track to Meadowhead Farm.  We then follow the road for ¼ mile to a stile and the path for Law Hill, between mature trees, and upwards across grassy fields and farm tracks.  Near the top of Law Hill, we head east, take a break at a line of trees then head towards Blackshaw Hill where there is an option to do this little extra climb.  Over a stile, then we head south following a well-tended grass track around and then through two sections of forestry which are fairly dark.  We emerge at a pretty pond, teeming with wildlife where we will stop for lunch and to allow time to check out the Cup and Ring marked rock nearby.  After lunch we head up North Hill to the wireless station and cairn then over the other side passing an ancient hill fort towards the wind farm and turbine 15 where we pick up the wind farm paths.  We head across open hillsides again to line up a series of farm gates then there’s a bit of tarmac and cobble paths to take us back towards Ardrossan via farmyard, stables and the ruins of Townhead and Montfode Castle.  Our final section is along the shingle beach to return to the car park on the A78.