Carrick Hills from Dunure

This is a grade B, 10 mile walk with 1200ft ascent to Brown Carrick.  We will walk on a variety of surfaces including tarmac, cobble beach and open countryside.

We start walking from The Kennedy Car Park, Dunure where there is a £2.50 parking charge.  We immediately pass the impressive ruins of the medieval Dunure Castle and go around the harbour of this quaint fishing village.  Then it is careful walking along the cobbled shore where we must cross Drumbane Burn at the foot of its waterfall.  This was ankle depth on the day of our recce and for this waterproof boots are recommended.

Once past the rocky outcrop that is our tidal hazard we will have a tea break on the shore, then follow a series of markers to walk a combination of vegetation obscured disused railway lines, grazed pasture (i.e. with cattle) and beach front.   There is a steep set of steps to climb at Fisherton Gully then views over the water to Ailsa Craig, Arran and Ireland as we make our way to Fisherton Bay and the Heads of Ayr Caravan Park.

Heading away from the shore, we walk a paved path to a 100 meter section of the fast A719 where we will walk single file on the verge.  We start our ascent of Brown Carrick straight up the Glenoch Farm hill at the side of ploughed fields and onto the open hillside.  We then traverse the ridge to the Trig point on Brown Carrick Hill.  We walk open hillsides, clamber over several imperfect stiles and pick our way through the remnants of a felled timber plantation all of which require attention and nimble footwork.  There’s a wee fishery to notice as we join the track and descend back towards the village of Fisherton.  We see Carrick Castle in the distance and Dunduff Castle along the way.  From Fisherton it is a half mile walk by road back to the car park at Dunure.  There’s a couple of nice wee cafes and pubs in Dunure for those with a thirst at the end.