lot of the walking is rough so a good pair of walking shoes or boots is vital, as are good navigational and map reading skills, which may be required depending on the weather.
A note of tide times is important (see the Timing section), as the height of the tide on several occasions will determine when to start your day's walking. If the route is to be broken down into one-day sections then all of the above applies. The exceptions are that a lighter day pack would suffice and that it is necessary to take a note of public transport times, as the routes are linear and require buses or trains to return you to your starting point.
Waymarks and Access
Waymarks throughout the route are excellent but when crossing open stretches of moorland keep your eyes peeled for the relevant marker posts. Similarly, routes can take several turns through the streets of busy towns so keep a close lookout for directional changes. The route follows accessible land and has been set up with the full co-operation of landowners, local councils and residents. It passes through farms, near to people's homes and gardens, golf courses and the streets where people live. All this must be taken into account when walking the route and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code must be obeyed.
Margaret, Ballantrae – one of the many charming boats to be found en route (Day 2)
THE SCOTTISH OUTDOOR ACCESS CODE
Many people make their living along the length of the Ayrshire and Arran Coastal Paths and many more visit the area throughout the year. Furthermore, the route is home to an incredible diversity of wildlife. Please be aware of all this when walking the route and exercise your access rights responsibly. You can do so by following the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, the main points of which are listed below.
To find out more about the code please visit www.outdooraccess-scotland.com.
1 Take responsibility for your own actions.
2 Respect people's privacy and peace of mind. When close to a house or garden, keep a sensible distance, use a path or track if there is one and take extra care not to disturb at night.
3 Help land managers and others to work safely and effectively. Do not hinder land management operations and follow advice from land managers. Respect requests for reasonable limitations on when and where you can go.
4 Care for your environment. Do not disturb wildlife, leave the environment as you find it and follow a path or track if there is one.
5 Keep dogs under proper control. Do not take them through fields of calves or lambs, and dispose of their waste properly.
Maps
Four Ordnance Survey Landranger maps (1:50,000 scale) cover the Ayrshire & Arran Coastal Paths.
For the mainland
Sheet 76 Girvan
Sheet 70 Ayr, Kilmarnock and Troon
Sheet 63 Firth of Clyde
For Arran
Sheet 69 Isle of Arran
Furthermore, six Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps (1:25,000 scale) cover the route.
For the mainland
Sheet 309 Stranraer and the Rhins
Sheet 317 Ballantrae, Barr and Barrhill
Sheet 326 Ayr and Troon
Sheet 333 Kilmarnock and Irvine
Sheet 341 Greenock, Largs and Millport
For Arran
Sheet 361 Isle of Arran
Emergency Services
All emergency services (including mountain rescue and coastguard) can be reached by dialling 999 or 112 from a mobile phone. Make sure that mobiles are always charged.
Using this Guide
The book has primarily been written as a continuous route, although each section can be walked as a day route using the area's excellent public transport. Each day has been written to finish where accommodation, meals and provisions are easily attainable (except Lochranza, Day 6, which has hotels but no shop). Further points to remember are as follows:
Some of the sections can prove quite long and if this is the case then the route can, in most cases, be broken down further into easier chunks.
A couple of sections do not pass a shop en route, so it is advisable to stock up on the day's provisions before setting out.
A couple of alternative routes, as well as optional detours, are marked on the relevant maps within the book.
Timing
Route information boxes list the approximate times that you can expect routes to take. These are based on the abilities of a reasonably fit walker and take into account mileage, the difficulty of the terrain and the level of ascent and descent. Some of the routes cross rough, uneven ground, which can significantly slow your progress, so give yourself enough time to complete each route and consider the weather conditions and how much daylight you can expect at different seasons in the year. Ensure you take into account variables such as rest stops and time taken for photographs. As can be expected of coastal walking, the tide can also play its part in considering how long each route will take to complete.
Weather vanes near the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum depict the poet's greatest works, such as Tam o' Shanter (Day 4)
Ardrossan's North Bay grants another wonderful view of Arran (Day 10)
It is crucial that tide times are thoroughly checked before setting out, as several sections can be impassable or extremely awkward at high tide. This can result in slow progress and could therefore prove disruptive to your plans or could even mean missing the next ferry, bus or train. Go to www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast/tides for relevant information. Sections where the tide may prove problematic are highlighted in this guide's route text, so check the information on the website before setting out.
One or two days?
Some of the longer routes can easily be broken down into shorter two-day sections. On the mainland Day 4 Dunure to Troon and Day 5 Troon to Ardrossan could be broken down further by spending the night at Alloway, Ayr, Prestwick, Troon or Irvine. All have accommodation as well as a selection of bars and restaurants to enjoy a night out. Details can be found in Appendix B.
Four days or more?
The four days on Arran could be easily
