MANY of Scotland's stately homes offer the chance for a good walk. One of the best is Culzean Castle, in Ayrshire, which has superb views of Arran and the Mull of Kintyre – and even Northern Ireland on a clear day. Further south is the great granite lump of Ailsa Craig. These are all seen on this walk, which makes use of the country park surrounding the castle and includes a mixture of shoreline, coves and cliffs.
The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) manages the park and doesn't mind walkers passing through. However, if you are planning to wander around the gardens (which this walk does), you should pay at the visitor centre. It is £8 for adults (£5 concessio
ns and free to NTS members). Family deals are also available.
Boots are a big help when crossing the rocky shoreline, but you should be particularly careful at high tide (see www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast/tides).
Distance 41/2 miles.
Height climbed Undulating, plus some steep flights of steps.
Time 21/2 to 31/2 hours.
Map OS Landranger 70.
Park Take the A719 south of Ayr and after about 101/2 miles turn right at a T-junction. About a third of a mile further on, take a partly concealed right turn, on the outside of a bend. Follow a narrow, twisting road all the way to the bottom to reach Goats Green car park.
In summary Drop down to the beach from the car park and turn left. On reaching a couple of cottages (Segganwell), go up from the beach and follow a path running parallel to the shore. Ignore steps going up to the left, and walk round the coast to a building below the castle (a former gas house).
Follow a track through some turreted gate posts and then take steps up to the right. At the top, turn left to reach the visitor centre, then return and follow a path going uphill towards an archway at the castle.
Go through the arch into a courtyard and at the far end walk through a garden, round the side of the house. At a no-entry sign, go left, down steps, to some formal gardens. Go right, past a glass house and through a gap in a wall, signed Cliff Walk. Cross a lawn and follow some steps on the right, down to the shore. Go right at a boathouse to explore some caves.
Return to the boathouse and continue along the shore, past a stone house to some wooden steps. Climb these. (If the tide is well in, you may need to go back up the steps near the boathouse, turn right at the top and follow a path, again signed Cliff Walk, to meet up with the route further on near the Powder House.) Turn right at the top of the steps, then left at the Powder House. At another path, go right, and at a further junction, go right again.
Keep following the path along the cliff edge, ignoring others going off to the left, until you get a good view of Ailsa Craig. Here, the path swings inland and down to another path, where you go right to walk around Swan Pond.
Ignore a path going sharply left after a few yards, but do take a path going right a little further on. Go right again, at a junction, to drop down to the sandy bay of Port Carrick.
Retrace your steps to the pond and turn right to walk all the way round the pond to the far end. Go straight on past a barrier, on to an estate road. Ignore a left turn but after a few yards go left on a path back to the castle. Retrace your steps to the visitor centre and walk diagonally across its courtyard, then diagonally across a car park. Go left, down a track to an overflow car park, then turn left, down steps, to the cottages at Segganwell.
Refreshments The visitor centre restaurant, a coffee shop at the castle and the little café passed along the walk are all good.
While you are in the area Pay a little extra and explore the castle.
The full article contains 708 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
