Day 6’s km: 19km total (includes walking around to find the trail again). Day 7’s total (rest day) 9km.
Dad and I took the bus from Ayr back to Dunure and met Gillian at 10:45am at Dunure Castle ruins.
The inhabitants of the castle kept pigeons in this structure (doocot) for meat and eggs. There is an entrance on the other side.Limekiln. Dunure HarbourApparently, there are agates on these beaches! Imagine how long I could spend searching!Damn. The cows. Gah! First ones not behind a fence.Gillian was super brave and began to walk through them. Maybe if we had stuck together, they would have moved away from us? The coos held their ground though, as Dad and I hesitated, and we all backed up and went around another way. Coos 1, Humans 0.Gillian explaining the hard work the Ayrshire Coastal Path’s volunteers have done. So much gratitude to them all. They’ve facilitated a spectacular experience, and with continued support to maintain it, the trail has potential to attract walkers of all ages from around the world.Some bins for plastic found along the shoreline. There is a lot. It would be nice to know where they reside so intentional collection can occur. People have to use them as plastic bins though, not garbage bins, or the volunteers can’t continue to provide the service.Resilience Plastic and other trash that people have buried under the ground is beginning to seep out of the cliff side. Reminds me of “He-y, Come on Ou-t!” by Shinichi Hoshi.Our lunch view. There’s a perfect grass bench at the top of the stairs. The ACP follows an old railway path at this point. Easy walking!Spectacular. We walked behind these fields to the right of this shot, and through the red and far green fields, then down to the beach, and around the head in the distance.A field of broad beans.Hogweed (Cow Parsnip)GeraniumDown to the beach.My kind of beach!Coolest formations (photo credit: Gillian)We heard and then saw four peregrine falcons around this point. Maybe they were fledging? They looked like they were having fun on the wind currents.So many patterns.And more patterns.Heads of Ayr is behind us now. Tide is waaaay out!Greenan Castle, another Kennedy tower house from 1600s. Those Kennedys have some stories about their land acquisitions.Off the beach and up to the long esplanade as we enter Ayr.Marker for a bike path.So much green.
Gillian left us in Ayr, and Dad and I went to find dinner before heading back to the apartment.
On our day off from walking, Dad and I headed over to the Robbie Burns Museum. I’m fascinated by how he became so famous as to have a shrine. Right place, at the right time, but also, he had big feelings and keen observations that he had the education and words to describe.
Before the museum, we went to get get groceries in Wallacetown. Fun!Maybe a little Freemason magic to help the poet’s success?Gillian told us about Tam o’Shanter, and the “wet cheese” (witches, with a Scottish accent 😂) who, “a running stream they dare na cross.” River DoonOne of the wet cheese at Brig o’Doon.Alloway Parish ChurchWallace Tower
Stories from the Walk Home 