by Ron Ireland | Jan 22, 2022
In the introduction to her Channel 5 programme featuring her 15 mile daunder along the coastline from Ayr to Dowhill, Kate Humble described South Ayrshire as “a region of rich contrasts”. Her walk followed the route of the ACP, including the detour to Burns Cottage in Alloway, and highlighted our beaches, countryside, heritage, and all its wild unspoilt beauty. The programme presented some excellent drone footage of that labour-of-love which is Fisherton Gully and the slightly less impressive but nonetheless useful Smugglers Brae steps just south of Dunure; both features built by our hard-working band of volunteer pathminders. Other highlights along the way included Greenan Castle, the Lagg section from the Heads of Ayr, Dunure Castle, the Lookout Field, and of course Culzean Bay. Expressing her excitement for the wild Turnberry beaches, she observed that “this is a very, very special place that deserves to be much better known, considering it is so easily accessible from both Carlisle and Glasgow.” Amongst the numerous attractions along the way, Kate remarked on the many castles in the region which had all been strongholds of the various branches of the powerful and often treacherous Kennedy family (“Never cross a Kennedy”). One of these castles was of course the showpiece Culzean Castle and Kate was permitted to explore the labyrinth of caves which underlie the castle and which are not normally accessible to the public. Other points of interest which were highlighted included UNESCO’s Galloway and Southern Ayrshire ‘Biosphere’: a status awarded to world-class environments that demonstrate a balanced relationship between people and nature. Alongside some lovely shots around the Swan Pond at...
by charlie | Jan 22, 2022
We are desperately needing funds to buy an old Freelander type vehicle to tow our trailer. Can you help? Up till now, a couple of our Pathminder volunteers have provided their vehicles, but they are no longer available. So we need to purchase one. Nothing fancy, just a basic workhorse to allow us to take the trailer to worksites along the 100 mile Ayrshire Coastal Path. We launched a GoFundMe appeal which has been successful, including some very generous donations from individuals. But we are still a long way short of being able to buy the vehicle. Please consider a donation to allow us to continue our work on path maintenance and improvements. This link will take you to the donation page https://gofund.me/748bd7e2 Here is our swanky trailer….just waiting for a vehicle to tow it. Perhaps you know someone who is looking to sell a second hand vehicle with tow bar capable of coping with off-road terrain, or perhaps you are a local organisation who would be prepared to sponsor the purchase of such a vehicle for ACP use. Drop us an email on...
