out and about - 2016
07 September 2016 ............ The south end of Ayr
Another trip across to the Ayrshire coast, this time to Ayr.
Ayr is a fair sized town, that is somewhat split by the river Ayr.
On the north side of the river, there is a large and quite busy harbour - it seems to be a hub for the transport of wind generators. Around the harbour there are a host of industrial units of various shapes and sizes.
To the south of the river, much of what was harbour is now extensive areas of flats.
Up the river a bit, and the start of Ayr shopping centre - a rather long street, with a mall at the far end.
Also just to the south of the river is the start of a long and superb beach that stretches for some three kilometres, and along much of the beach there is a huge car park. This is looking away up the beach towards the harbour area.
Ayr has surprisingly good views across to Arran -
I headed south towards the far end of the beach along the cycle track over the bridge, and it is clear that swans like living in Ayr, with a cracking backdrop of the mountains on Arran - rather fortuitous that the cloud has now completely cleared away from the peaks.
Looking further along, and you get a first view of Greenan Castle perched right on the cliff top.
You also get a useful signpost telling you about Greenan Shore.
The cycle route heads off a bit inland at this point, so I abandoned both it and my bike, and headed on foot through the Greenan dunes and along the beach to the castle -
You can climb up to the castle if you go past it on the beach, then scramble up the rocks - this is another view of it taken from a bit inland.
The only door that I could find into the castle has been bricked up, so I couldn`t get in, but there are some pictures on the internet taken from inside the castle, so I don`t know how they were obtained. Maybe there is another way in that I didn`t find.
The elevated site of the castle gives good views across to Arran - so another picture of the mountains on Arran.
You also get quite a good view across to the Heads of Ayr - now as far as I can see the Ayrshire Coastal Path heads along the coast across the beach in the foreground, round the next headland, around the next bay, then past the Heads of Ayr.
Maybe I am being dense, but I can`t work it out from the various websites as to whether the coastal path goes round the base of the Heads of Ayr, or over the top of it. I think it needs further investigation.
I then had to retrace my steps back down, back along the beach and the dunes, and retrieve my bike - then headed further along the cycle route - which takes you along another elevated bit of coastline.
Here is a rather grey view to the north, with Lady Isle right in the middle of the picture.
Another view of Greenan Castle perched on the clifftops -
And finally, another view of the Heads of Ayr - but this one has an added extra - if you look very carefully at the horizon on the right hand side of the picture, you can just make out the Mull of Kintyre.
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