Starting Point for the Walk:
South Beach Esplanade Car Park – OS Reference NS 327 298.
Getting there: 34 miles / 43 minutes
Take your favourite route out of Glasgow onto the M8 (Greenock). Exit onto the M77 (Kilmarnock) and continue down to the Dutch House Roundabout. Take the 3rd exit onto the A78 (Irvine/Prestwick). At the next roundabout keep to the inside lane and take the 2nd exit onto the A79 (Prestwick). Immediately on exiting the roundabout move to the righthand lane and turn right onto the B749 (Troon). Follow this down to the seafront car park. Parking is free. The nearest toilets are 1km away, on the seafront near the town.
NOTE: all South Ayrshire Toilets have CARD ONLY access.
The Walk:
Troon Golf Loop – 6.25 miles (10 km) – Flat
Starting from the car park, head east onto Craigend Road (B749) and use the pavement on the righthand side. Continue up and over the old railway bridge and on reaching the other side turn 180° right and loop under the road bridge to pick up the shared cycle path (a dismantled railway line). Take care on this section and watch out for cyclists, particularly those approaching from behind. At the path junction (close to the end of Willockston Road) turn right and then left (skirting a high wall enclosing a cemetery). Continue until the next road bridge (Dundonald Road). Go under this road, and on joining the entrance road to Marr College turn right. Cross this access road and keep on the path to the left of Dundonald Road. After a short distance turn left onto a good path towards Marr College sports ground and then veer left onto a grass path close to a line of trees. Follow this until the vegetation forces the route to skirt the edges of the golf course for 100m. Cross another path onto a gravel path heading north and follow this meandering path (which crosses Darley Burn) until a wooded area. Emerging from the wooded area, the path meets a ‘T’ junction. Turn left (onto another shared cycle path) and parallel the Kilmarnock Road for a short distance. Then climb the steps on the right to join the Kilmarnock Road. At the top turn left and head for the sea at Barassie.
Close to the seafront, cross the North Shore Road (B746) onto the shared cycle path and head south west towards Troon. There are toilets on this section. At the small North Shore Road car park cut across the parking area onto a grass path that hugs the coastline. At the final hedge turn left, and climb for a short distance to meet Port Ranald Drive. Turn right and follow this road towards the marina. Just past the Troon Cruising Club turn left onto Kennedy Road and at the end (Port Ronnald) turn left to follow Titchfield Road. At the small seafront car park go through the sunken gardens (previously an outdoor swimming pool) and join the esplanade. Where St Meddans Street terminates at the seashore (there are toilets here), take to the beach for the final kilometre back to the South Beach Esplanade Car Park.