This circular winter walk takes us to the old mining village of Annbank in Ayrshire. The walk starts from the village bowling green and heads north to Brockle Wood before entering the Auchincruive Estate and heading to the River Garden. After looping through the estate, we pass Auchincruive House (designed for the Oswald family by Robert Adam around 1764 but substantially modified before being built) before descending to join the River Ayr for a pleasant return walk to Annbank and the starting point.
Starting Point for the Walk:
In Brocklehill Avenue, Annbank, Ayrshire. Park adjacent to the Annbank Bowling Club – OS Reference NS 407 233. Alternatively, park on Weston Avenue.
Getting there: 36 miles/50 minutes
Take your favourite route out of Glasgow to join the M8 (south) and exit onto M77 (Kilmarnock). At Fenwick continue onto A77 until the roundabout at Sandyford Toll. Take the 1st exit onto A719 but continue onto B742 (Mossblown). At the off-set crossroads in Mossblown cross the B743 and continue on the B742 (Annbank). After a sweeping lefthand bend and just before the railway bridge, turn right into Annbank (B744). Continue for a few hundred metres and turn right into Brocklehill Avenue.
The Walk: Annbank to Auchincruive Circular – 4.4 miles (7 km)
Head in a north westerly direction from Annbank Bowling Club taking a small path at the end of Brocklehill Avenue. The path leads downhill through woodland and into Brockle Wood. Bear right where a track and path meet and at a junction of paths turn left into Brockle Wood. Then follow the path by the stream to the left and follow this pleasant route through woodland. Continue on this path, veering away from the stream by ignoring a path to the left. After a short distance take another path to the left that descends to the River Ayr below. At the bottom, pass through a stone wall into the Auchincruive Estate. Continue along this often-muddy path until the River Garden. Turn right through a gate and head for The Bothy Café where there are toilet facilities.
Head west from the café and exit the River Garden through a walled gateway. Take this hedged broad pathway past the croquet lawn which overlooks the rear of Auchincruive House (previously known as Oswald Hall). At the crossing of paths continue straight ahead and follow a grassy path past an expanse of water on the right. The path passes near an area of estate buildings and Oswald’s Temple before joining the main roadway into the Estate from the north. Turn left and follow this roadway down past the front of Auchincruive House continuing down the old drive until reaching the locked gates close to Oswald’s Bridge. Go through a pedestrian gate on the left and turn left onto the riverside path. Keeping the River Ayr on the right, continue along the path until the River Garden. Turn left, and instead of heading for the Bothy Café, turn right and at the edge of the garden, pass a house before exiting onto a driveway and turning right. Go through the gate on the left and follow the rising path through woodland. Keep to the rising path and ignore paths coming in from the left. Continue on this path until it joins a track coming in from the left. Turn right and after passing the descending path on the right (that was used on the outward route) bear left into woodland (a blue arrow sign indicating the way) and retrace the outward route back to the cars.