Cunninghame ramblers. Catrine circular and the River Ayr paths. October 2013

We met in the village square.

Some interesting registration numbers at the local dairy

and another!

This was the best one (must be the farmer)

Convenient place for a coffee in the local swing park.

Silence whilst we eat.

I managed to get a seat on the "pig"

Ballochmyle House

Leaders telling the group the history of the house.

Some large houses have been built on the estate.

Ballochmyle cup and ring markings

carved in Neolithic times.

Another fine example.

River Ayr path.

Today's group in the Autumn sunshine.

Mr and Mrs walk leaders.

Yesterday Saturday October 26 Cunninghame ramblers met at the village square in Catrine to do an 8 mile circular walk utilising parts of the River Ayr walk.It was a clear mild morning as 16 of us (actually we started with 15 with a late comer swelling our numbers )left the village and made our way up a small hill to give us some wonderful views over the Ayrshire countryside.After a coffee stop in a local swing park we entered the Ballochmyle Estate complete with it's magnificent house which has now been converted into desirable apartments for local yuppies!!yes there is the odd one in this part of the country.On the site of the old hospital some rather large houses have been built that actually look a bit out of character stuck out in a remote corner of the estate. Passing the local golf course we crossed the main A76 (Kilmarnock to Dumfries) onto a track that took us through a lovely wood complete with full autumn colours until we reached the official river Ayr walk. Lunch was taken in the shadows of the magnificent Victorian structure of the Ballochmyle viaduct which carries the trains on their way south. At this point we took a little detour to look at the Neolithic cup and rings whch were carved into the sandstone walls of the gorge all those thousands of years ago and were only discovered in 1986. Back on the path we made our way back to the village to end a super day with some magical autumn colours in the forests. Thanks to our leaders and my fellow walkers for making it another memorable walk, the patter and the wee jokes make it a real pleasure to be part of this group.