Cunninghame ramblers.Dean park,Kilmarnock circular via Craufordland estate. November 2015

Deer were keeping an eye on us.

He thought he could walk on water!!

A new method of getting over a gate.

Making our way through some sunlit fields.

Fishermen in the sunshine

Some stunning reflections today

Some inquisitive llamas

Todays rather large group

I managed to get into the blog

Today Cunninghame ramblers met at Dean park in Kilmarnock for 6 mile circular walk to Craufordland Castle near Fenwick. With myself as walk leader 28 walkers met at the car park and after welcoming guests from Eastwood and Kilmarnock groups we were soon on our way in the early morning sunshine. Passing through the park we took time to admire the autumn colours on the trees all lit up in their different shades of copper and bronze. Once  out of the park the road took us under the A77 ,over a ford and onto a pleasant open field walk with lots of stiles to be crossed which slowed the group down but on a morning like today who was in a hurry. After a short tea break beside the river we made our way into Craufordland estate to the fishery pond with lots of anglers enjoying their chosen sport. A very enjoyable woodland walk through the estate on an old coaching road to the bridge over the A77 back to an equestrian centre before we entered another wood to take us down the side of the river and back to our starting point. A super day out with such a large group made it a most enjoyable walk in the late autumn sunshine.

Irvine Valley walking festival. Dean Park to Craufurdland estate. May 2015

Road crosses a ford here

a footbridge gets us over safely.

A walk of many stiles

and another

Entering the estate

Once you catch a fish you have to return it to the water.

Lunch at the tearoom

Craufurdland Castle.

Todays large group.

 Yesterday along with the deerstalker we travelled to Dean Park in Kilmarnock to join our second organised walking festival this week namely the Irvine valley festival. 20 of us met at the visitors centre and after introductions the group headed off through the park on a showery blustery morning. Many stiles were crossed slowing the pace of the group whilst the tricky crossings were negotiated safely. On reaching the Craufurdland estate lunch was taken at the tearoom overlooking the estates fishery with lots of anglers enjoying their sport. On reaching the castle we were indeed honoured to have the laird show us round the property and giving us a brief history of a castle that as been in his families care for some 800 years. The last part of todays walk took us over the main A77 on a small footbridge into a wee country road back to the start. Apart from a couple of minor showers we got a mainly dry day for this very interesting and historical walk. Thanks to the organisers who each year compile a programme of some local and unusual walks taking you to places you did not previously appreciate even though the majority of them are local.