The Burn Anne Walk is known locally as the "Burnawn", and an agate known as "The Burnawn stone" is found here.


Start your walk at Barr Castle and you are looking at another part of the Wallace legend - pursued by English troops, he made his way to Galston and the safety of Barr Castle, a stronghold also known as Lockhart's Tower, leaping for his freedom from one of the windows to a nearby tree. He is also reputed to have kept his men fit by playing a special handball game against the walls of the Castle - a game played by local people until the 2nd World War. Barr Castle is now a well-maintained museum containing many local artifacts.

Make your way from Barr Castle for 1.5 miles to Threepwood Farm on the Sorn Road. At Threepwood Farm, there is a car park, snack bar, picnic area and wildlife pond to linger over before following the route uphill for various viewpoints with impressive views over Ayrshire, Arran, Ailsa Craig and Kintyre. The route dips down towards the Target Wood where you can spend some time at the bird watchers hide and admire panoramic views of The Burn Anne which are not so easily accessible on foot.

The Burn Anne Path now stretches past the East Threepwood historical site - spare a thought for Covenanter James Smith who was shot here by "Bloody Claverhouse and his Dragoons". Follow the peaceful woodland path winding past Bankwood and Cessnock back towards Galston.

If you want panoramic views over Ayrshire and Arran, it would be worth your while to take a detour uphill to the Gallow Law Cairn - the gallows being an old Scots name for "an elevated station for a view". Make sure you take your camera and binoculars - not only to relish the scenery but also for the deer, fox, barn owl, raven, hawks and other woodland birds which make this area.