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Things to do
Barrmill Park
Located within the village, Barrmill Park has recently been regenerated by the Barrmill Conservation Group. The Park has been made accessible by a team of regular volunteers and includes a path network, rockery, garden and orchard. The Path and garden were created in partnership with the Beechgrove Garden in 2012. The Conservation Group has produced a leaflet for the Park and for the local path network.
www.barrmillvillage.co.uk
Kilbirnie Loch
Kilbirnie Loch, originally Loch Thankart, is a mile and a half long and half a mile across. It is a well-used loch for sporting activities and is popular for bird watching. The loch’s main source, Maich Water enters at the same point as the Dubbs Water which drains it. An ancient canoe and crannog were found here in 1886 but no evidence of the site remains.
Spier’s School Grounds
Situated on the edge of Beith by the B706, the former Spier’s School of 1887 was a co-educational day and boarding school which closed in 1972. The school has since been demolished. The landscaped woodland and lawn grounds remain and are open to the public. They provide opportunities for outdoor access and wildlife watching. Owned by the Speir’s Trust, the site is managed in partnership with North Ayrshire Council. There are several informal paths through the site providing access to the grounds. The site is rich in plant and bird life including over 100 species of plants. The site can be accessed from Barrmill Road or Geilsland Road and there are a small number of parking opportunities at Barrmill Road.
Bird Watching
Beith area offers a range of bird watching opportunities, from the woodlands of Spier’s School (Tits, Finches, Treecreeper, and Great Spotted Woodpecker) and Kilbirnie Loch (Mallard, Tufted Duck, Coot, Mute Swan, and Cormorant) to farmland on the outskirts of the town there are lots of places for bird spotting. Clyde Muirshiel is home to one of the UK’s rarest breeding birds – the Hen Harrier. The Ayrshire Birding website provides helpful information on where to go and what you might see:
www.ayrshire-birding.org.uk
A Hen Harrier at Clyde Muirshiel Park
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Enjoy the outdoors responsibly
Everyone has the right to be on most land and inland water providing they act responsibly. Your access rights and responsibilities are explained fully in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
Whether you're in the outdoors or managing the outdoors, the key things are to:
-take responsibility for your own actions
-respect the interests of other people
-care for the environment
Visit outdooraccess-scotland.com or contact your local Scottish Natural Heritage office.
Kilbirnie Loch and a proportion of the surrounding hills and farmland form part of Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, Scotland’s largest Regional Park. Formally designated in 1990, roughly half of the Park’s land area is within North Ayrshire. It offers a range of opportunities for walking, cycling, volunteering and outdoor activities across the area. The Park’s Ranger Service organises events and volunteer activities, records wildlife and delivers environmental education across the area.The Sustrans Lochwinnoch Loop Line cycle track runs through the Castle Semple Loch visitors centre. It is 14 miles (23 km) long and is part of the Lochs and Glens Route. It follows the National Cycle Route 75 from Paisley Canal Railway Station to Johnstone and then heads southwest to Kilbarchan, Lochwinnoch and Kilbirnie passing Castle Semple, Barr and Kilbirnie Lochs. Being mainly built on an old railway line it has easy gradients and is mostly traffic free.
www.clydemuirshielregionalpark.co.uk
Clyde Muirshiel Park
This project was funded by:
North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE Telephone: 0845 603 0590 Email: accessofficer@north-ayrshire.gov.uk