(MAIN ROUTE THROUGH THE IRVINE VALLEY)
The Irvine Valley Trail is the main route of paths linking all the Valley towns. Tackle it as a long walk or enjoy it as a series of smaller circular routes taking in each of the towns of Darvel, Newmilns, Galston and Hurlford.

From Darvel:
At Priestland, start on the south side of the River Irvine, and go round the "Bankers", following a farm track from Slacks Bridge which crosses the Gower Water and skirts around Darvel, arriving at the Ranoldcoup Road Bridge in Darvel. Continue your walk along the south side of the river down the Browns Road, which runs alongside the Lanfine Estate. Once home of the Brown family, their benevolence to the Valley townspeople is shown in the three Browns Reading Institutes in Darvel, Newmilns and Galston. This is a popular riverside walk, where the overhanging branches of trees provide dappled shade for the trout and salmon in the river.
Take this walk in the autumn when the river is in spate and watch the salmon leap up the Newmilns Weir on their journey east for spawning but watch out for bats swooping overhead if you are out and about in the gloaming! If you're really lucky, you may catch a glimpse of the Great Spotted Woodpecker, which has been seen along this road. Another common bird is the Dipper bobbing on a large stone or diving into the river and is a sign of the clean water in the river.
The Browns Road meets Brown Street in Newmilns and you can return to Darvel via the A71 up the "Darvel Cut" as the incline towards Darvel from Newmilns is called locally. Take a break at the Gowanbank Memorial to Alexander Morton with its decorative panels of handloom and machine lace weaving and savour one of the most stunning views in the Valley looking south over the Lanfine policies of sycamore, chestnut, copper beeches and conifers which shelter pheasants and deer.

From Newmilns:
Before you resume your walk from Brown Street in Newmilns towards Galston, have a short stop in Newmilns to view some of the heritage buildings in the Main Street, - The Keep in Castle Street where John Law was killed attempting to rescue Covenanters in 1685 and now a Scheduled Ancient Monument; the Town House built in 1739 with the town gaol on the ground floor; the Covenanter graves of John Nisbet and Matthew Paton in Loudoun Church graveyard. The newly renovated St Margaret's Manse often gave hospitality to Robert Burns and the Rvd Lawrie has been given credit for preventing Burns from emigrating to Jamaica.
Steeped in the history of the past, head back down Brown Street and spot the 5 stained glass windows at the Royal Bank Buildings in the likenesses of Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, Alan Ramsay, Robert Tannahill and James Hogg. Pass by some of the Lace Mill buildings, which gave prosperity to the Irvine Valley from the late 18th to mid 20th Century. Branch right at Vesuvius and follow the tree lined riverside path past the Strath Mill, entering a woodland strip past Barrmill and reaching Galston at the Public Recreation Park.

From Galston:
The final section of the Irvine Valley Trail west is along the Grougar Walk - which is more fully described elsewhere. From Barrmill Road, continue along Titchfield Street to Gas Lane and follow the footpath to the underpass at the Low Green Bowling Club. This leads to Loudoun Kirk and ends at Hurlford.
An alternative route at this point, and a must for bird and wildlife watchers, is to follow the well defined fisherman's path leading to the flood plain of Holmes Loch between Galston and Hurlford. This is included in the Scottish Wildlife Trust's List of Wildlife Sites and is a wild life haven and popular area for migrating birds. Watch out for mallard duck, gulls, lapwings (peeweets). Herons are a common sight flying over the area or standing silently at riverside pools to catch unwary fish. Retrace your steps to Galston.

"Up the Line to Loudoun Hill"
Darvel's famous son, Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin, was born at Lochfield Farm near Darvel in 1881 and a memorial bust sits in Hastings Square, guarded at the other end by the Dagon Stone, a monolith from the Bronze Age. From here, the landmark of Loudoun Hill, Gateway to the Irvine Valley from the east, dominates the view.
Head east along the Main Street towards the Cemetery Road, a fairly steep but short road that leads to the old Railway Line. This level walk is suitable for all walkers and offers clear open views of pastureland and moorland, eventually reaching Loudoun Hill. Listen for the plaintive sound of curlew and snipe along the way or catch sight of a lone buzzard searching for prey or darting sand martins catching insects on the wing.

A steep road climb takes you to the foot of Loudoun Hill. Finish this walk by climbing the well-worn grassy path up Loudoun Hill 1054 ft above sea level with an end reward of panoramic views over Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, the Firth of Clyde and Arran. Look for the plaque on the summit of Loudoun Hill to commemorate Wallace's victory of 1297. You may also see, if you look hard, the ruins of two houses - aptly named "Nae Place" and "The Back of Beyond"! For the more adventurous, the south face of Loudoun Hill provides a challenge for the most experienced of rock climbers.

If the thought of climbing Loudoun Hill is too much, take a detour and have a rest at the Loudoun Hill Inn before retracing your steps back to Darvel. Say's Physa, a freshwater snail from North America, has been found in an artificial pond at the Loudoun Hill Inn!
Those looking for a long hike should carry on round the Winkingfield, past Drumboy and link with the Long Cairn Walk back to Darvel.

This walk provides striking changes of scenery from woodland to pasture to moorland and can be varied to suit differing levels of fitness and the time available. Heading eastwards from Ranoldcoup Road Bridge, walk up the "Bankers" - wooded on one side and pasture on the other- to a farm track leading to Slacks Bridge near Priestland.

Enjoy a tranquil stroll weaving through a narrow strip of woodland bounded by the remains of a dry-stane dyke on one side and the Gower Burn on the other. Along the way, can you recognise oak, birch, alder, thorn, cherry and ash? A mature beech of some 75ft is a prominent feature on this path. Wood anemones, celandines and primroses carpet the walk in April followed by the bluebells in May.

When you leave this path by the meadow gate at Bransfield Bridge, head out on a long walk skirting past moorland where you may be able to spot skylarks and buzzards. Near Loanhead, take a break at the site of the Long Cairn, the longest in Scotland at 335 ft, with a history of some 5,000 years. This chambered cairn, although robbed and disturbed long ago, held the burial chambers for 5 long dead chieftains. Cross the stepping stones at the Ford over the Tulloch Burn and continue along this road - part of which was the old Edinburgh Road - to link with Loudoun Hill.

William Wallace's name has long been linked with the Irvine Valley after his spectacular defeat over the English in a swift and fierce onslaught at Loudoun Hill in 1297. Look at this extinct volcanic plug and visualise Wallace and his men lying in wait at their vantage point over the Ayrshire and Lanarkshire moorland for the English baggage train making its way from Lanark to Ayr. At one time a cairn known locally as Wallace's Cairn marked the burial place of the English soldiers but sadly this has disappeared. Robert Bruce's defeat of the English in the Battle of Loudoun Hill in 1307 provided the turning point in his quest for Scottish freedom.
A statue commemorating this important site in Scotland's fight for freedom during the Wars of Independence has been commissioned from a local sculptor, Richard Price, and will be in place during 2002.
When you reach the Public Car Park off Limekiln Road, take the William Wallace Path which will allow access to the sculpture. This internal path loop of 500m has been constructed within newly planted native species woodland on the south side of the River Irvine close to Loudoun Hill. The surrounding land is characterised by fluvioglacial sand and gravel deposits which are being worked commercially. There is strong evidence from the ground flora on the site that woodland once covered much of the river valley banks.