Responsible Access
All walkers using the Ayrshire Coastal Path do so at their own risk and are expected to take responsibility for their own actions, the safety of themselves and their companions, the welfare of livestock and wildlife, and the avoidance of damage to crops in the land through which they must pass – as laid down in the recommendations of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code which followed on the Scottish Land Reform Act of 2003.
While the Ayr Rotary Coastal Path Group has taken every care to ensure that the path route it has established is as safe as possible under the constraints imposed by the terrain, our function has been simply to facilitate the setting up of this long-distance path. Our agreements with all landowners have been of an informal nature, based mainly on the mutual benefits to both proprietors and walkers of having an easily defined route across land, which minimises risk of disturbance to livestock and crops, and risks to the safety of walkers.
All walkers should have read the SOAC leaflet:- ‘Know the Code before you go.’
www.outdooraccess-scotland.com
The Ayr Rotary Coastal Path Group cannot accept responsibility for any accident or injury sustained by walkers using the Ayrshire Coastal Path.
Dwellings
Please respect people’s privacy and peace of mind. When passing close to houses or farm dwellings please do so quietly and quickly and with a minimum of fuss.Gates
Field gates should be left as you find them, whether open or closed. Kissing gates have been built next to every field gate on the Path, and there should be no need for walkers to open or close field gates anywhere on the route.Dogs
Dogs especially, can cause cattle to act in protective and aggressive manner, and they should be kept on a very short lead and where possible be led through an adjacent field away from large animals. If animals become aggressive, let dog off lead and make your own way calmly to safety. Preferably, in areas with livestock, dogs should be left at home.Livestock
Care should be taken before crossing through any field of livestock to check if there may be a bull with the cows. Cows with young calves are just as dangerous as bulls, and walkers (especially with dogs) should never get between a cow and its calf. The hill areas north of Largs, between Ayr and Culzean, and from Girvan to Glenapp are most sensitive to disturbance. It is recommended that dogs be left at home.Lambing
On the coast, lambing takes place between January and the beginning of May, and it is recommended that walkers should avoid fields where lambing is taking place, and keep their dogs controlled on a close lead at all times. The hill areas north of Largs, between Ayr and Culzean, and from Glenapp to Girvan are most sensitive to disturbance. It is recommended that dogs be left at home.Large Groups
Large numbers of noisy, brightly clad walkers disturb both the livestock and the wildlife, and it is debatable whether a group of 30- 40 people really conforms to the concept of ‘Responsible Access’. Crocodiles are scary! While the ideal number is probably 3-4 people, this is not always practicable. However, in the South Section, we recommend that walk leaders should break up large parties into groups of six or less, and start them off at 5-minute intervals – or get half their group to walk in from either end of the section - if they really want to enjoy seeing any wildlife on their walk. North of Ayr, there is really no great problem till above Largs, when the same advice would apply.Kit
Walkers must be properly shod and prepared for the terrain over which they travel, and should have planned their trip beforehand. Trainers or slip-on shoes may be suitable for the sandy shores and promenades of the north, but walking boots are essential south of Ayr. If negotiating slippery shore rocks, a walking pole is advisable for balance.Weather
While the Ayrshire coastline may be beautiful in sunshine, it can be very exposed in foul weather, and wind and waterproof clothes should be carried if there is any prospect of rain. For an up-to-date Met Office forecast please click on to www.metoffice.gov.uk/weatherTides
Some sestions of the path are affected by high tides. For more information see the Tides section.Breeding Shorebirds
From May to July, it is extremely important on narrow compressed coastal strips that walkers make every attempt to walk on the sand below the tide-line where possible - and try to avoid tramping on shingle patches above high water mark. This precaution is to minimise the high risk of crushing the nests of oystercatchers and ringed plovers, whose camouflaged motionless chicks, or clutches of speckled eggs on gravel, are almost invisible. Always be on the lookout for breeding birds running silently down the beach from HWM away from their nests. If they are calling around you, you are too close! So watch your feet and look out!Litter
In three hours on a blustery Saturday morning in March 2007, the Rotary Clubs of Ayr, Alloway, Prestwick, Troon and Girvan combined with over a hundred willing volunteers, to clear the walking beaches from Girvan to Troon of over 900 bags of rubbish accumulated over many years. Without this superb effort, future walkers on the Path might have found that the distraction of crunching through drifts of plastic bags and drinks bottles - comprising 75% of the total litter - would have completely destroyed their enjoyment of the magnificent scenery around them. To make sure that this won’t happen, each spring all the coastal Rotary Clubs from Girvan to Largs now organise an annual Great Rotary Beach Clean, enthusiastically assisted by members of the public and youth groups. Walkers on the Path will find this wee verse on most of the kissing gates along the route to encourage them to help us to protect the environment.
Be ye Man - or Bairn - or Wumman,
Be ye gaun - or be ye comin,
For Scotland’s Pride - no Scotland’s shame,
Gether yer litter - an tak it Hame!
Read it – and do it!