New Alternative Route at Langdale to Avoid Cattle

21 Sept 2025

HIstorically, on Langdale Farm, during the main walking season from April till October - for one week in a five week rotation -  the cliff-top field from Wilson Burn to Downan Hill is strip-grazed by beef cattle. But from the end of October till the end of March it is cattle-free.

Walkers on Section 1 of the Ayrshire Coastal Path, between Glenapp and Ballantrae, now have the option of a newly created alternative route at Langdale Farm on the clifftop walk. This bypass has been introduced to help avoid strip-grazing cattle on the clifftop fields, while still allowing walkers to enjoy a safe and continuous journey along the trail. The Pathminders team and the farmer have worked hard to make this possible, installing new kissing gates, a sleeper bridge over Wilson’s Burn, a stile, and clear signposting – much of it using recycled materials.

Just beyond  the Currarie–Langdale march, walkers will see a new signpost offering a choice of two routes. If the clifftop field is clear of cattle, follow the left-hand option along the original path. If cattle are present on the hillside, take the right-hand option which leads 50m down to the burn, crosses the new sleeper bridge, then follows the fence line uphill for 120m uphill to a new kissing gate.  (NB This short section still has to traverse  the lower edge of the clifftop field - where cattle are less often encountered - so walkers must always use their own judgment).

Once through the new gate, follow the fence uphill for 400m, using the field-edge strip of the silage field. At the hill-top, go through a second kissing gate to a small sleeper stile with a sign pointing you seaward and downhill towards visible signs for the main path at the top of the Big Gully.

Thanks to the new infrastructure, walkers now have two clear alternatives: the original clifftop path when it is safe to do so, or the well-marked diversion when cattle are present. Both options are waymarked, and signage will be adjusted by the farmer when stock are in the fields, ensuring that everyone can continue to enjoy this scenic stretch of the Ayrshire Coastal Path.

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