A Scottish Rotary Club’s massive project to link 100 miles of beaches, paths and tracks along the Ayrshire Coast has at last been officially launched.
At the recent launch of their Ayrshire Coastal Path, Gordon McInally, Director of Rotary International, was on hand tocongratulate volunteers from the Rotary Club of Ayr on four years’ hard work.
The path, from Glenapp to Skelmorlie runs 100 miles along one ofthe finest panoramic coastlines in the British Isles. Crowned with a superb backdrop of the mountains of Arran across the Firth of Clyde, the coastline is steeped in history and teeming withwildlife.
The project started in 2003 with Rotarian Dr Jimmy Begg’smodest idea of creating a simple path from Ayr to Dunure and Culzean Castle to celebrate the Centenary of Rotary Internationalin 2005. But the project soon took on a life of its own and became something much bigger and exceptional.
With the support of the two local councils, volunteers from the Rotary Club of Ayr spent the next four years obtaining consent from farmers and landowners, securing grant aid, digging paths, clearing waste, installing kissing gates and fords. Over 300 signs were erected to link existing natural beaches and walkable shore terrain via field-edge paths, wrack roads, existing farm tracks, promenades and an old railway track. The entire project was completed in June2008 for under £70,000.
Rotarian Dr Jimmy Begg, Project Co-ordinator, said: "We are delighted to have realised our dream of establishing an Ayrshire Coastal Path. It’s been a long slog but it was worth it. We wanted to provide Ayrshire folk with healthy exercise and an opportunity to experience and cherish their own countryside, as well as attracting a great number of walking visitors to our beautiful and historic county."
Ayrshire boasts an impressive range of historical sites, including the birthplace of Robert the Bruce, William Wallace, the Stuart Dynasty, and Robert Burns, Tam o Shanter’s Auld Brig oDoon, and numerous coastal castles along the route.
A commemorative interpretation board was unveiled at the recent launch by Provost Winifred Sloan from South Ayrshire Council,Deputy Provost Ian Dickson from North Ayrshire Council, and Gordon McInally, Director of Rotary International.
For more information about the route, visit www.ayrshirecoastalpath.org.The official Guidebook is now on sale and has been a local bestseller – with all proceeds donated to charity. For more information about the guidebook, contact guidebook@ayrshirecoastalpath.org.
23/07/08
