Glengarnock Valley, North Ayrshire

8 miles/13 km

This is a nice walk on small roads in the Garnock Valley on some small roads and with some excellent views towards Lochwinnoch, the surrounding hills and the lochs. This walk is a bit of a charmer and offers some varied, good walking.

Medium Hard

The road is pretty undulating with some short, steep hills in between Beith and some flat parts. The small roads have some good tarmac. Bring plenty of soft drinks although Beith has some good shops too. A mobile phone with a map is almost essential here too to find the starting point for the walk.

Train from Glasgow Central Station to Lochwinnoch Train Stop 2 times an hour
McGill's Bus 904 from Paisley Town Hall/Johnstone to Roadhead Roundabout 1 time an hour

The starting point for this walk is a small road just 25 meters past the Boat Yard restaurant in the direction of the Roadhead Roundabout on the A 737 can be reached by either train or bus. The fastest and easiest approach is to take the train, 2-3 times an hour, from Glasgow/Paisley/Kilwinning to the Lochwinnoch train stop.

From the train stop, walk the A760 on a good pavement up to the Boat Yard restaurant and then choose the first road, a small tarmac road, 50 yards/meters to the right after their car park.
The alternative, if you start from Paisley or Johnstone, is to take the McGills 904 Largs bus, 1 time an hour, to the Roadhead Roundabout, which has given the name to this walk, and walk down 100 yards/the pavement on the A760 to the start of this walk. Cross the road and take the first road to the left.



The walk starts on a terrace pretty high above both the railway line and the valley below. The road is a bit undulating but not particularly hilly. The views towards Lochwinnoch and the two lochs, Castle Semple Loch and Barr Loch, are great.



The road now descends down to the bridge crossing the Roebank Burn. At the first house after the bridge, 100 yards/meters after the bridge, take the Auldlea Road up the hill to Beith. The views are pretty scenic here.
Walk through Beith while aiming for the Dalry Road. A walk/cycle path is signposted from the top at the Morrishill Drive. Follow this path to the main road at Willowyard Road. Then follow the pavement down the hill for 1 mile/ 2 km to Auchengree Road. Cross the main road and take this road.




This road drops down to the foot of the steepest hill of the walk. This hill is pretty vertical. It is mercifully not long. It is still at fitness test. The views from the top of this hill are very good.


The walk on this small road is pretty flat with some great views over the valley below and the hills on the other side of Garnock valley. There is one pretty serious incline at the end before the road drops down past some houses to the main road, the Beith Road. Follow this down the hill, over a bridge and under the railway bridge. The road changes it's name to Tofts here and the walks continues on a good pavement to the railway signpost at Bridgend. Take this road to the left down and up to Dalry train stop.

Train to Glasgow/Paisley/Kilwinning 2-3 times an hour.

Enjoy the walk !!