Читать книгу Walking in the Southern Uplands. 44 best hill days in southern Scotland онлайн

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Ailsa Craig is the plug of a volcano that popped up at the opening of the Atlantic a mere 50 million years ago. As ancient rocks go, that’s the day before yesterday. The pink rocks on Grey Hill are nearly ten times as ancient, and a whole lot odder. It’s a defective granite called Trondhjemite, which properly belongs below the ocean bed.

The coastal path weaves between former sea stacks of a raised beach, then heads north on a grass track – and on Lendalfoot foreshore are some really odd rocks. The final 3km are harder going, along beaches of sand and pebbles.

Head inland along the A77 to a roundabout with a red sandstone centrepiece claiming Girvan as Home of Ailsa Craig. Old Red Sandstone here and at the car park indicates that Girvan itself stands just north of the Southern Upland fault. Go straight across into a housing estate. As the street bends left, keep ahead through a gate signed ‘Girvan Barr hill path’. This track leads up past Piedmont house, over a railway, and through a bluebell wood.