Scotland by Rail - Dalry, Ayrshire, Blair Estate woodland

Dalry in North Ayrshire, where I'm soon starting work on large painted panels for station decoration. Previous Dalry blog here.

Here's a nice easy stroll through a nearby wooded country estate.


The Walk

Getting off the train walk east uphill along a main road for less than a mile, firstly through a large housing estate then into open farmland. Remember after the houses to look back for wide views of Dalry and valley and hills beyond. Over those hills are Great and Little Cumbrae Islands, and Bute, and eventually Arran. For another day.

Dalry & valley & those hills

over those hills

The countryside stretch of road is short but with no pavement, take care. Soon on your right is a gatehouse into the Blair Estate. Read the sign, go through, start your exploring.

I walked a clockwise circle of the grounds with a little bit of meandering when a branching path looked particularly enticing.

Snowdrops were out and winter thrushes were in the trees, a great spotted woodpecker called once. Blue, great and coal tits were all over a feeding station at the south gatehouse and through the woods buzzard, robin, blackbird, wren, house sparrow, rook, crow, jackdaw, starling. I made a few sketchbook drawings, quick ones in pen.

Newhouse Farm, having detoured there-and-back past the Blair south gatehouse.

detour found me three buzzards. Here you see one.

thinking of Escher

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How to get there

Trains to Dalry take half an hour from Glasgow Central. Mon-Sat there are 3 per hour from Glasgow - 2 going to Ayr, the other to Ardrossan Harbour. Hourly on Sundays.

Double check 'Ayrshire, Inverclyde & Stranraer Timetable' and 'Buy Tickets' on ScotRail website.



Many thanks to ScotRail for enabling my Scotland by Rail work.