Group Leader Barrie Southwood - 07766 755836 Group Leader Amy Kinnaird - 01290 700606 Location Refer to leaders or information below Timings Refer to leaders or information below Season January to November
Click HERE to view the BBC article “My doctor prescribed rambling for lockdown anxiety”
Click HERE to view The Blue Bonnet Trail from Tamfest 2020, narrated by Jane McCarry
Click HERE to watch a YouTube video by Ronald Rae with five of his biblical sculptures that he carved over 30 years ago.
Saturday Walking Group – Provisional 2021 Programme
Meet at 11am unless otherwise stated
Please note that, at the moment, (May 2021) walks are limited to approximately 20 to 25 participants. A place must be booked by email on bjsouthwood@btinternet.com. Please also note that any car sharing arrangements are an individual choice between drivers and their passengers.
| DATE | VENUE | MEET AT | NOTES |
| November 6th | Cumnock | Car Park next to Bus Station at 11am | Followed by Lunch in the Royal Hotel |
Saturday Walking Group – Restart Plan
1. All the requirements of the Scottish Government’s Covid-19 Route Map must be adhered to. We are
currently in Phase 3. This permits groups of up to five households to meet outdoors with physical distancing.
2. Anybody showing symptoms of Covid-19 must not attend the walk.
3. The number of walkers in each group must not exceed five (single households) or ten (couples). If possible, at least two leaders will be available so that members can be split into two groups.4. Everyone will need to advise the group leader of their attendance. Anyone driving to the start of the walk must not car share with anyone from another household.
5. To help with travel for non car owners, walks will initially start from a central location in Ayr.
6. If public transport is used to reach the start of the walk, face coverings must be used.
7. Walkers must remain 2m apart at all times and avoid touching any surfaces as much as possible. Hand sanitisation must be used before drinking/eating.
8. Details of everyone attending will be kept in case they are needed in the future for contact tracing.
9. All walkers must provide there own first aid requirements.
Barrie Southwood & Amy Kinnaird
Resume of OiR Saturday Walking Group – Amy Kinnaird
OiR Saturday Walking Group
On Hogmanay last year, we were looking forward to a new year—–2020. Little did we think that 2020 would turn out to be a year like no other.
OiR has had to adjust to a “new” normal. and OiR’s Walking Groups, under Barrie’s leadership, have coped well in these strange circumstances.
The programme of the 2020 walks began on Saturday, 28th February–when life was not complicated—-when we walked on paths around Ochiltree, followed by lunch for 18 of us in the new Ochiltree Hub—a real asset to the village and a credit to the Ochiltree voluteers who brought an idea into fruition.
March, April, May and June we were under Lockdown, but Barrie brought us together via his presentations on Zoom——-photos and background on where we would have walked, if life had been as planned.
July came and a little easing of Lockdown. We met together at the seafront in Ayr and had a socially distance walk along the shore to Doonfoot and Belleisle, where we had our packed lunches. We were in groups of 5, which did not mix together.
August, and again we walked, in our allotted groups, along the harbour and seafront –from Ayr Auld Brig–to Belleisle, and back to the car park.
September——on the appointed Saturday, we had a change of scenery. This time we went on a lovely sunny day to Girvan by train. We walked from the Train Station, in our allotted groups, along the harbour and the seafront —–a change of location for all of us and which we thoroughly enjoyed.
October, and we met in Rozelle Park and had a very interesting walk, taking in the WW1 sculptures and other statues in the estate there. We enjoyed the autumn tints on the trees, and were grateful for the choice of superb parks we have in this part of Scotland. This time we also visited Alloway Auld Brig and had our packed lunches in the Burns Monument Gardens.
November brought our last Saturday walk of this year. Once again, we met at Ayr seafront and, in our groups of five, walked to Doonfoot and Belleisle, before returning to the Car Park beside the Horizon Hotel– a walk of 5-6 miles–on a sunny November Saturday.
Many thanks to Barrie for his planning and organising 10 splendid Saturday walks in this strange difficult year. I know that the OiR members who took part in these walks enjoyed the exercise, the surroundings, but most of all —the company of each other…. Thanks all .
Amy K.
Saturday 2nd October – Unfortunately the weather was very wet for our walk at Barstobrick. None the less 17 brave souls turned up and we were able to fit in a short walk in the rain. Our hoped for walk to Neilson’s Monument had to be abandoned.
Saturday 28th Aug 2021 – Seventeen Saturday walkers travelled to Durisdeer by car and minibus where they visited the Durisdeer church mausoleum to see the Queensberry marbles before carrying out a short walk. The walk took them along what is believed to be an old Roman road to the site of a Roman fortlet. The walkers then returned to the village and headed home to Ayr via a lunch stop in Thornhill.
Saturday 31st July 2021 – 19 members of the Saturday Walking Group enjoyed a walk in the Castle Douglas area from Threave Gardens to Threave Castle and back. En route they were able to view, by telescope, the nesting Osprey chicks which now almost fully grown. A most enjoyable day was had by all. David Bowman
Saturday, 27th March – The Saturday Walking Group had their first walk of 2021
Fourteen members met at Cafe India car park and walked from there along the sea front to Doonfoot, then Cambusdoon , having our packed lunches in Belleisle Walled Garden, before heading back through the Old Racecourse to the car park. We enjoyed being together—socially distant—with exercise, fresh air and good company. Thanks to Barrie for leading the walk. Amy Kinnaird
Saturday 29th August 2020
The walk started at the Auld Brig, along the beach and finally ended, for lunch, at the Secret Garden. The large group was divided into smaller groups of five in order to adhere to social distancing. It did mean that, towards the end of the walk, each group went in a different direction before coming together again at the Secret Garden.
Walk in Ochiltree – 29th Feb 2020
26th October 2019
The last Saturday walk for 2019 was led by Barrie and held in Cumnock. Afterwards the walkers and other OiR members, 31 in total, had lunch in the Royal Hotel, Cumnock.
