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Carrick Way Project

The northern loop of the Carrick Way is more than ready for walking. After five years of negotiation and construction over 70 miles have been identified and over the coming months leaflets detailing the walks will appear.

The first of these will include the Dunure to Maybole and Girvan to Barr sections quickly followed by the links which include Dailly, Kirkoswald and Straiton. It is to the credit of the Carrick Way Community Interest Company (CWCICo) that this has been achieved well under budget as not all offered grant money has been taken up. The policy of the group has been to develop the path with the minimum of physical intervention giving walkers a ‘nearer to nature’ experience.

Maintenance, and its funding, are a major problem for trails so a ‘minimum build’ strategy results in a higher level of sustainability as repair work can be more easily effected. This work will largely be undertaken by path volunteers as has much of the construction. CWCICo does more than develop paths. The creation of a path does not mean that it will be walked and being used is an important contributor to its longevity. As part of its remit CWCICo has and will continue to promote activities which ensure the use of the Carrick Way.

Since the concept was mooted they have worked with the South Carrick Walking Group and associated Walking Festival to walk the historic trails which made the long distance route possible. It is estimated 2,000 walks have been taken under the auspices of these two groups and many have returned on their own.

This joint activity has also made a contribution to local economies along the Way by starting walks In local halls and tea-rooms. This will be further developed in 2012.

The majority of trail guides will be sold rather than issued free. This will have a benefit for local outlets which will be supplied at a discount and will mean that route maintenance receives a contribution from path users through their purchase.

The future of the Carrick Way lies with the users. With new walking routes proliferating, it is not enough to simply open a route and market it passively. With less than 2,000 a year now doing the Pennine Way, numbers for the Southern Upland Way so low as to be uncountable and, in both cases, youth hostels and accommodation providers closing it is mainly through event creation that meaningful and measurable numbers will allow the Carrick Way prove its worth. The under-use and subsequent decay of a few of the Carrick local path network routes demonstrates the need for pro-active stimulus.

CWCICo have always been aware of these factors and this has played in important role in Its ‘low spend – low maintenance’. To date the group feels they are achieving this with expenditure around a third of a figure recently quoted by an outside source. This has been done due to enthusiasm and voluntary commitment.

Drew Moyes Feb 6th 2012

We Urgently Need Volunteers

We are urgently looking for volunteers to help us build and complete the path network. If you wish to become a volunteer or have the desire to become a Path custodian, please use the email enquiry address below to make contact with the Carrick Way Board.

Enquiries To

walk@carrickway.co.uk

Start walking

We are happy to advise on where to walk in the Carrick area - and perhaps we can even help with a leader

Carrick Way Sections

would like to thank the assistance given to us by our sponsors