Water of Girvan

The Water of Girvan is a river in South Ayrshire, southern Scotland. It rises on the eastern slopes of the Shalloch on Minnoch in the Carrick Hills, only a short distance from where the Stinchar begins on the northern slope. For the first twenty-eight kilometres it flows north and north-west, passing two small lochs and reaching a dammed reservoir at Loch Bradan. The river then turns south-west near Kirkmichael and keeps that course to the coast. It passes the estate of Blairquhan House and the villages of Straiton, Crosshill, Dailly and Old Dailly before reaching Girvan. After fifty-eight winding kilometres it enters the lower Firth of Clyde. Visitors can follow the river’s course through quiet farmland and wooded valleys. The upper stretches offer moorland walking above the source, while the middle section winds past old settlements and the landscaped grounds of Blairquhan House. Near Girvan the river widens as it approaches the sea, giving views across the firth.