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Muirkirk has so many outdoor pursuits on offer, almost to many to mention but below is a sample of the more well known activities that you or your families can take part in.
The walking in this area is superb and there are many trails that can be followed from a sedate couple of miles to an enduring 16 mile hike, there is also hill walking and fell running when conditions permit.
If you wish to know anymore about the wonderful local pursuits please call Lesley on 01290 660045 for more information.
Lesley`s Kitchen at The Old Church
Come and learn how to make delicious bread from scratch without the aid of a breadmaker or costly equipment!! Let us teach you how to bake wonderful cakes, Scones, biscuits and loads more and enjoy a fun day out with new friends.
Kames Motorsport Complex, Muirkirk
We are one of Scotland’s top Motorsport Clubs. Based in Ayrshire, most of our members are spread across central Scotland with a few from up North and a few from down South. Members' interests cover Sprints, Hillclimbs, Tarmac Autotests, Grass Autotests, Tarmac Stage Rallies, Forest Stage Rallies and Circuit Racing. We organise Sprints, Grass Autotests and Rallies.
We own and operate the Kames Motorsport Complex in Muirkirk which has an 800m Sprint track and large tarmac paddock areas which we can use for Autotests. The tarmac track was resurfaced in 2000 after a three year project, allowing anti-clockwise running as well as clockwise, giving 2 tracks with very different characters.
The Kames track is situated just off the A70 in Muirkirk, East Ayrshire. It is 13 miles west of junction 12 on the M74 and 10 miles east of Cumnock, 9 miles west of Strathaven.
Kames Motorsport Complex
Furnace Road
Muirkirk
KA18 3QQ
For further information check the website on www.eastayrshirecc.co.uk
Muirkirk Golf Club
Which will celebrate its centenary in 2010, Muirkirk Golf Club is a challenging 9 hole moorland course set amongst Muirkirk's dramatic and picturesque hills.
Many of the holes carry names evokative of the local area - Kames, Wee Strickland, McAdam's Stane ................
The club has active competitions for both juniors and seniors, not forgetting the annual Muirkirk Open.Guest day tickets can be bought from many shops around the village.
Glenbuck Loch 
Glenbuck Loch which is the official start of the River Ayr Way, www.theriverayrway.org This Loch is the source of the River Ayr, Muirkirk Angling Association manages the wild brown trout fishing on Glenbuck.There is a wonderful hide in which to watch many varieties of wildlife at the side of the Loch
Famous Muirkirk Landmarks
Cairn Table
From Muirkirk, Cairn Table (593m) dominates the horizon rising to its lonely height on the edge of the Southern Uplands. This is more a climb than a walk and from the top of the hill on a clear day, the Isle of Arran, Ben Lomond and the Galloway Hills can be seen. The hill is topped by three cairns, two of which reputedly lie on top of the remains of some of the druids of early years.
Down the western side of the hill there's a spring called the Cairn Table Cauldron, one of many. Legend has it that the Picts used the spring water to steep heather to make a special brew.
The route follows what is known locally as the March Fence. From the car park, follow the poles which mark the early stages onto a track which leads over The Steel and straight up the easy slopes of Cairn Table. A huge summit cairn commemorates the local people who died in World War 1. An easy north-westerly descent leads by Sanquhar Brig and a Land Rover track back to the start.
Tibbies Brig
Tibbies Brig( formerly known as the Garpel bridge 1793) was named after the poetess Tibbie Pagan.According to local folklore, poetess Isabel "Tibbie" Pagan (1741 - 1820) was a friend of Scotland's National Bard, Robert Burns.
Having spent some of her childhood days in New Cumnock, Tibbie moved to Muirkirk in 1785.
As was typical of the time, Tibbie's education was rather limited. Her main source of income was from writing and reciting poetry and songs.
A volume of her works was published in 1803.
"Ca' the Yowes" is (at least in part) attributed to Tibbie, although it did not appear in this volume - the reason for this is unclear.
Oh....I almost forgot.....it is alleged that this meagre income was supplemented by selling illicit whisky!
(Extract from the poem "Southside Memories" by James Strickland c1900)
To wander round by Tibbie's Brig,
To sit in Ferny Grove,
To view the hills and valleys where
Long since I used to rove
Miners Memorial Garden
Miner by Kirti Mandir
Muirkirk Miners Memorial was officially inaugurated by Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell, MSP. The memorial garden and Miners sculpture are to commemarate those men who died in the pits.
To view Kirti`s work visit his website on www.kirtimandir.com
