THERE are ongoing celebrations with the Cunninghame Ramblers group who have celebrated their 30th anniversary.

The group were first created in October 1984 and since then have undergone walks across Scotland.

To celebrate the event a memorial route has been sign posted within Eglinton Park with the help and support of the park manager and the park rangers service. The route guides walkers from the Tournament Bridge to the northern boundary of the park adjacent to Corsehillmuir Woods.

The Scottish Woodlands Trust recently established a circular walking path within the woods and the Ramblers route allows the two elements to be combined into a very pleasant woodland and countryside walk covering about four miles.

A spokesman for the Cunninghame Ramblers said: “The arrangement allows visitors to the Park to make use of the visitor centre facilities and to enjoy a pleasant new route along a well marked trail returning to the Centre at the end of a two hour walk which is well sign posted as the Ramblers Route on both the outward and inbound directions.

“Since our first walk in 1984 on the New Town Trail the Group have arranged 2,000 walks in the intervening years through their regular programme of six walks per month setting out from their meeting point at the new Caledonia Car Park adjacent to Aldi off East Road in Irvine.” Following the celebratory walk attended by about 30 members whose numbers included representatives from both the Kilmarnock and Ayr Ramblers Groups as well as the Convener of Ramblers Scotland, David Thomson and the Ramblers Development Officer, Jeannie Cranfield the group returned to the Racquets Hall for a pleasant sandwich buffet lunch and humorously themed cake.

The special occasion saw the presentation of flowers to a founder member Rita Riddell and long-standing very active member Cathy Forrester who was presented with a Certificate of Recognition and flowers by the Convener to celebrate the event.