Ayrshire’s first walking festival is set to start next weekend - with hopes of improving the community’s mental and physical wellbeing.

The festival offers guided group walks across the whole of Ayrshire and takes place from Saturday September 3 to Sunday September 11.

Organised by Ayr Active Travel Hub, Kilmarnock Active Travel Hub, and the Trinity Active Travel Hub in Irvine, the festival aims to highlight Ayrshire’s nature whilst providing walkers with a sense of community.

Officer of the Trinity’s Active Travel Hub, Kate Cuthbert, said: “There are some walking festivals in Ayrshire but they don’t cover all of the area, so this is a way of being able to celebrate walking and routes throughout the whole of Ayrshire.

“A lot of people don’t necessarily want to go to a gym, but walking is something that most people can do at some level.

“Walking gets people fit and it’s a very social thing where people can have a good chat and make new friends.”

The walks range in difficulty from leisurely strolls to routes suitable for reasonably fit people, to trails best suited to experienced walkers.

People of all abilities will be able to participate in the festival, with trails suitable for wheelchair users highlighted in the event’s pamphlet.

Walks suitable for people with pushchairs and prams will also be available for walkers with babies and toddlers.

Highlights of the programme include:

South Ayrshire

A unique opportunity to join the Ayrshire Coastal Path volunteer Pathminders on a hike to discover the section between Maidens and Dunure via Culzean Castle Country Park.

Walk with a View: An easy circular walk starting along Girvan Prom and continuing up a quiet country road and returning through Girvan itself. Spectacular views of Ailsa Craig and the Girvan coastline with a chance to meet the local livestock.

Bat Walk in Fullarton Woods: A guided walk using bat detectors to hear these fascinating flying mammals.

East Ayrshire

A circular route from Mauchline down to the River Ayr at Haugh Farm, before heading upstream along the River Ayr Way path, and then back to the town, looking at the red sandstone in the area, and how it has been shaped by the river, and by ancient and Victorian man.

A local walk in New Cumnock, led by local residents and combining a look at the scenery outside the town and some of the area’s history.

A ‘place name walk’ in Auchinleck shedding light on what the area’s place names tell us about how people lived, worked and saw the world 1,000 or more years ago.

North Ayrshire

Nordic walking in Eglinton Park – a chance to turn a walk into a ‘total body workout’ using the power of Nordic poles and the correct technique in using them.

A Barrmill Heritage Walk looking at how the industrial heritage in and around the village has shaped the landscape for both nature and people.

A gentle exploration of the Irvine Beach Park, taking in the harbourside and beach and looking at some of the area’s wildlife.

Walks throughout the week will be led by various people and groups such as the Ayrshire Coastal Path volunteers, North Ayrshire Council’s ranger service, and the New Cumnock Development Trust.

All events in the festival programme are free to join, but places for many of the walks must be booked in advance.

For more information about the event, and a full programme, visit www.thetrinity.org.uk.