"Did you see those three madmen at Seafield?".

After the recent snows, the Ayrshire coast was one of the few places in Scotland not to be under a blanket of snow. Even the Arran mountains seemed to have escaped with a light dusting. However, a chill northerly breeze kept the temperature down to minus two Celsius.

Phil, Jim and I had left shuttle cars at Maidens and then driven back to Seafield at Ayr for a trip past three of the four castles of Carrick. It took longer to get ready than usual as dog walkers, joggers and cyclists all stopped to enquire about the state of our mental well being.

Our destination, and two of the castles, lay well beyond the distant Heads of Ayr.

The cold breeze helped us on our way,

Although the first castle, Greenan, was in sight, it was not to be our first port of call...