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Continue to the bridge over the R Garnock. On the left is the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Garnock Floods Nature Reserve, an important wetland sanctuary for duck, geese and waders. (There are no internal paths on the reserve to minimise disturbance to bird life. You can view the reserve from the hide, cycle-path or the grass path beside the river. For the hide, enter the field over the stile by the gate and approach the hide from the back to avoid spooking the birds you hope to observe. Dog walking is discouraged.) From the bridge there are good views of the Ardeer dunes, described on Armstrong’s map as the Ardeer Hills. There, in 1870, Nobel established his explosives, and later chemical, works; in WWII the works employed 13,000 people; in the 1980s and ‘90s, the redundancies were disastrous for the local economy. Looking over that area now, you need to imagine a huge industrial complex with tall chimneys and a massive cooling tower - which collapsed overnight in a 1972 storm.
At the north side of the bridge, cross the road to the New Town Trail - also cycle route (73) 7 and a Core Path. The Way passes under the A78 and winds upriver along a wooded bank into Kilwinning, a town known for the Eglinton estate to the east and the ruins of its ancient Abbey in the centre.
Where a cycle route comes in from a bridge on your right, turn left and keep straight on, unless you wish to detour into Kilwinning. Follow the cycle way through an industrial estate to join Byrehill Road, passing under the railway to Ayr, then the A78 at Todhill Farm, then the railway to Ardrossan.
Pass the caravan park and Ardeer Mains farm on to the B732. Cross this road to enter Ardeer Park, passing the miniature golf course and along an old earthwork dam.
After passing an ornamental loch, join New Street in Stevenston. Turn left towards the railway.
After the level crossing, either continue on the NCN73 (on our map) or walk down Shore Road to the west end of Stevenston Beach Park to follow the coastal path westwards. The strange grey shoreline rock on the Beach Park promontory to the east is iron slag, the remains of the slag bing of a 19th c. iron works built near Ardeer coal pits.
Follow the path along the sea wall to the harbour, taking care if it is stormy.

Bartonholm is on a side road, the A779, which leads from Kilwinning Road to the River Garnock - no through road north to the bypass, though access is possible southwards from the bypass to Bartonholm. Therefore, it is easily reached by car either from Irvine or from the bypass, and there is enough opportunity for parking on the roadside. Saltcoats harbour is on the access road beside Aldi and Iceland superstores.