We had driven from kilmarnock and arrived at Brown Street in Darvel, near a small parking lot. Some people were already there while others were slowly trickling in.

The occasion was the International Forest day, and a walk had been organized by the Kilmarnock Active Travel Hub. As more people arrived, I noticed that most of them were carrying one, even two cameras, with bulky telephoto lenses that seem to put to shame my modest photographic gear. It was as if a battery of photographers had showed up; beginners, veteran photographers, men, women and even young children carried more or less camera equipment. An they would have a field day during our stroll.

We started out on our walk, crossed the Randoldcoup bridege and soon reach the rusted iron gates of the Lanfine Estate. tufts of snowdrops had bloomed on the lawn marking the beginning of the wooded section of the estate which is situated south of the Irvine River. A well-marked path ran through the gently sloped woodland, a wide variety of broadleaves and conifers, among whom beeches, oak, birches, sycamores, limes and Scots pines.

A few yards ahead, on the left side of the path, there was a large enclosure which lay upon a steep declivity and where one could gaze upon crossbred pigs that looked rather like wild boars. The dark sheen of their pelt was speckled with glints of gold as if they were creatures from mythical tales. One could easily imagine them swarming ahead of the fearful huntress Artemis while she strode purposefully through dark woods under the moonlight. Information provided on the park indicated that they were introduced into the estate to facilitate the regeneration of broadleaves and especially oaks.

After having crossed an old bridge looming over the Birkwill Burn, we finally reached the well-tended gardens around the mansion where the cut lawn felt like a green carpet under one's feet.  Magnificent trees such as Horse and Sweet chestnut, a Californian redwood, a Western red cedar, Irish yews, a Cut-leaved beech, a Sawara cypress, a Western hemlock and a lime stood amidst the place. The trunk of some large trees seemed to have been twisted by a giant's hand and thrust into the ground.

a small herd of deers had shied away near the opposite side of a large green field line with conifers, as if they were wary of the  human presence. A furtive peacock was briefly glimpsed before disappearing behind a building.

The large mansion itself, whose core Georgian parts originated from 1772, was  rather impressive to my eyes, even as rain impeded its proper viewing, as we strolled around it before we eventually retraced our steps, with some regrets.