Prestwick - Esplanade & Gardens

Navigating The Route

This is a circular Spy Mission around Prestwick Esplanade & Gardens, with Agents helping Agent Cam O'Flage crack the code of a bunker where famous Scottish golfer Willie Sinkit is being held before the tide comes in.

The operation covers 3 miles and should take around 3 hours to complete. You'll start at The Esplanade car park, head through Prestwick town centre, track intel past a park, the ruins of St Nicholas' Church and Boydfield Gardens, then loop back to the Esplanade car park where the mission began.

This Trail is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. It uses pavements and clear paths, though the ruin of St Nicholas' Church grounds would be difficult to negotiate with pushchairs and wheelchairs, so you do not need to enter the grounds.

The route also uses roads and road crossings, including a main road that can be busy with not many pedestrian crossings, so take care when crossing and keep Mini Agents close. There is also a railway bridge on the route.

Getting There

By car: Start near the entrance to The Esplanade car park, Prestwick (KA9 1QG), using ///gong.shield.amaze.

By public transport: Make your way to The Esplanade car park in Prestwick to begin the mission. The circular route finishes back at the same place once Agent Cam O'Flage's code-cracking crisis has been contained.

Need the Loo?

Public toilets can be found at the entrance to the car park at the start point, with another opportunity in the station near Clue 20.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

Four-legged Agents are welcome to join the mission. 🐾

The route uses pavements, clear paths, roads and road crossings, including a busy main road with not many pedestrian crossings, so keep canine recruits close around traffic and busier areas. There is also a railway bridge on the route.

Food & Drink Stops

Code-cracking is hungry work, and there are plenty of places in the town centre to pick up provisions. The route also passes The Red Lion public house and a bar and restaurant with 'Live Music & Tank Beer'.

This Trail is great for picnics too, so packing supplies is a sound bit of fieldcraft if your squad prefers an outdoor refuel.

Want to Make a Day of It?

Boydfield Gardens

The mission goes into Boydfield Gardens, where Agents can pause among the clues to inspect the large sundial and war memorial. The giant sundial was designed with an appointed artist, making this a neat spot to slow the pace once the urgent code-work is under control.

St Nicholas' Church ruins and churchyard

The route passes the ruins of St Nicholas' Church, and the grounds are interesting to explore if you have time. The churchyard contains the grave of Andrew Strath, winner of The Open Championship in 1865, who was also Keeper of the Green at Prestwick Golf Club until he died of tuberculosis aged 32. There has even been talk of ghostly apparitions and unexplained lights seen among the tombstones on foggy nights - ideal extra intel for brave Agents.

Prestwick Golf Club

Prestwick's golfing past is a major thread through this mission. Prestwick Golf Club hosted the first Open Championship in 1860, when the course was just 12 holes and the winner received a red leather belt with a silver buckle. The route also refers to the club again when passing its historic first hole from 1860.

Ailsa Craig views

On a clear day, keep watch out to sea for Ailsa Craig. This volcanic plug of an extinct volcano might have been active about 500 million years ago, is now a bird sanctuary, and its rock was once used to make curling stones.

Bruce's Well

Bruce's Well adds a splash of legend to the operation. The story goes that Robert the Bruce stuck a spear in the ground here and drank the water that welled up around it. He found the water improved his skin disease and consequently endowed the site as a hospital for up to eight lepers.