The Maidens and Dunure Light Railway opened on 17th May 1906. The Turnberry Station Hotel opened on the same day as the line. 

On 14 September 1968 the line finally closed with the last train from Heads of Ayr Holiday Camp railway station. 

National Cycle Network route NCN7 opened between Irvine and Heads of Ayr. This included a virtually traffic free section from Ayr to Dunure Road, Doonfoot. 

The 2 mile Alloway Burton cycle path was completed using the track bed of the Maidens and Dunure Light Railway from Maybole Road, Alloway to meet NCN7 at Dunure Road, Doonfoot. 

It’s been 50 years since the line closed and a lot has happened in that time. Butlins is now the thriving Craig Tara Holiday Park and numerous caravan parks have opened on or near the line to take advantage of the scenic coastline.

Work started on the first stage of the feasability study on the route and continues through 2025 with stakeholder engagement and communities along the route.