LONG popular with walkers, the Fife Coastal Path is an impressive place to enjoy a lengthy walk with each corner revealing another secret.
Stretching 150km, from North Queensferry in the south to the Tay Bridge in the north, the trail is peppered with historic castles and caves, quaint fishing villages and award winning beaches.
Visitors can also delight in the views offered by rug
ged cliffs, long sandy beaches, internationally important estuaries and wildlife reserves.
The stretch from Lower Largo – the birthplace of Alexander Selkirk, the inspiration for Robinson Crusoe – to Pittenweem is particularly worthwhile.
From the Temple car park at Lower Largo, the route follows the abandoned railway and coastline to Dumbarnie wildlife reserve. The high tide route passes through the reserve. The low tide route follows the beach, and the routes converge at the Cocklemill Burn bridge.
The path climbs from Shell Bay to Kincraig Point and from here there are two routes. One leads to the a path known as the Chainwalk while the other meanders across the clifftops.
If you have a sense of adventure and a head for heights, the Chainwalk is the walk for you. Starting at Earlsferry Beach, the walk consists of a series of carved steps accompanied by horizontal and vertical chains allowing access to the cliffs and several caves.
If you manage to get to Earlsferry make sure to look out for Earlsferry Town Hall. Built between 1864 and 1872, this building has a sailing ship as its weathervane.
Here, as well as the plaque commemorating Earlsferry-born golfer James Braid, there is also one which marks the contribution Polish soldiers who were stationed in the town made during the Second World War.
The other path crosses the golf course and skirts Chapel Green, named for an 11th century chapel used by pilgrims travelling to St Andrews. The path then reaches the villages of Earlsferry and Elie.
You’ll find a lovely sandy beach at Ruby Bay, so called for the red rocks that sometimes wash up on the shore.
Elie Church was built by William Scott of Ardross in 1639. The distinctive tower was added by Sir John Anstruther in 1726.
The clock on the tower only has three faces as there were no buildings on its north side when it was installed in 1900.
The Elie to St Monans section of this walk begins at Ruby Bay Car Park. The path crosses Shepherd’s Knowe and a short detour leads to Elie Lighthouse, built in 1908, and Ladies Tower which was established in 1760. Lady Janet Anstruther, wife of the laird of Ardross and Elie estate, built the tower as her summerhouse and changing room for use when she went sea bathing.
Lady Janet was also responsible for the removal of the hamlet of Balclevie in 1771 to improve her view from Elie House.
Further on are the ruins of Ardross Castle and the 15th century Newark Castle.
From here to St Monans there is another high tide diversion which borders fields, crosses a bridge and rejoins the low tide route near St Monans Church.
The path passes the restored St Monans Windmill, an unusual reminder of the short-lived salt industry.
Here, a windmill was used to evaporate sea water in iron pans along the shore and the salt produced was transported to Pittenweem harbour for export.
St Monans has a long history, based around the sea and the church. Its traditional fishermen’s cottages with their distinctive outside stairs, known as forestairs, crow-stepped gables and red pantiled roofs, appear unchanged from past times.
St Monans is perhaps the most typical fishing village in the East Neuk, huddled against the sea wall right on the edge of the shoreline.
The burgh was originally called Inverin and took its present name from the presence of a shrine said to contain the relics of St Monan.
Today, Pittenweem is the main fishing centre of the East Neuk, a fact celebrated at the annual East Neuk Fish Festival.
The town has a long history, dating back to the 7th century and a walk around the town’s winding streets will reveal many treasures and a town whose name is as picturesque as its setting.
Distance: 12 miles
For further information on the Fife Coastal Route log on to
www.visitscotland.com/walking or ||WEBSTART||www.fifecoastalpath.co.uk
