The Herald - The Herald Magazine
Fife Coastal Path
CHRISTOPHER RUANE
AFTER months mostly cooped up inside, like many folk I was itching to get out and travel again. With the pandemic ongoing and travel logistics in flux even after lockdown restrictions were eased, something close to home seemed sensible. This odd time could provide a good opportunity to see more of Scotland.
The Fife Coastal Path ticked the right boxes. This long distance walk may be less well-known than others like the West Highland Way, but it is a well-planned, well-signposted and rewarding path. Opened in 2002, its route now stretches 116 miles between Kincardine and Newburgh. Several guidebooks to the path are available. Passing through towns and villages, public transport access on and off the path is straightforward, even just for a long weekend. It also offers a chance to enjoy some of Fife’s sleepier coastal clachans.
We opted for some sections in the East Neuk, starting on a Friday afternoon in Burntisland. The first drink in a pub since they reopened felt indulgent before even starting the walk. But it was a holiday. The Smugglers Inn, by the train station, offered well-spaced outside decking and table service. Contemplating the walk over a map in the sunshine, the scene evoked the feeling of leisurely summer holidays.
We walked down towards the waterfront, passing the old station building on one side and the modern pallet factory on the other. Part of what makes the path enjoyable is its proximity to the coast. Whereas some coastal paths deviate quite far inland, this one really does cling to the sea. Not only did that make for spectacular views in bracing air, it also makes for easy navigation. If ever in doubt, just tack back to the coast.
The town and beach were busy with families. Walking on, the noise soon melted away, replaced by the omnipresent sound of waves. It was a straightforward path towards Kirkcaldy, mostly on the flat. Chalk on the Lang Toun’s waterfront marked set distances people had run back and forth during lockdown. A stop near the old harbour town of Dysart allowed for a sandwich dinner beside empty creels. Looking out over the Firth of Forth, East Lothian was visible on the other side. Reminders of other forms of energy from across the ages dotted the landscape.
The nearby coalfields had once been economically and socially important.
The path passed by the Frances Colliery Memorial, bearing the names of dozens of miners who died there before the pit closed in the 1980s. The impact of industrial decline scarred some of the areas the path passed through, which were less pretty than Dysart but also thought provoking. The gargantuan wind turbine just offshore from Methil had been the world’s largest when built in 2013. It loomed into view many miles away and looked outsized from every direction at any distance. A rig anchored miles offshore similarly seemed to defy perspective, shadowing us far up the trail like an elaborate trig point.
But that wasn’t the most exciting sight offshore. In the Friday gloaming, foamy splashes near the beach caught the eye. Looking closer, a raft of otters moved around with surprising speed. They popped up in one part of the sea before vanishing only to emerge far off soon afterwards. It was the perfect conclusion to an enjoyable day close to nature. We arrived late in the evening at a bed and breakfast in Leven after the 16-mile walk from Burntisland.
Overnight, pouring rain had replaced the sunshine. The B&B had no other guests, so breakfast was a leisurely affair and we waited until the sun returned to set out. A shift from driving rain to gorgeous sunshine set the tone for a day of contrasts.
At Leven and Lundin, the first of many golfers were happy to be out after months putting on their back lawns. The expansive beach at Largo Bay was the near private domain of a solitary paraglider. Just around the corner at the large caravan site near Shell Bay, there were flocks of people chatting, eating and walking.
Much of the trail so far had been wide and sparsely peopled, so it was quite easy to keep a distance from other walkers. The next section, on the narrow pathway over the headland before Elie, was different. It was busy with runners and groups walking in both directions. Facing away when passing each other was an option, but proper distancing was impractical. This was also the steepest part of the trip, with a sharp ascent offering views down over Scotland’s via ferrata, a chain walk over the dramatic volcanic rocks far below. The exhilarating vista was worthy of a summer holiday on the Mediterranean.