Seventh Day of Walking - Kingsbarns to St. Andrews

It was such a treat this morning not to have to pack up our suitcases and arrange their transfer to the next destination. Staying three nights in the same place is a rare treat on a trek like this! Today we were headed for the renowned St. Andrews. We purposely planned for today’s walk to be a shorter one, because we planned to spend the rest of the day exploring St. Andrews.

First stop was just outside of Kingsbarns - the Wild Scottish Sauna on the beach. The path here is between the beach and the pastureland and it was a little challenging, more because the weeds and grasses covering the path made it hard to see where your feet were landing. We decided to move down onto the beach for better footing, but then that became too challenging so back up to the trail again. At one point this led us into a beautifully shaded forest, Kenly Water, with a little stream running through it. There are a lot of ups and downs on this section, much of it on stones set into the ground to serve as stairs. Hard on the old hips!

We passed by a number of interesting sites - a lectern shaped doocot, a rock formation called Buddo Rock, another rock formation called the Rock and Spindle. We had had to have an early start to the day so that we would be passing near the Rock and Spindle before high tide, or we might have been delayed waiting for the waters to recede. As it was we had plenty of time - even managed to stop and enjoy our packed lunch on the beach.

We headed in to St Andrews and stopped first at the remains of the 12th century Church of St. Mary on the Rock and then over to the Cathedral to marvel at the beautiful architecture and examine the many old gravestones on the site. After that, we sauntered over to St.Andrews University, which itself dates back to 1416. Again, beautiful architecture and a long history of providing a top-notch education to its students. A brief visit to the Wardlaw Museum, where we learned about some of the traditions of this prestigious institution, particularly related to the students’ activities. Down the road a bit further on, we took in the Castle from a distance, then headed back towards the area which is the golfers’ Mecca - St. Andrews Golf Club - The Old Course. We watched a couple of groups tee off from the first tee box, then wandered down to West Sands. This beach is most known for being the site of the slow-motion run along the beach to Vangelis’ music in “Chariots of Fire”. Thanks to a kind young man, we were able to capture a re-enactment of that scene starring the four of us!

Back over to the main part of town to check out the souvenir shops and suss out some dinner. At the suggestion of the young man at the Tourist Info, we ended up at the Criterion, where we all enjoyed their puff pastry pies in various yummy combinations. I was tickled to find that they served Thistly Cross cider, which I had tasted last time we were in Scotland and loved. As it happened we ended up sitting beside a foursome from Barrie who were here on a golf holiday.

Off to the bus depot to catch our ride back to Kingsbarns to plan our last day of walking. More laundry and then to bed!

Sixth Day of Walking - Cellardyke to Kingsbarns

Today should be called “Golf Course Day” because it seemed like half the time we were walking beside one! We headed out of Cellardyke, bound for Crail, passing by a seaside play area, of which we have seen many. This one also had a tidal pool and some brave souls were out taking a dip in the ‘fresh’ waters! Continuing on, we came to the Caiplie Coves, sea caves carved out of the rocks, multi-hued and very unique shapes.Far off in the distance we could see the Isle of May which has on it the remains of an old monastery. On a beach we found one stack of stones, which pleased me because we’d missed them on an earlier day! We passed by the remains of an old cottage, a leftover from the saltpan days.

We reached Crail, supposedly one of the most picturesque harbours and often painted or photographed. We wanted to suss out the village because we would have to return here by bus to buy groceries, as the next accommodations were an Air B&B in a town with only one place to eat. Before we did that, we headed over to check out the Creal Fossils, which are fossils of trees on a very rocky beach. Took a bit of a scramble to get to them, but we did.After all that hard work, we needed sustenance to get us on to Kingsbarns, so stopped at a little harbourside cafe for lunch. After that over to check out the grocery store for when we returned later for supplies. We continued on out of Crail, past a beehive doocot (dovecote) nicknamed “The Pepper Pot”, dating back to the 16th century. This one was rather unique in that it has been restored and you can go right inside. A little bit of a fright because when you push open the door, a recording of birds flapping and squawking plays! Glad I wasn’t first in! There are models of pigeons in some of the openings to add to the reality of what it might have been like back then.

Next part was a walk through a very nice holiday caravan park, then past a WW II pillbox built by a platoon of Polish soldiers. We walked by the first of a string of golf courses along this coast, being wary of getting in the way of golfers and at one point having to wait several minutes for a foursome to tee off. At some points there are signs asking you to walk for the next bit on the beach, which entails some bouldering and scrambling over rocks, which was hard on the old feet! At one point we actually had to take our shoes and socks off to get around a rocky outcrop. Felt good to give the feet a soak! Below one of the courses we came upon Constantine’s Cave, where it is reputed that King Constantine was killed in a battle with the Danes in 874. We also passed by a herd of cows, who basically paid us no heed and went on with their grass munching without batting an eye. It was here that we encountered our first actual stile over a rock wall. This was definitely the most challenging walking today, with lots of different terrain, from dirt paths, to tarmac, to pebbled paths, to sandy beach, to rocky beach and lots of ups and downs.

We finally reached Kingsbarns and our home-away-from-home, The View, for the next three nights. It will be a treat not to have to pack up and arrange luggage transfer! Because we had a late arrival we dumped our gear, had a quick cleanup, then hopped on the bus back to Crail, where we had a great dinner at the Golf Inn. After that a quick trip to the grocery store to stock up on some breakfast and lunch items, then back on the bus to Kingsbarns. Unfortunately, we weren’t paying close enough attention and got off a stop too soon, which meant a twenty minute back to our house. A few loads of laundry and we were done for the day.

Fifth Day of Walking Elie to Cellardyke

We were up and ready for brekkie by 8, because we wanted to get a good start to the day well ahead of high tide. This was because today was the day Anne and Merr were doing the Elie Chain Walk (google it - it’s interesting). A very delicious brekkie and we were off to the start of the chain walk. It is essentially walking along the bottom of a cliff where the going is such that you need to hold on to chains set into the rock to make your way. Anne and Merr were most keen to do it - Karen and I, not so much. Original plan was to let them go to the beginning of the walk, do it and meet us back in Elie. What in fact happened was that we walked with them to the beginning and essentially walked back UP AND DOWN the same big hill we had done yesterday!! I was not impressed! But we did get to take pictures of them from up above on the walk, so it was good in that respect.

We met up with them and made our way into Elie, found a little bakery and treated ourselves then set off on our way headed to Anstruther/Cellardyke, via St. Monans and Pittenweem. Once again, the scenery was spectacular all along the coast and the weather could not have been better! I have worn shorts and a tshirt for all but the first day of walking. We passed by a number of interesting sites along the way. The first was Lady Tower, built in 1760 for one Lady Jane Anstruther, who loved to swim in the sea and had the tower built as a changing place when she did so. Further on we encountered the ruins of Newark Castle and just beyond it, the remains of a sixteenth century beehive doocot. On to St. Monans, where we stopped in and had a look at St.Monan’s Church, which dates back to 1265 and has one gravestone dating back to the 1700s. Not much further along is St. Monan’s windmill which was once used to pump seawater up to the saltpans. Salt production was a big industry on this coast back in the day. Saltwater was pumped from the sea up to salt pans which were heated by the coal that is plentiful in this area. This evaporated the water leaving the salt behind. Salt production was the third largest industry in Scotland for a time. We passed by a chalybeare spring the water from which is so laden with iron salts that the rocks beneath are stained red. As we walked on toward Pittenweem, we passed by a bathing area which is essentially a rock wall surrounding a rectangular pond. It dates back to WWII but is not maintained so swimming is at your own risk, though we did see people in it.

We had heard about a very good ice cream shop in Pittenweem, so HAD to stop and sample the local wares. I opted for Scottish tablet flavoured - tablet is much like fudge, only better! Continuing on, we found ourselves walking by yet another lovely golf course, the Anstruther Golf Course and stopped to watch a young man try to hit his ball up to the flag which was not just far away, but well up the hill opposite. Sadly, the ball came rolling back down! On to Anstruther where we found the Shell House created by an eccentric old slater who decorated his home with all manner of shells. One claim to fame of Anstruther is that Robert Louis Stevenson once lived here while his father was enlarging the harbour. On through Anstruther (also pronounced Anster or Ainster) to check out the Anstruther FishBar for a potential dinner, then on to the Coastal Inn in Cellardyke, our home for the night. Once we were settled in, we opted to head back into Anstruther for dinner but the Fish Bar was very busy, so we ended up at the Wee Chippy, which was an excellent choice. We all had the fish and chips and I enjoyed a lovely fruit cider, fast becoming my favourite drink. Back to the Coastal Inn for a hopefully good night’s sleep! And it was!

Fourth Day of Walking - Buckhaven to Elie

We wanted to get a good start to the day because, depending on which weather service you read, it looked like we might get some rain. It was to be a relatively short day, but we still didn’t want to get caught getting drenched. As it turned out we didn’t get one drop of rain!

Started out a little less than exciting walking through a more industrial part of Buckhaven and through Methil. We ended up walking along the much more scenic esplanade in Leven (Lee-vin)where we deemed it to be coffee/pee break. After walking along the esplanade toward Lower Largo for a bit, we decided walking on the beach would be much more interesting and easier on our feet than the pavement. Ran into lots of friendly people, most of them with dogs, who were happy to chat or answer questions or ask questions about Canada. In fact something we have all remarked on is the friendliness of the people we have run into, whether it is a cheery good morning, a hello, or a stop for a chat. And the majority of them are accompanied by their four-footed friends!

We headed up off the beach for a bit to pop into Lower Largo to find a loo and to check out some unusual statues, some very ornate carved gates, some crocheted bridge decorations and a statue of Robinson Crusoe - actually Alexander Selkirk, the real person upon whom the story was based. We returned to the beach for a while but Merr and I got tired (well our hips did) of walking on the uneven sand, so we moved up to the upper FCP while Karen and Anne opted to continue on the beach. The upper path was a bit of a slog at times, because it was overgrown with grasses and bushes, but we managed to slog on. We met up with Anne and Karen and after a brief rest we headed off towards Elie. One interesting thing we passed by was a huge field of a kelp crop, which was encased in white cheesecloth-like material, which made the field look like it was covered in snow. Continuing on, we checked out the Elie Chain Walk from the top of the cliff above it. Anne and Merr are going to tackle it tomorrow. Karen and I decided we wanted to get home in one piece, so are tapping out on this one!

We continued on into Earlsferry and then nearby Elie. We decided to grab a bite to eat before we headed up to our accommodations just outside Elie. Being Sunday there weren’t many things open, but we lucked out and found a great little corner pub, where everyone’s eyes were glued to the telly watching the soccer! Had a great meal, accompanied by a yummy fruit cider. Headed over to the Elie Deli and picked up some cheese and strawberries and crackers to nosh on at the hotel later. Hopped on the bus and headed up to Kilconquhar (Kin-ucker)Castle Estates a lovely resort-like property up in the hills above Elie. And thus ends another day on the FCP!

Third Day of Walking - Burntisland to Buckhaven

A bit of a slow start to the day, as breakfast was provided by the hotel, starting at 8, but apparently someone forgot to tell the server who showed up at 8:20! He was, however very helpful in getting us a taxi to ferry our bags to the next hotel.

Once we were on our way, it was pretty much smooth sailing thereafter. This was a stellar day in terms of scenery and walking. We had a great variety of terrain, from paths through forests, to walks through residential areas, beach paths, through small towns, most of it following right along the coast. Lots of ups and downs today, which tested the old legs!! The weather was a mixture of just about everything: cloudy, sunshine, a bit of a sprinkle, and lots of wind. On the way we saw lots of sea birds, including cormorants, as well as a bevy of seals basking on the rocks offshore. There were plenty of ruins of castles and churches and sea walls, a fairy garden (Google Alice’s Fairy Garden, East Wemyss), a wall of mosaic art, sea caves (including one once used as a dovecote) We stopped at a supermarket (Morrison’s) and picked up some lunch fare, which we ate in the shelter of a sea wall right on the coast.

Once we reached our accommodations in Buckhaven, we popped out to pick up some things from the local shop for breakfast (the place we were staying was a B&B, without the second B!) We then headed down to pick up some takeaway to eat back at the house. Tried an excellent pink grapefruit cider to go with my chicken breast and salad. Our host, John, popped up with four bowls of homemade soup to add to our dinner. Good end to a great day!

Second Day of Walking Rosyth to Burntisland

Our second day of walking was to be one of our longest - from Rosyth to just past Burntisland. Unfortunately the Musketeers were down a man - Anne was not feeling at all well, so she opted to stay back and accompany our bags by taxi to our next stop. So Merr, Karen and I set off. The first part of the walk took us to the area where the three bridges cross over the Firth of Forth: the Forth Rail Bridge, The Forth Road Bridge and the Queensferry Crossing Bridge. They are each unique in their design and each one equally as impressive as the other. We had many opportunities to view them from different vantage points, including the Rail Bridge from right below it, where we also saw Britain’s smallest lighthouse.

We had a wide variety of scenery on this leg - along beautiful forest paths, beside the coast above long sandy beaches, through residential areas, beside green pastures dotted with sheep, beside a lush golf course, along high cliffs where we saw a climber preparing to descend to the beach below, a tranquil waterfall flowing right beside the path. It was a wonderful feast for the eyes!

Fortunately as we wandered the path just before we got to Inverkeithing, who should appear but Anne! She was feeling better so had the taxi driver drop her in Inverkeithing and then she backtracked along the path till she met up with us! We made a stop at St. Bridget’s Chapel, a remarkably well preserved ruin with many interesting graves in the graveyard beside it. A well-deserved mid afternoon break at Aberdour at the lovely wee Cafe 16 for some delicious treats and a coffee. Turns out the owner is married to a woman from Calgary, and had been there several times. We finally reached our destination, the Kingswood Inn a ways past Burntisland after some 9 hours on the path! We were very tired puppies so were happy to just be able to have our dinner right in the hotel.

First Day of Walking - Culross to Rosyth

With a delicious breakfast to start our day, we headed out on our way to Rosyth, next stop on the FCP (Fife Coastal Path). Since today was supposed to be a relatively short day, we decided we would start out by walking around Preston Island, just outside of Culross. Once the site of saltpans and coal shafts, it now is has been reclaimed and is the location of several lagoons, home to a variety of wildlife. The remains of the stately home of Sir Robert Preston are also visible from the footpath.

Continuing on, we stopped to see the Witches Rock, a large slab of rock under which was supposedly the body of one Lilias Adie, one of the unfortunate women who were convicted of witchcraft. The Witch’s Rock was used to determine whether a woman was a witch or not. If she drowned, she was innocent, if she survived it must prove the Devil’s hand was in it and she was, indeed, a witch. A lose-lose proposition!! This part of Fife was known for its persecution of women for witchcraft, with some 1500 dying this way between 1563 and 1769.

On to Charlestown with a stop at the war memorial, then on to Limekilns, a pretty little coastal town with a once-famous pier that is now being restored by the locals. A stop for a yummy lunch in Charlestown then on to see what is left of the Rosyth Auld Kirk. Another interesting walk through the graveyard there with headstones dating back as far as the 1600’s.

Arrived at our B&B for the night, the Three Bridges Inn in Rosyth, another lovely place to rest our weary bodies. Once we had ditched our gear we set out to find the Rosyth Doocot (dovecote) once home to some 1500 pigeons used for both meat and eggs back in the day. Following that, a walk over to explore the ruins of Rosyth Palace, which is oddly located in the midst of a big industrial area. From there on to see if we could find a place for dinner. On the recommendation of a local, we sussed out a takeaway place near to the docks, where we ended up with some very tasty Chinese food which we took back to the B&B and ate our dinner there.

A Loooong Journey

Well our journey started out with a small delay - nothing major -only 20 minutes! Hopefully not a portent of things to come!

A good flight to Toronto, followed by a relatively uneventful flight to Edinburgh. Our middle seat mate was a lady whose daughter was actually our flight attendant. She had also been a flight attendant and was joining her daughter on a two day layover in Edinburgh. Customs was a breeze - they now have self-serve machines that get you through lickety-split!

First order of business -find something to eat. Turned out to be a coffee and a cheese toastie - not gourmet fare but filled the gap left by the yogurt and piece of sweet bread we got on the plane. Connected with Mer and Karen easily and headed out to catch the first of three buses to get us to Culross(Cur-iss) where we would spend our first night in Scotland. Unfortunately somewhere in the shuffle between buses, bozo here left her hiking poles behind. Majorly pissofficated at myself. I had debated bringing them and at the last minute decided to. Guess the travel gods were telling me that was the wrong choice !!

Finally got to Culross, found our delightful B &B where our hosts welcomed us to Saorsa House . Saorsa means freedom in Gaelic. They kindly let us leave our bags there so we could head out to explore Culross. It is a very quaint little town of about 375 people once known for its salt and coal production. The National Trust has done much to restore many of the buildings and it is most interesting to wander through the town looking at all the beautiful buildings. Lunch at the Biscuit Cafe, followed by a tour of Culross’ most famous building - Culross Palace. It’s not really a palace, just a very upscale laird’s home of Sir George Bruce, a prominent entrepreneur who made his money from coal mining. Continued on exploring the town, which is also famous for serving as the location in several episodes of Outlander. We also took in the Culross Abbey, founded in 1217, as well as the adjoining graveyard. Some very old graves dating back to the 1600’s.

Back to the B&B to sort ourselves out then over to the Red Lion Inn for a great dinner, then home to get organized for tomorrow and an early to bed.

Off to Bonnie Scotland and the Fife Coastal Path

In just over 12 hours I will be winging my way to Toronto, first stop on our epic adventure in Scotland, walking the Fife Coastal Path, along with my sister, Mer, my cousin, Karen and my good friend, Anne. This was a trip that we had planned to do some five years ago, but then COVID reared its ugly head and those plans came crashing down rather quickly. It has taken us five years to get our respective acts together to give it another go, and this time it has achieved fruition. We fly into Edinburgh and from there find our way to Culross (Coo-riss) where we start our walk along the east-central part of Scotland known as Fife, or The Kingdom of Fife. Fife is situated between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Tay. One of the most well-known places in Fife is St. Andrews, a.k.a. the birthplace of golf. We are hoping to make it around to Newport-on-Tay, depending on weather and whether (our old bodies can stand 9 days of walking!) Keep following along and enjoy our exploration of this beautiful part of Scotland!