Let's Go Outside: Discover the beautiful coastal walks of Fife

Apr 11 2008 Felicity Martin

PERTHSHIRE has a wonderful variety of landscapes, but lacks an exposed coastline with beaches and wave-sculpted headlands. Although the Firth of Tay has some special habitats, it doesn’t provide the salt-spray feel of a seaside destination.

Fortunately, we don’t have to go far to experience that maritime atmosphere, as neighbouring Fife has miles of North Sea coastline. What’s more, the long distance path around the coast makes its beautiful shores very accessible for walkers, wildlife watchers and casual visitors.

The Fife Coastal Path gradually changes character as it snakes along the south and east coasts of the Kingdom of Fife for over 90 miles.

Its western half runs from the ancient burgh of Culross, under the Forth Bridges and on past Kirkcaldy, skirting a heavily populated part of Fife. The eastern half is much more rural in nature.

A new view opens up around every corner on this long distance route — a sandy bay bordered by dramatic rocks; a crumbling castle hanging to the edge of the cliffs; or a picturesque fishing harbour surrounded by lime-washed buildings with crow-stepped gables and red pantiles.

EAST Neuk of Fife — For me, the real jewel in the crown is the East Neuk of Fife, which I explored over three days last summer. This part of the coast juts out into the North Sea and is strung with pretty fishing villages interspersed with attractive countryside.

“A fringe of gold on a beggar’s mantle,” is how James II of Scotland (1437-1460) described the East Neuk. Its sandy beaches certainly dazzle, but the king was probably referring to the great wealth of these communities. During Medieval times, the local merchants who shipped salted fish and agricultural produce to northern Europe became some of the richest in Scotland.

As the fishing industry has reduced, the unspoilt East Neuk has grown in popularity as a tourist destination, particularly for family holidays and short breaks.

The ideal way to explore is on foot, as many features — such as caves — are only accessible from the Fife Coastal Path.

The villages have steep cobbled streets and narrow passageways leading down to the harbours, so you miss the prettiest corners if you stay in a car.

A good bus service links the villages, so day walks can be as short or long as you like. If you are planning a multi-day walk along all or some of the long distance path, you’ll find plenty of accommodation, ranging from hotels and B&Bs to campsites.

LOWER Largo to St Monans — A statue above the front door of an old terraced stone villa in Lower Largo marks the home of Alexander Selkirk, the real character whose experience of being shipwrecked on a desert island inspired Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe.

The Fife Coastal Path sets off along a disused railway line then curves around dune-backed Largo Bay to the smaller beach of Shell Bay.

Beyond, the path rises up over Kincraig Point, but if the tide is out there is an adventurous alternative.

The Elie Chainwalk is a series of carved steps accompanied by vertical and horizontal chains that enable you to negotiate the intriguing rock formations along the base of the cliffs.

We tackled the chainwalk with Marta Reeves-Marr of Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, the organisation responsible for maintaining and promoting the Fife Coastal Path. We found it fairly strenuous and very entertaining, though not to everyone’s taste as Marta pointed out: “I’m a bit of a daredevil, but my husband doesn’t like heights. I brought him along the chainwalk twice and he said that was enough.”

The next villages, Earslferry and Elie, join together around an enormous sweep of golden sand and a sheltered bay that is a haven for windsurfers and dinghy sailors.

We spotted adults and children of all ages having fun on the water.

Between Elie and St Monans, the path passes Ruby Bay, named after the garnets that can be found in the sand. On the far side is Lady’s Tower, built in the late 18th century as a summerhouse for Lady Janet Anstruther.

She enjoyed bathing naked in the sea and would send a bell-ringer around Elie beforehand to warn the townfolk to keep away.

There are also the ruins of Ardross Castle and Newark Castle, and an ancient, beehive-shaped dovecot.

The attractive profile of the Auld Kirk marks the western end of St Monans. It has lovely warm stonework and is the closest church to the sea in Scotland. When the tide is out you can walk around the base of its seawall, but — as with elsewhere on the Fife Coastal Path — a high tide alternative is offered slightly inland.

ST MONANS TO CRAIL — On our second day we walked east from St Monans, accompanied on the first leg to Pittenweem by Deidre Munro, the countryside ranger who looks after the East Neuk part of the Fife Coastal Path. Without her we might have missed the old saltpans below the St Monans windmill.

The mill drew seawater into the pans before coal fires drove off the steam leaving precious salt crystals.

Pittenweem has a long history of arts and crafts, and to this day many artists live and work there.

It has a large arts festival, held in early August, and the main street abounds in galleries.

The harbour is the centre of the East Neuk fishing industry, with a fish market that is a hive of activity early in the morning.

Pittenweem is Pictish for ‘place of the cave,’ and right in the heart of the village you can find St Fillan’s Cave, where the saint was said to pray by a mysterious light emanating from his left arm.

The next settlement, Anstruther, has a bustling promenade beside the harbour. The town is home to an exceptional visitor attraction, the Scottish Fisheries Museum, where a couple of hours will disappear in a flash.

It is also where boat trips leave for the Isle of May, which has a grey seal colony and thousands of nesting seabirds.

The path between Pittenweem from Crail took us past the improbably weathered sandstone outcrop of the Caiplie Caves and an old salmon fishing bothy.

Crail must be one of the most photographed East Neuk villages, with its pretty 17th century harbour and traditional buildings.