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Fife Coastal Path in Five days

Fife Coastal Path in Five days


Postby Kizzer » Wed Jun 13, 2018 11:23 am

Date walked: 05/06/2018

Time taken: 5 days

Distance: 188 km

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Last week was hard, I went through a breakup then my arm decided to also go through a break up with me too. Not being able to work I returned to my parent's house in Fife. I had always wanted to do the Fife Coastal path and with the weather being so excellent and having five days spare, I thought I'd give it a crack! As a remedy for the turbulent time! Here's how it went!





Day One- Kincardine to Aberdour




I caught the bus to Kincardine, it was very hot already! I felt happy and optimistic, ready for the days walk ahead. It was all very flat and pavemented so it was good to get my legs used to the miles. After a while I reached Cullross, I had been here before a few years ago and it was as I remembered. A pretty town with a yellow castle/house. Leaving Culross I got confused at a section. An old lady sent me the wrong way and I walked an extra forty minutes due to this, cursing her at every step (not really). I backtracked and rejoined the right path once again, and seeing three hares in a field was a right ol treat, I love hares! Later in the walk I reached the three bridges, they all looked rather grand and impressive.


I passed two men detectoring on the beach, I wanted to shout “find any gold?” as a reference to the detectorists on bbc2 but they looked too serious and focused on the task in hand. I also saw a man sunbathing in a thong which was quite a sight!

By the time I had reached North Queensferry my legs were so tired, but I still had four more miles left. I was so relieved to finally reach Aberdour at 6pm. The lovely train conductor let me go for free to Kirkcaldy where I would then catch the train back to Cupar. I offered him my bag of cashews but he said I should enjoy them.



Day Two - Aberdour to Lower Largo



My legs stiff from the previous day I hobbled downstairs, made my porridge then sat down to eat it….for a bit too long because suddenly I was dashing to the train station. With seconds to spare I leaped into the carriage. The train journey gave me time to read my book. I was also pretty sure I could smell my sandals too, so hope no one else could! I got off in Aberdour, the sea air had a chill to it and the sun was yet to appear. The shoreline at Aberdour greeted me with a sleepy lazy awakening, the ding ding ding of the moored boats chimed in the cove as a heron stood still in the rocky waters.


Setting off, my hips a bit stiff, I walked by the sea and came to Burntisland. It has a holiday town feel to it, with an amusement arcade on the high street and a funfair was being set up on the seafront. I stopped for a coffee here in a nice Eco friendly cafe.


In Pettycur or Kinghorn I saw a crow with a decapitated sparrow in its mouth perched on the fence next to me which was slightly disconcerting.


The haunting cries of seals out on the rocks could be heard and I stopped and watched their shapes twist and flop on the jagged surfaces, amazed that they were comfy in such sharp armchairs!


Turning round a bend in the headland I was met with the sight of Kirkcaldy. In the sun! The blue sky and the beach was enough to make Kirkcaldy look welcoming. The signs for the coastal path in Kirkcaldy were minimalistic, I have a feeling some have gone missing. As I walked along the busy road it was hard to imagine the next section of the walk would be any different but just a few minutes had passed and I turned right into a wooded area by the road. Stone steps took me down to an extremely picturesque cove. I looked back at Kirkcaldy in the sun to make sure I wasn't dreaming! I walked further along this marvelous section and eventually came into Dysart. Here I had to sit down and try and remedy the blisters on my feet. I had no plasters so used the bag which my lunch had been in and ripped off bits to cover the blisters to stop the pain of the rubbing. A man passed me and asked me what I was doing he looked in his pockets to see if he had anything to help but he didn't. FYI if you are thinking of doing this walk in walking sandals DON'T but if your adamant at least wear socks as blisters will be everywhere unless you have leathery feet!

In West Wemyss I got talking to a lovely man called Ivor, who had just moved to this area, he asked what I was doing and I explained how lovely the Fife coast is. I didn't take my time walking through Methil, I wanted to be back at the sea! Soon I was, and I wearily made my way through this last stage. My wonderful sister agreed to pick me up from Lower Largo and I waited for her leaning against a wall.

That evening I drove myself to St Andrews Hospital because when I changed my dressing on my elbow that evening my wound was extremely infected! They gave me antibiotics and a new dressing and cleaned out some of the gravel of Ae forest which had resurfaced!



Day Three- Lower Largo to Crail



Today I wasn't public transporting to my first location. Now my arm had healed a bit I could drive. This first section was pretty and I had walked it before with my mum last year. I decided this time to go to the end of the beach rather than following the boardwalk round the marsh but then realised I actually needed to follow the boardwalk because I had managed to cut myself off. Instead of backtracking I decided to take a short cut by making a temporary bridge/stepping stone with a heavy rotting tree stump which I had spied on the beach. I heaved it over to the wide stream and plonked it in the middle. Unfortunately as I hopped onto the stump and then onto the middle Island, which I thought was land, I thoroughly sank ankle deep into thick black peat like mud. I screeched and cursed as I slapped and sank then slapped and sank again and then galloped to the boardwalk covered in this thick black tar sand. My cream sandals now looked like black shoes!

I did however give two ladies a good morning chuckle who were watching the whole unfortunate episode from a bench nearby.

I passed some school children enjoying a coasteering day which looked ace then soon I was in Elie where I sat in the glorious sunshine and enjoyed my lunch. Finally after another long lovely sunny day I caught the bus back to Lower Largo where I had a lovely chat with a Shetland man about Up Helly Aa and rescuing dogs.


Day four- Crail- Tayport 28 miles




Today I set off early in the car to Crail, as I haven't reached my ideal location the day before which was Kingsbarns. So it was going to be a loooong day. Crail food festival was today and the streets were all cordoned off (wish it had been the day before!). As soon as I stepped out of the car and started walking there was a troop of forty year old speed walking ladies hot on my heels so I walked FAST determined for them not to catch me...they didn't.



A large chunk of today was going to be hard for me as I had last walked it with my old dog Kip who is sadly no longer with us. It brought back fond but sad memories. In the stretch of beaches before Kingsbarns I found a large sea urchin which was amazing. The last and only time I have ever found a complete sea urchin shell was on the same beach about fifteen years ago! I then had the trouble of how would I take it with me for the next 25 miles without breaking it! At first my plan was to carry it carefully to St Andrews in my hand, then find a suitable box to put it in. I made a phone call to my mum with the phone in one and and the sea urchin in the other, as I was scaling down a grassy embankment to the beach below.


Suddenly my feet were no longer below me and desperately trying to save the urchin I slammed my whole weight onto my bust up elbow!!!! I screamed in pain and all the golfers from afar looked in my direction. My mum too was worried down the phone. After walking off the pain and shock I suddenly had a great idea of attaching it to my daisy necklace and wearing it the whole way around my neck! It worked, as I got it home in one piece. After this I passed through Kingsbarns beach and there was a team of rugby players stripping off into the sea, which mildly improved my bruised mood. Everywhere is a bit busier today as its Saturday.


St Andrews eventually came into sight but it was slightly soul destroying, my legs were hurting on the ups and downs which seemed never ending and the picturesque town of St Andrews never seemed to get any nearer! By the time I got into St Andrews I just really wanted to leave it quickly, it was so busy! I ate on the move. The stretch from St Andrews to Guardbridge is following the road the whole way so is a bit of a slog but I was listening to radio 4 on my phone (rock n roll) so I was entertained. The route then takes you through Leuchars and down farm lanes until eventually I reached a grassy moor, with a boardwalk on the outskirts of Tentsmuir forest.


The boardwalk didn't feel very stable but it's a nice section of the walk and after visiting Tentsmuir Forest for the last twenty years I had never been to this bit before so I was full of intrigue. After a solid seven hours of walking my legs were feeling it. I sat at the crepe shack at Tentsmuir car park and rested for half an hour, then carried on through the forest and eventually made it to Tayport. I waited for the bus to St Andrews then caught a bus to Crail back to the car. Im very tired now!



Day Five - Tayport to Newburgh



I woke at 5am and had very early breakfast, jumped in the car and made my way to Tayport. I had a heavy heart and an unrest in my body as I felt the ending of the walk creeping over the sea. My mood seemed to be emulated in the weather, I had been so lucky up until this morning with stunning blue skies and full sun, but as I set off from the car I was being soaked with heavy rain. However it WAS refreshing. I walked through Tayport and Newport and hardly saw a soul, however it was before 7am on a Sunday.



Today was also odd as I needed to complete the walk in a quick time before 2pm so I could get back in time to meet my friend Sam who was kind enough to give me a lift back to where I work in Dumfries and Galloway.


I was surprised at how my legs felt strong on this last day, having already walked about 100 miles. I kept my pace quickish. Although the sun was not yet out it was muggy and that mixed with the fast pace I felt very sweaty. The albums of Grimes, Wolf Alice, and Lykke Li kept me grooving my way along the path.

A large chunk of this section feels like you are rather inland than by water which I was a little saddened about but I took a detour up Normans Law, which lent a nice view of the Forth Estuary. My friend texted me asking if we could meet a bit earlier, I panicked and sped up, the sun was now out and I was very very hot, it was very hilly too! My phone rang, It was my mum “there are no buses running from Newburgh to Tayport today Kiri because its Sunday” “sh*t” I exclaimed whilst panting up a steep hill in the forest. “Penny says she will come and collect you, what time will you be in Newburgh” “Errrrrrr, ( I had no idea really but thought I was fairly close”) 30 minutes” I said. “OK she will meet you then at the distillery”. She hung up.


I tucked my black top into my bra, so it was like a crop top. The bra had no support whatsoever so running wasn't going to be easy but I did, I jogged along paths, through woods, until I reach a brow of a hill where I could see Newburgh in the far distance “Sh*t” I was going to have to jog the whole way in order to meet Penny on time. I carried on, passing bemused sheep and hoping I wouldn't pass anyone on the way. I lept, slid, jumped and galloped down the side of the hill to Newburgh. It felt like I was in a film running from a crazy axe murderer, or thats what I told myself so I would run faster. When I reached the distillery Penny wasn't yet there, I suddenly realised that I still needed to find the finish of the path! *BEEP* Penny was behind me in the car! I quickly explained that I would really like to finish the path and I wouldn't be long, I carried on running but the path kept on going on and on and on, It ended up being at the other side of Newburgh. FINALLY I had completed it. I felt good.


It had been a wonderful five days. Exactly what I had needed. The Fife coast is so varied, factories, sandy beaches, marshland, forests, towns, art, wildlife, rocks, cliffs, golf courses, pubs, seafood and walkers, dogs, joggers, paddlers, my mind was kept busy with the different sights, smells and people but also quiet stretches let me reflect. The calm seas on some days soothed the pain I felt, the hot sun beating down on me whilst I devoured an ice calippo filled me with such childish pleasure. My heavy legs after each day, were rewarded by sitting down on a bus and feeling triumphant in the days walk. I would recommend this walk, especially to Fifers, I grew up in Cupar and had walked the north coastal path many a time but had no idea of the south and other sections. My eyes have been opened and I love Fife even more. Im proud it is my home.
Kizzer
 
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Joined: Jun 12, 2018

Re: Fife Coastal Path in Five days

Postby Gordie12 » Thu Jun 14, 2018 7:58 pm

Looks like we had more or less the same schedule.

My 3rd day was slightly longer as I walked on to Kingsbarns so then had a slightly shorter 4th day than your 28 miles.

Must admit, I was pleasantly surprised as I enjoyed this route far more than I expected to.

Hope the walk helped you forget some of the "stuff" going on in your life, I tend to find that a walk helps me forget the rubbish as I focus on more important things like blisters and if I have enough Jaffa Cakes to see me through the day.
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Gordie12
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