The Royal Burgh of Culross is the best preserved example of a 17th and 18th century Scottish town. This short walk explores the quaint streets with many historic buildings as well as the front onto the Firth of Forth and a climb up to the ruins of the West Kirk.
Paths, cobbles and pavements; can be muddy en-route to West Kirk
Bus to Culross.
Large car park at east end of Culross.
Park in the large car park at the far east end of Culross (pronounced coo-riss). Begin the walk by heading through the parking to the front onto the Firth of Forth. There are views across to Bo'ness, and the Grangemouth refineries further to the right. Turn right and follow the path along the front, continuing right through to the west car park.
At the far end of this cross the car park and then the road and head up the cobbled lane inland, past a sign for the Youth Club. Ignore a path which heads off to the right and continue straight ahead, joining a muddy track at a second junction. Continue ahead until the ruins of the West Kirk are seen on the right.
This was the original parish church before the reformation; many of the gravestones are very ancient and make interesting reading.
Return back along the track and down the path to the first junction, and then turn left along a path / lane between fences and hedges. When this emerges on a road do not go through the gates opposite but instead pass through a gap in a stone wall on the left. Follow the path along the edge of a field to reach another minor road through another gap. Turn right here. The Abbey is soon reached on the left; it became the parish church in the seventeenth century. It was originally founded in 1217 as a Cistercian monastery; the attached ruins of the cloisters can be seen by detouring left a short distance further down the road. The monks here produced illustrated manuscripts such as the Culross Psalter which was produced in the 15th century. Continue down the road into Culross village.
At the junction keep ahead downhill into Tanhouse Brae, lined with beautiful seventeenth century cottages. This soon leads down to the Mercat Cross, which dates back to 1588 although the shaft is more modern. On the right the building with the half-shuttered windows and corbelled tower is The Study, which was used by the Bishop of Dunblane on his visits to Culross in the 17th century. It is managed by the National Trust and is open to the public by guided tour.
Continue alongside The Study onto the Back Causeway. When this reaches the main tarred road turn right and then fork right, passing the front of the Town House with its clocktower. It now houses an exhibition on Culross but was once the centre of local government and prison. In front of it is the Tron, once a weigh-beam for measuring the coal mined offshore.
Continue round the crescent, passing the front of the ochre-coloured Palace. This is another National Trust for Scotland property and is the restored townhouse of a wealthy merchant; King James VI visited it in 1617. It is worth heading up a steep alleyway behind the Palace to look back down over the gardens, reconstructed in the style of the period (open all year - no charge).
Continue round the crescent until it rejoins the main road and then turn back left, passing the foot of Back Causeway once more. Take the next left, up the cobbles of Mid Causeway, to return to the Mercat Cross. Now turn right onto Wee Causeway. This leads round a sharp corner and then emerges back on the main road. You've now explored all of the fine old streets of Culross; unless you fancy a cuppa in the tea-room turn left to return to the car park and the start.
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