I love rambling along a rugged coastline, listening to the crash of waves and the cry of seabirds, while breathing in the salty wind. For the last hour my wife and I have been hiking atop a steep escarpment, with tidy fields of green grass to our left and the shimmering ocean stretching off to our right.
Our trail slowly descends to the water, switchbacks taking us down through rolling dunes covered in silky, golden marram grass to a beautiful horseshoe stretch of sandy beach.
With the noonday sun warm on our faces, we decide to take a break, sitting with our backs against a concrete World War II bunker with a strategic view over the Firth of Forth.
We take out a baguette, cheeses, and meats, and a couple bottles of Scottish ale that, not wanting the extra weight myself, I had surreptitiously slipped into my wife’s daypack that morning.
The tide is out, seals can be seen basking on the warmth of the exposed rocks, while oystercatchers, curlews and redshanks scavenge the low-water tidal pools. It is the perfect place to rest our feet and enjoy lunch.
We are halfway into our five-day adventure, walking the Fife Coastal Path between Edinburgh and St. Andrews along Scotland’s eastern shore.
When I think about hiking back home, I think of the West Coast Trail or hut to hut along the Sunshine Coast, carrying all my needs in an 80-litre pack. Here, in the UK, I am finding the hiking adventure a bit more civilized and relaxing.
I believe there are many travellers like me, getting a little older, but still wanting to travel in an active and adventurous way, while, at the same time, welcoming a bit more comfort.
Many companies are available to help with the logistics. Macs Adventure has helped set our itinerary, booked our accommodations, arranged for our luggage transport from Inn to Inn, and supplied a GPS app for our phones with detailed maps of our route and highlights to see along the way. They have looked after everything, so we can just enjoy the walk.
The Fife Coastal Path opened in 2003 as Scotland’s longest continuous seaside path. The full trail is 187 kilometres, but our short break itinerary from Kirkcaldy to Crail allows us a brief introduction to a walking holiday, covering 60 kilometres of some of the most scenic coastal sections of the route, characterized by its pretty seaside villages, beaches, and rugged coastal cliffs.
It is the perfect location for connecting with wildlife, particularly its marine species such as grey seals, bottlenose dolphins, harbour porpoise, and waterbirds, eider duck and sea eagles.
The path is also peppered with interesting historical relics, from 11th century churches to 19th century coal mines, from lighthouses to salt-panning windmills.
There are seaside caves with 5th century Pict drawings, crumbling medieval castles on bluffs high above the North Sea that were featured in Shakespeare’s plays, and ancient graveyards where we stop to peruse the crumbling headstones.
My wife and I had left Edinburgh two days earlier on a short 45-minute train trip around the Firth to the seaside town of Kirkcaldy, where we overnighted at the Strathearn Hotel.
The following morning, we set our luggage outside our room, laced up our hiking boots and headed northward, hugging the coast. The path took us past the pre-historic caves of East Wemyss and the 12th century Macduff Castle ruin, until we reached our next accommodation in the town of Leven.
The Old Manor, where our luggage awaited us, was set in a fantastic location with panoramic ocean views. We celebrated our first day with a dram in the over-sized leather armchairs of its comfortable pub, followed by a delicious meal overlooking the sea.
From Leven the path rounded the headland, before descending to expansive Shell Bay Beach (where we had stopped for our trail lunch).
Satisfied and rested, we set off again. We walk along the beach, amble over bridges and tip-toe across inlets, before reaching the little fishing village of Elie.
The Ship Inn offers beautiful views over the harbour and of Elie Lighthouse. The lighthouse was designed and built in 1908 by David Stevenson, cousin to the famous author Robert Louis Stevenson – which has me imagining I am Stevenson’s David Balfour in Kidnapped, trekking across the width of Scotland, returning to my family estate.
Our final day’s hike is perhaps the most picturesque. The Coastal Path meanders along the edge of rugged cliffs, while far below dramatic waves tumble onto the rocky shore.
At St Monans, a church spire juts into the sky, and colourful houses with orange roofs sit along winding cobbled lanes. From a lofty position above the village are the crumbling ruins of Newark Castle and an old windmill that used to pump seawater into limestone beds to extract the salt.
We doddle through the idyllic white-washed fishing villages, finding Pittenweem and Anstruther the perfect places to stop for a coffee and scone, or a snack and a pint. When we needed sustenance on the trail, we were never far from a snug café or ancient flagstone-floored pub.
The locals were very friendly, though not always easy to comprehend. No matter, they did serve us delicious ales and the freshest seafood imaginable.
As we stroll into Anstruther, ominous dark clouds roll in and the rain comes. So, we duck into the Anstruther Fish Bar for its delicately battered cod and chunky chips. The fish and chips are reputed to be the best in Britain, and certainly today best consumed indoors while looking out on the old stone harbour.
After the clouds move on, we set off again alongside the breaking surf, through fields of grazing cattle and sheep, and past an old farmhouse with a thatched roof and a stone barn, to arrive in the enchanting village of Crail and the Balcomie Links Hotel, our final stop.
The epitome of a charming Fife seaside town, Crail has a picture-perfect harbour with creel boats and lobster pots.
Not wanting our trek to end, we wander Crail’s steep web of cobbled alleys to its rustic High Street. Here, we get a cooked-to-order lobster roll at the Reilly family’s Shellfish Lobster Hut, caught the same day by one of the family in their boat.
Putting one foot in front of the other, hour after hour, pulled me into the present, and made me realize that travel is not about rushing from one place to the next, but slowing down to fully embrace a destination.
Our experience taught me that walking holidays are a triumph of slow, sustainable travel.
With over 500 self-guided tours to 40 countries worldwide and over 20 years of experience, Macs Adventure arranges hiking and biking holidays for people with a passion for adventure. Visit www.macsadventure.com
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