Fife - Long Distance Trails (Part 1): The Fife Pilgrim Way

Fife is an area often overlooked for multi day walking in favour of the more famous trails in the Highlands or the Scottish Borders but it has two long distance routes - the Fife Pilgrim Way and the Fife Coastal Path. In recent years, my dad and I walked both of them. Not as single journeys but as day walks when the opportunity arose. This is easy to do because they are well served by public transport, both trains and buses. The walks were an opportunity to explore in more detail an area familiar to us and to also create some shared memories to relish in the future. 

We tackled the Fife Pilgrim Way first. It was a fairly new route at the time we walked it, having just opened in 2019. It is 64 miles long and runs from Culross in the west to St Andrews in the east. It is said to link together medieval pilgrimage routes used by pilgrims travelling to St Andrews Cathedral. It took us a while to complete it as our walks were put on hold through 2020 by the Covid pandemic. But it was worth the wait. Also this meant our journey was stretched over a couple of years and we found joy wandering through the turning of the seasons.

It was early autumn when we set out from Culross and meandered across farmland to Dunfermline by connecting together paths and tracks. The skies were filling with geese, their calls drifting on the air around us and waders picked their way along the shore. The last time we would see the sea until St Andrews.

We passed by Dunfermline Abbey, still an imposing building today and walked out the back of town, heading now towards Kelty and Lochore. One thing about the Fife Pilgrim Way is that it takes you through industrial as well as natural heritage. So north of Kingseat the trail passed by the former site of St Ninian's open cast mine. It's landscaped now and gradually reverting to nature.

Beyond St Ninian's the route passes through Kelty and skirts the pretty shores of Loch Ore. Here the backdrop is Benarty Hill rising above the rolling fields.

Hidden paths then a busy pavement took us onto Kinglassie. It is known that Pilgrims stayed at the church here in the day and visited nearby Finglassin's Well which was said to have healing powers.

A series of delightful rural paths then took us onwards to the outskirts of Glenrothes. We had thought we were in for a long plod across town at this point but the route expertly strings together parks and green spaces such that we barely saw anything of the town at all. 

I really enjoyed all of the sections beyond Glenrothes. The paths and tracks were lovely to walk and at times you felt a million miles away from the world as you passed through secret woods and skirted hidden waters. It was lovely. Many of the paths here felt very old, they just had that sense of being built long ago for foot travelers. One especially interesting feature here was the church at Markinch. It sits in the middle of town on a high, grassy knoll. There has been a structure on the site since the 1100s. We were amazed for how far on our walk we could still see the church rising above the surrounding fields and were sure the site must have been chosen for its prominence in every direction.

Beyond Windygates and Kennoway was a long, quiet stretch untouched by a road or house that eventually brought us down to Clatto Den and Clatto Reservoir, an idyllic spot in the sunshine. It was autumn at this point and on one track the mud was deep enough to reach over the tops of our boots.

The next stop was Ceres, undoubtedly one of the highlights of the route. It's a picturesque village with beautiful old buildings and the fabulous Bishop's Bridge, a 17th century packhorse bridge that crosses Ceres Burn. It was a step back in time and made us feel like proper ancient pilgrims as we walked across its cobbled arch.

After Ceres came a decent climb up Ladeddie Hill which really opened up the view over the way we had come. We could see the Lomond Hills, always a striking compass point from anywhere in Fife. Dropping down the other side, we passed through Craigtoun Country Park where we used to go for days out as a young family.

For the final walk into St Andrews it was spring time and the trail brought us in along another highlight of the route, the Lade Braes. Dating from medieval times, the lade is an artificial watercourse that brought water down into St Andrews, powering mills as it went. 

At the bottom of Lade Braes we popped out into the centre of St Andrews and walked its fine old streets to end our walk at St Andrews Cathedral.

While none of the scenery on the Fife Pilgrim Way was spectacular, it was one of those walks where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The route took us on a fabulous meandering journey through the heart of Fife along quiet paths, old roads and forgotten lanes. It opened up secretive little places that we never knew existed and afforded new angles on places we were familiar with. And we made some lovely memories to treasure. 

Cairngorms - The Argyll Stone

The Argyll Stone is a prominent granite tor on the summit ridge of Creag Dhubh in the Cairngorms. Legend links it to Archibald Campbell, the 7th Earl of Argyll as it is said that he rested his troops here around the time of the battle of Glenlivet in 1594. It's a substantial tor so it certainly provides shelter from prevailing winds. This was an approach from its north side through the pinewoods that cloak the slopes overlooking Strathspey.

The walk started by skirting round the western shore of Loch an Eilean. We noticed here that the main paths had been significantly widened and assumed this was for access in the event of a woodland fire given the heightened risk of this these days. At the southwest corner of the loch, we joined the rougher trail across Inshriach. Once open moorland, it is reverting to pinewoods and the little path is now hemmed in by trees. Up above us here, the pines climbed up the slopes of Creag Dhubh, one of the few natural tree lines in the country.

We left the Inshriach path for an even more rugged and overgrown path that pulled us steeply up through Coire Follais. I had never walked this way but what a wild and magical place it was. The path followed a tumbling burn up through dense pinewoods and passed under crags that I imagined offered a home to all sorts of wildlife. Hidden away in the undergrowth at one point was a secretive little waterfall. Here and there the trees opened up and afforded a view over Strathspey down below.

Higher up, the trees started to dwindle and heather took over for a short spell before we found ourselves striding across open grasslands. From here, it was a short pull to the ridgeline. What a view greeted us from there. Soft afternoon light bathed Gleann Eanaich and the dramatic crags of Sgor Gaoith that plunged into the waters of the loch below. Ahead of us were the snow-patched slopes and corries of Braeriach and Cairngorm itself. In the distance, we could see a sliver of Beinn Macduibh. These are the highest lands in the country outside of Ben Nevis.

It was a pleasant amble along the ridge to the Argyll Stone, enjoying the easy walking after a strenuous climb to get there. We could see down to Aviemore now when we huddled on the north side of the tor to escape the chill wind. 

That same chill wind sent us a little way back along the ridge to descend slightly for pitching the tents. I don't like to pitch my tent on summits or near features anyway. I think it's poor etiquette in case somebody else arrives to enjoy the place. It was a beautiful camp spot. Definitely one to come back to.

The next morning we headed north from camp, past the Argyll Stone again, to descend the rough, pathless terrain of Cadha Mor. Here there were lots of golden plovers as this is their favoured nesting terrain. It was so beautiful to hear their melancholy, single-note song drift through the hills but we moved quickly onwards to avoid disturbing them.

Eventually, we landed on the track in Gleann Einich and after a pleasant stop in sunshine by the river, we walked out to Coylumbridge.

Fact File
Start: Aviemore
Finish: Coylumbridge
Public transport: Return train from Edinburgh to Aviemore. Used the local Stagecoach bus number 30 from Coylumbridge into Aviemore. It's not far to walk but a little boring along the pavement.
Route: From Aviemore to Inverdruie then through the woodland trails of the The Polchar to Loch an Eilean. Round the western shore of the loch then after the path crosses the outflow of Loch Gamnha, took the rough path to the right. After it crosses the Allt Coire Follais, took the path that climbs to the left which put us on the Creag Dubh ridge. From the Argyll Stone headed north then west round Cadha Mor to descend into Gleann Eineach to walk out to Coylumbridge.

Argyll - The Kintyre Way

The Kintyre Way runs for 100 miles from Tarbert to Machrihanish, weaving its way down the Kintyre Peninsula through a varied landscape of beach, moorland and woods. I walked it during one of the weeks of my May holiday. These days there seems to be an irresistible draw for me in springtime for outdoor trips that provide that glorious mix of coast and mountain as well as terrain that provides the rich sounds of the dawn chorus. As usual, I had done little planning for the trip. I just packed a rucsack and headed off with a bus ticket and a map.

I started at the north end of the trail at Tarbert. Setting out, the path climbed steeply above the village and its quaint harbour, passed Tarbert Castle and continued onwards through mixed woodland. Looking back, Tarbert perfectly demonstrated its name. It comes from the Gaelic word meaning a portage where boats would have been hauled across a narrow isthmus of land between two bodies of water. Here Tarbert connects West Loch Tarbert and Loch Fyne.

The trail continued to pull me uphill until eventually I emerged on top of the spine of the peninsula. I would do this several times during the walk. The views here stopped me in my tracks. Islay and Jura drifted hazily offshore and from this angle, Arran looked like a jumbled mass of ridges and peaks that reminded me of Skye.

From the high ground, the trail dropped to the east coast of the peninsula at Skipness and wandered south for a few miles to Claonaig. After here I climbed again, picking my way up through oak woods carpeted with bluebells. I loved this section though. It felt wonderfully wild as it followed an old path meandering across the open moors. The whole trail felt wild to be honest. Aside from people in the villages that it passed through, I met only one other person on the trail itself. 

I dropped down to Clachan now where the trail threaded its way through coastal woods and across little sandy beaches. Further on, this gave way to several miles of tough walking along a shingle shoreline. Added to this, heavy squalls blew in every twenty minutes on a strong westerly wind. It was hard going. At least the view to the island of Gigha, just offshore at this point, provided a pleasant distraction. 

The beach walking eventually ended at Taylinloan where you can catch a ferry over to Gigha, something I want to do on a future trip. But for now I pressed on into the evening looking for a place to camp. Climbing up into the hills again, I found a beautiful spot for the tent at the peaceful, old ruins of Braids Farm.

Next morning, the trail continued over rolling hills, eventually dropping down to Carradale using a series of pretty woodland paths. Here, Arran seemed close enough to touch. Then needless to say, it was time to climb again over those hills. There was a treat first at least.

For a short section of trail, the route passed through the grounds of Torrisdale Castle and right by the gin distillery here. It made me laugh to see the sign at the start of this section which read "Welcome to the Gintyre Way". I didn't sample the gin but did have my first coffee and cake on the trail. It was just as well because I ended up walking far into the evening before I found a spot for the tent. 

The one advantage of the long walk was a short walk the next again day which put me into the peninsula's main settlement of Campbeltown with time to explore. Campbeltown has been settled since the sixth century. Once a centre for fishing, coal mining and whisky production, its economy is now based on farming and tourism. It has a very fine waterfront, with boats clustered in the harbour and a long promenade. I especially liked the sculpture here that marks the start of the Caledonia Way cycling route. Its called "The Cask" and is a nod to the fishing and whisky industries of old. 

South of Campbeltown the Kintyre Way follows a minor road to the village of Southend which is well named. A tiny hamlet at the very bottom of the peninsula, Southend has a golden crescent of beach and a distant view to Ireland on the westerly horizon.

I had a few miles of road walking after Southend through the lush, green fields of the local farms. At Amod, I took an alternative to the official Kintyre Way which passes over Amod Hill. The winds were up again and it seemed unlikely that I would find a suitable camp spot on the open hillside. So I opted instead for the forest track that continues above the Breakerie Water. It was a good decision because I hit the jackpot with my camp spot that night.

A little way up the glen were the ruins of Glenahanty farm. It was a delightful spot to camp with the tumbled down stonework of the old farm walls gradually being reclaimed by ferns and wildflowers. The river murmured close by and woods enclosed small pastures. The evening birdsong was rich and varied with an owl taking over after dark.

I was reluctant to leave Glenahanty the next morning but the final day of the trail lay ahead and what a day it would be. Climbing back into the little hills above Glenahanty, I soon rejoined the main Kintyre Way. It headed north, contouring above the dramatic sea cliffs of Cnoc Moy. At one point the path was uncomfortably close to the edge and gave me the heebie jeebies. But generally the path was well engineered for the foot traveller and picked a safe way through the rocks and drops. At times, I would look up ahead and the path appeared to disappear over an edge but when I got to the edge, the path had always found a way through gentler ground to continue onwards. Down below Atlantic waves crashed onto the rocks until eventually at Innean Glen the steep slopes gave way to a crescent of sandy beach. Here were the remains of old structures, remnants of the people who once lived and farmed here. 

The trail eventually climbed up out of Innean Glen to cross boggy moorland before descending to the end of my walk at Machrihanish. Looking back on the trip, the Kintyre Way is not a walk of endless dramatic scenery or single points of immense beauty. But it was wonderfully empty and took me on a delightful meandering journey through quiet hills, hidden woods and deserted beaches. I will go back some day.

Fact File
All the photos on Flickr

Start: Tarbert

Finish: Machrihanish
Public transport: Citylink bus from Glasgow to Campbeltown stops at the start at Tarbert then I returned to Glasgow catching the same bus in Campbeltown at the end of my walk. A local bus runs about three or four times a day from Machrihanish to Cambpeltown. 
Accommodation: The first night I took the ferry from Claonaig over to Lochranza on Arran to use a camspite there and took the first ferry back over in the morning. I booked a hotel room in Campbeltown the day before I would arrive there but I think I was lucky as there is not a lot of accommodation. The other nights were wild camping.
My route: The route is well described on the Walkhighlands site. At the turn off at Amod Farm, I stayed on the road and took the next forest track to the left after the house at Dalsmirren. It passes Glenahanty and climbs to another abandoned farm at Largiebaan to rejoin the official route just beyond here.
 

Cairngorms - Ne'er cast a clout

The wind at the north and east,
Was never good for man nor beast.
So never think to cast a clout,
Until the month of May be out.

Ne'er cast a clout is a wonderful old saying that is so very true. It means don't pack your winter clothes away until May is over. Many people believe "May" refers to the mayflower or hawthorn rather than the month itself as hawthorn blossoms in May. Either way, the phrase was in my mind for this early May backpacking trip to the Cairngorms. It was very cold for the season!

My trip started out of Braemar with a wonderful walk west through the fabulous Morrone Birkwood. Here a little path meanders through the spring birch trees and all the while you are gazing to the distant horizon to the glimmering, snow-streaked Cairngorms.

The birch woods then give way to the Scots pine woods on the Mar Lodge estate which is owned by the National Trust for Scotland. They are doing a fabulous job rewilding the place. Every time I visit, the little pine trees seem to have crept higher and higher up the hillside. It was a decent way up Carn na Criche before I climbed passed the last of the trees.

I love the top of Carn na Criche for some strange reason. I'm not sure why as it's not a significant peak for hereabouts. It's a steady pull then a pleasant amble on a carpet of wind-clipped turf across high, open ground to the top. It feels wild, remote and lonely. I always have the place to myself. And as I so often say, it's a small peak but slightly isolated from the larger peaks all around so it has an uninterrupted panoramic view. Just as I was approaching the top, a squall of snow blew in and I was glad I was wearing my "clout".

I dropped off the northeast shoulder of the hill, a rough, boggy walk, to pick up a path through to Glen Gairn. It passes through an atmospheric cleft in the hills which is un-named on the OS map though I call it Ouzel Pass because in summer there are abundant ring ouzels here. The ring ouzel is similar to a blackbird but has a necklace of white feathers and likes higher, rockier places. The pass is perfect for them. As usual, their distinctive calls echoed from the rock walls as I walked through the pass. 

It's such an atmospheric place with steep scree slopes and a floor jumbled by huge boulders. A little stream meanders through and is a pleasant companion for a slow saunter. Evening was moving in now and I was ready to make my second camp of the trip. I made sure I was well beyond the ring ouzels before pitching.

It was a bitterly cold night and I woke in the morning to a frozen tent. But the day had dawned bright and calm, perfect for a climb up Ben Avon. Having previously climbed Ben Avon via the bealach between it and Beinn a'Bhuird, I chose a different route this time. The map showed a path leaving Glen Gairn and ascending beside the Allt an Eas Mhoir. I chose this route and it was beautiful. The river, swollen by snow melt and sparkled by the sun, tumbled down from the plateau above. Its gully was still filled with deep snow in places. Here and there the river had carved snow tunnels which always fascinate me. Up ahead the snow became more extensive, eventually broadening out into a large snowfield. Then two golden eagles appeared overhead, circling silently above me for several minutes. It was wild and magical. Soon I found myself walking across the large snowfield on the plateau itself. What a place that day. The rocky tor on Ben Avon's summit rose dramatically above the snow, weak sun filtered through the clouds and I had the place to myself.

I could see the weather was changing though with a front moving in from the west. I ate lunch quickly among the cold stacks of rocks on the summit then descended, using the bealach route to come down. Even here, there were deep gullies of snow to cross and fragile snow bridges over the streams.

It had been a beautiful walk that day on Ben Avon and, content with at least one mountain day, I spent the next couple of days enjoying the pinewoods. It's so wonderful to wander slowly through this old place, to hear the wind in the trees, the gush of the river and the bird song of spring. It's totally rejuvenating. 

I lingered a while at the Linn of Quoich and the Punchbowl, the hollowed-out rock feature in the river. It was lovely to see the little lodge here had been renovated by the National Trust and unlocked for you to have a wee nosey inside. It's said Queen Victoria took her picnics here.

After a good poke around the pinewoods, it was time to retrace my steps to Braemar. A chilly north wind blew through the village while I was waiting for my bus home and I was glad again that I hadn't "cast my clout".

Fact File:
All the photos on Flickr

Start/finish: Braemar
Public transport: Train to Dundee then the Ember Dundee to Aberdeen bus via Braemar.
My route: West from Braemar through Morrone Birkwood. The end of the path connects to a forest trail which eventually joins the wee road from Braemar to Linn of Dee. A short walk along this quiet road took me to Victoria Bridge which enabled me to cross the Dee onto the Mar Lodge estate. After the bridge, I took the forest track to the right which eventually connects with the track up Glen Quoich and to the Linn of Quoich. Crossed the Quoich at the Punchbowl and took the track heading north behind the wee lodge. After a stream crossing, a fainter track leaves it to the right to climb the hill and soon a small path leaves this track. It climbs most of the way to the top of Carn na Criche before turning south. It's pathless to the top then down the other side as well to join the path that comes up from Gleann an t-Slugain. Followed this path north before the taking path to the south of Carn Eag Dubh into Glen Gairn. Climbed Ben Avon via the path on the OS marked beside Allt an Eas Mhoir and descended via the path further west beside Glas Allt Mor. Passed back over Carn na Criche (cos I do love that hill!) and wandered the pinewoods of Glen Quoich and through Clais Fhearnaig before retracing my steps to Braemar.