08 Nov The 5 best outdoor spaces to explore in the Kingdom of Fife
Fife is a peninsula with coastlines to the north, east and south, giving the region a distinctive identity which can be traced back hundreds of years to the time when Fife was a Pictish Kingdom – leading to its unofficial full title still used to this day.
And something else that makes Fife stand out from some other regions in Scotland is our incredible outdoor spaces and beauty spots.
It can be surprising to many who live outside the Kingdom just how rich the region is in natural beauty until they actually come here and see it for themselves. I know international visitors may be pulled by the attractions of Scotland’s Capital City, the stunning island of Skye, or the many other picturesque areas in The Highlands. But Fife should yield no inferiority to other parts of the country when, in my opinion, it is just as special.
Here are my five places in Fife I would recommend both locals and visitors (when it’s safe to do so) should explore to experience Fife at its finest:
FIFE COASTAL PATH
Enjoying the celebrated coastline of Fife is made easier by the fantastic Fife Coastal Path, which ensures – for the most part – a straight forward route and footpath to make your way from one part of it to another.
My personal favourite section is the route between the towns of Anstruther to Crail in Fife’s East Neuk. Not only does it allow you to take in charming Anstruther as your beginning and end (assuming you walk back the way you came), it takes you past the extraordinary rock formations and caves known as The Coves before reaching the final destination of the fishing village of Crail, which you can appreciate from its finest perspective.
WEST LOMOND HILL VIA THE BUNNET STANE
Due to the stunning coastline of Fife and being the Home of Golf, the Kingdom’s hills often get overlooked for inclusion in Visit Scotland promotional campaigns promoting the region, but it’s unfair as the Lomond Hills are among Scotland’s best hill ranges under 2,000 feet in altitude. And the best of the Lomond Hills (which also features East Lomond and Bishop Hill) is surely West Lomond Hill.
It is the largest hill in Fife at 1,713 feet in altitude (if just 88 metres higher would be officially defined as a ‘Graham’ classification mountain) and boasts superlative views across the Kingdom – simply because nothing else is higher than it! The best route up is from its northern slopes via the Bunnet Stane, an incredible rock formation in the shape of a mushroom which many simply can’t ignore exploring while en route.
Additional: While in the area and if time plentiful I would recommend heading to Falkland and visiting the Maspie Den woodland walk and waterfall which is well worth seeing and exploring.
JOHN KNOX’S PULPIT
This is a real hidden treasure, as not even that many Fifers know of its existence due to being unseen by transport users behind the Lomond Hills with its car park only accessible via a narrow road through Glen Lomond. But it’s well worth visiting as it includes a moderate walk through some woodland and a gorge to reach a fine waterfall between the slopes of West Lomond Hill and Bishop Hill.
It is fairly flat going for most of the way as well which makes it a good walk for people of all ages and abilities, although care should be taken when near the gorge or the pulpit due to some erosion.
BENARTY HILL (PICTURED ABOVE)
Benarty Hill (which derives from Gaelic to mean “high hill” and is also known as the Sleeping Giant) offers a mix of terrain through woodland, up some steeper rockier path, and over a grassy plateau to reach the true summit – but all sections never last too long on what is a fairly short day out by Fife hillwalking standards. The situation of the hill in central Fife ensures it is a fine viewpoint over most of the Kingdom and the views over Loch Leven, Scotland’s largest lowland loch, is what makes this walk so special.
There’s also an opportunity to wander along the fine ridge protruding westward from the summit trig point to explore the craggy north face which gives the hill further character.
ELIE CHAIN WALK
You don’t need to visit the Highlands and Islands to enjoy a heart-racing scramble, the Elie Chain Walk provides just such an enjoyable experience. In a unique setting right on the coastline (which means you have to be extremely careful about when to visit due to tide times and how slippery the rock could be) the Chain Walk allows visitors to crawl up and down the many rock formations and craggy walls using large metal chains with some footholds to aid you from one end to the other.
Once at the end – which takes about 20 minutes to complete – you can then make the choice to go back over them again, or to follow a path to the cliffs above to make your way to the starting point.
Additional: Since you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth driving only a few minutes further from the Shell Bay car park to the main coastal car park in Elie to take in Lady’s Tower, a small but picturesque viewpoint built in 1770 for Lady Janet of Anstruther.
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