7 Reasons to explore the Fife Coastal Path

While there are many ancient villages scattered throughout the Kingdom of Fife, one of the most renowned is Culross. The first stage of the Fife Coastal path takes you from Kincardine through the picturesque Culross. Known for its charming streets, and enchanting historic tales, Culross has also served as a popular filming location for several notable TV series, including Outlander.

It's hard to visit Scotland without encountering photos and postcards of the famous bridges over the River Forth. The Fife Coastal Path passes these iconic bridges and not only offers unique views of these bridges, but in fact takes you right under first the Queensferry Crossing followed by the old Forth Road Bridge and then the original Forth Bridge, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Spread your toes in the sand - Fife is home to the largest number of award- winning beaches of any Scottish county, and they are definitely not to be overlooked. Both St Andrews West Sands Beach and Aberdour Silver Sands have each celebrated 30 years or more as award winners. Other notable beaches along the route include Elie Harbour Beach, Kingsbarns Beach and Leven Beach; however, there are many more smaller beaches to explore as well.

You can't think of the Fife Coastal Path without thinking of the quaint fishing villages you find along the way. Head to the East Neuk of Fife to explore Anstruther, which has a harbour, shops and a fishery museum. Nearby Crail and Pittenweem boast thriving fisheries, as well as local artists and shops and restaurants. The charming village of Elie is another one not to be missed, and was historically often seen as a popular retreat for many Scots.

If you are after nature, then the Eden Estuary Nature Reserve and Tenstmuir beach and forest are the right places for you. While the majority of the reserve is made up of mud flats, it's the perfect place for bird watching as well as the occasional sightings of dolphins, seals and otters. Managed by NatureScot, Tentsmuir NNR also offers engaging and educational opportunities to take in the best of Scottish wildlife.

We'd be remiss if we did not acknowledge the incredible St Andrews. Not only is it recognised as the 'home of golf' with its famous Old Course, St Andrews also hosts one of the oldest and most prestigious Universities in the UK. Steeped in rich history, St Andrews is also home to numerous landmarks including the Cathedral as well as the castle ruins which date back to the 13th Century.

If you are looking for points of interest along your walking route, look no further! The Fife Coastal Path is host to so many castles, ruins, windmills, lighthouses, churches, abbeys, caves and more that there are waaaay too many to list here but that doesn't mean they aren't spectacular and worth seeing! Perfect for either a long walking challenge, or shorter family day out, there's so much to see along the Fife Coastal Path.