The Fife Coastal Path is one of the best-loved and unique walking routes in Scotland. Far from the brooding peaks and moors of the Highlands, Fife juts out into the North Sea, a proud kingdom in its own right. It is full of history and you get to know the really strong sense of community as you pass through the delightful fishing villages along the route. There are many highlights on this trip, but here are my top 5 reasons to visit.

Food

This may seem an obvious option for an area where almost every village has a harbour but a visit to fife cannot be complete without trying some of the local seafood!! Often caught fresh that same day this area is famous for its amazing seafood, head to Anstruther for some of the best fish and chips in the UK at Anstruther fish bar - https://www.anstrutherfishbar.co.uk At Crail harbour, you get the chance to enjoy fresh lobster on the harbour at the lobster hut as well as dressed crab.

Lobster and Crab Shack - Crail

Walking

The fife coastal path is perhaps one of the less well-known walks in Scotland. However, this well-waymarked 117-mile path should not be missed. Whether you are walking a few sections or taking on the full route this is a great opportunity to explore the east coast of Scotland. The route is better walked anti-clockwise, not only are you leaving the more urban towns on the forth and discovering charming harbour towns as you go. This direction also means the prevailing wind (southwesterly) will be at your back. The route is a mixture of footpaths, beaches, tracks and some stretches of minor road. The route is generally low level, however, can be challenging in some places.

The route is well Waymarked and easy to follow

Wildlife

You may be lucky enough to spot some of the birds and wildlife this area is famous for. Curlew –long curved bill and its call sounds like its name Redshank – orange/red legs and noisy call Oystercatcher – long orange bill, black head and white chest. The Fife coast is also renewed for its population of sea mammals although you will need patience to spot them!! The best chance of seeing a bottlenose dolphin is at Largo Bay (just north of Leven) You will be almost certain to see seals, Scotland has over a third of the world’s population of grey seals. The Isle of May (just off Anstruther and accessible only by boat) it is home to a vast amount of seabirds including 100,000 puffins!

If you are lucky, you get to see these little guys

Weather & Beaches

Although the weather can never be guaranteed (we advise you to always pack for four seasons in Scotland!) it has been said the east coast of Scotland gets 50% less rain than the west coast! With the many beaches on the Fife coast path, you may even get the chance of a wee swim!

Beach at St Andrew's in August!

Golf

The fife coastal path crosses or passes around 8 golf courses. Fife is Scotland’s home of gold with over 40 courses attracting players from all over the world and hosting major tournaments. Most famous of all perhaps is the old course St Andrews which the coast path passes right by! The Old Course is open to the public, so getting your photo taken on the 18th green (after everyone has stopped playing of course) is not a problem. This shows the friendly, open nature of Fife. Try doing that at Augusta and see how quickly you are chased away!

18th Hole – old course St Andrews

**We are unable to book golf packages as such, but if this is something which interests you please speak to the specialist in this area and we can point you in the right direction. If you would like to take a trip on the Fife Coastal Path, don't hesitate to get in touch with one of our destination specialists and they will be more than happy to put together your dream trip.