This walk is approximately 6 miles (10 km) and should take approximately 2 to 3 hours. There are very reliable train and bus services between Aberdour and Kinghorn. Both Aberdour and Kinghorn train stations have won awards for their beautiful show of flowers.
Head for the Silversands, which is an excellent beach, and from here we will trace the start of the coastal path to Burntisland. The path is a little rough, but very easy to follow and runs so wonderfully close to the sea at points that rough weather will ensure you are a little saltier at its end than you were at its beginning.
The next section towards Burntisland is mainly through an old woodland which is interesting both for the botanist and the bird watcher. Of special note are the falls of Starley Burn behind the castellated bridge. The burn is very rich in lime and this coats anything in its flow, giving the falls their characteristic look.
As the path opens out again, you can look over the wall to the Carron Harbour where limestone was shipped to iron works in Falkirk. Between the harbour and Burntisland is a bay where it is common to see seals playing or basking on rocks. The path now runs alongside the Alcan alumina works and looking down, the large grassy area between the railway and the houses is land reclaimed by infilling with waste from the works. In recent years this has been landscaped and is now a pleasant green site where once in ruddy wasteland lay. Just up the slope from this is the Castle area of Burntisland - an area of many former and present council houses with a good view of the bay. The area takes its name from Rossend Castle near its eastern boundary. The castle has been beautifully restored by a firm of architects and a small portion of original wall lies nearby on the road towards the town centre.
Burntisland's history is recorded as far back as Roman times, when Agricola sailed into the harbour in 83AD. It was made a Royal Burgh in 1541. King Charles I passed through the town in 1633 on his way to Edinburgh, and his short sea journey from Burntisland to Leith caused him much grief. While he made the crossing safely himself, his travelling companions and much of his Scots' treasure trove did not! The town was besieged by Cromwell in 1651 and eventually fell to him.
Today, Burntisland has a good beach and promenade, a new leisure pool and several small independent shops. The 'Delicate Essence' is a good spot for tasty sandwiches with over 100 on offer - you can find it at the west end of the High Street. With sandwich purchased, wander up the gentle brae of Kirk Wynd opposite. At the brow is the first post-reformation church to be built in Scotland. It was here in this beautifully built kirk of St Columba, that the decision was made to produce the authorised version of Christian script known as the King James bible.
Burntisland is a town of about 8000 inhabitants, many of which still work at the Alcan plant which we passed on our walk in from Aberdour. The town was once a thriving centre for shipbuilding and summer tourism, but the great shipbuilding days are gone for now at least. The tourism continues, though not on the great scale of past days when Burntisland was a very popular spot for east and west coast dwellers alike.
The second Monday in July is still an excellent time for a visit as this is 'Games Day' and the Links are throbbing with visitors to the sprawling market with its rides and traders - and the games themselves are at the heart of it all. The games has all the popular athletic and heavy events you would expect at any highland games, as well as the 'locals only' thrill of the Binn Race. The Binn is the dominating volcanic plug above Burntisland, and the race is a real challenge for the lungs of Burntisland residents in its necessarily slow ascent and very rapid descent.
A walk to the beach and Lammerlaws (the headlands just beyond the links) is still a way to get away from the crowds and also gives fine views of the Forth. The Lammerlaws of today show few signs of their industrial past - save for the ruined lime kiln with its outlook over Burntisland Bay. Gala' Hill (the site of the old gallows) is the gateway to the Lammerlaws, and adjacent to here we have Burntisland's newest leisure attraction - the Beacon Leisure Centre. Why not pop in for a swim or a go on the flumes !
If the tide is out, take the beach route. If not, then walk the road and don't forget to look out for the grey lady of the Kingswood. This is the ghost that haunts these parts and is said to be Yolande, the young bride of Scotland's last Celtic king, Alexander III. A stormy night in 1286 saw the end of Alexander as he struck out to reach his queen at nearby Kinghorn Castle. His stumbling horse threw him to his death and threw Scotland into a turmoil of many decades. Yolande is still searching for her lost love. Alexander is still remembered fondly and an impressive Celtic monument was erected in his memory on the sex-centenary of his death.
Walk on past the enormously popular Pettycur Bay caravan park on your left. The sands of Pettycur Bay stretch out on your right. This sand is a rich feeding ground for wading birds especially during the winter when large flocks can gather. Passing the caravan park, Kinghorn comes into view and the Carlin Craig lies directly ahead. This is the prominent prow overlooking Pettycur Bay where witches were burned in the 17th century and is called "Witches Hill".
Kinghorn is now a small, picturesque village but was once a Royal Burgh of importance, used by various kings. Unfortunately, years of neglect and the influence of town planners from this and last century have ensured that none of the fine buildings associated with them remain. However, Kinghorn Church, dating from 1774 is worth seeing. The present building was built on the site of an older one and a model ship from 1567 can be seen inside. In the kirkyard, there are many grave stones from early 18th century. The church is situated beside the old harbour in Kinghorn Bay; this position also gives good views of Inchkeith, lying offshore.
Walking up the hill along Nethergate, you will pass houses with marriage lintels above the doors, one from 1733. There is also a sign for the coastal walk and a board with details of Kinghorn conservation area. Passing under the railway bridge you will arrive at the end of the main street with "Cunzie Nook", one of the oldest building in Kinghorn and reputed to be the Royal Mint at one point. Bow Butts house and grounds, with an interesting doocot, are at the corner of North Overgate but these are not open to the public. This is where the local archers used to practice their techniques.
The town had a ferry terminal at Pettycur Harbour that linked both sides of the Forth and was operational till the late 18th Century. The small harbour is still in use and Pettycur beach is somewhat cleaner than its counterpart round the corner at Kinghorn. Up above the harbour are the cliffs and the modern cemetary of Kinghorn. Seek out the highest corner of this, and just beyond the wall lies the Witch's Tether. On the shore as you head back to Kinghorn there is a mini giants causeway.
Kinghorn was also a centre for shipbuilding but the last ship was completed in 1921 and the yards are now derelict.
Leaving the town, look out for the way marker for the coastal walk. We pass an area of special geological interest. There are lava flows, from the Binn above Burntisland, and cooled by the sea 300 million years ago. Underneath lie limestone deposits and further on weathered basalt. The area is a rich source of fossils.
Ancient Monuments of Aberdour - the Castle, Doocot & St Fillan's Church
Rossend Castle and the nearby fragment of the town wall
The ancient St Columba's Kirk off East Leven Street. Marvellous design and a history to match
The old Limekiln on the Lammerlaws at Burntisland
The Alexander III monument on the road to Kinghorn
The Carlin Craig (aka Witches Rock) where witches met their death in less gentle times
Last updated February 04, 1999
The Fife Coastal Path site has had visitors since Jan 24, 1998.
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