Day 85: Buckhaven, Fife to Bishop Hill, Kinross-shire

Virtual Walk: Scotland 2021

 30th March 2021: 37.79km walked today taking the total to 8422.28/8868km. 7% of 87 entries submitting 705.62km.

We complete Fife’s south coast through East and West Wemyss, MacDuff and Dysart, before turning north at Kirkcaldy to walk East Lomond, visit Falkland and to then turn west towards Loch Leven.

Route 23: St Andrews to Glasgow

We leave Buckhaven behind, following our route to just before Wemyss and MacDuff Cemetery. Here we find the Wemyss Caves, which run along the coast into East Wemyss. Once 11 caves formed from sea action 5-8,000 years ago, of which now 6 remain, rich in carvings/inscriptions dating from the Bronze Age to Pictish times. Most are fenced off for their own, as well as people’s, protection but you can go on a guided tour should you wish to learn more. In this section, we see the Gas Works Cave, The Sliding Cave, Jonathan’s Cave and Well Cave. We see Jonathan’s Cave, home to a nail maker in the 1700s and the Well Cave, said to have once been connected to MacDuff Castle above, before climbing the steps to visit the castle ruins.

MacDuff Castle began life in the 11th century and was destroyed on the orders of Edward I of England in 1306. The Wemyss family moved in, one of the most powerful families of Fife during the Middle Ages, rebuilding the remains of the structure we see. The family moved on to Wemyss Castle in the 16th century and this castle passed to other owners. However, Sir John Wemyss bought the castle back in 1637, uniting the lands of East and West Wemyss as a single barony in 1651. The castle was left to decay, not helped by coal mining in later centuries, which weakened the structure and caused the walls to crack. Reinforcement was attempted, but by the 1930s the structure was extremely fragile. In 1967 its condition reached critical, so after a child was injured, it was destroyed with explosives by Fife Council, leaving a fragment as a note to its existence; the doocot has since washed away into the sea due to coastal erosion. It remains the property of the Wemyss Estate to this day. A ‘grey lady’ frequents the ruins; thought to be May Sibbald, a woman found guilty of theft who died at the castle.

We continue along the shoreline coming to Doo Cave. Doos or pigeons were especially important in the Middle Ages; only lairds and burghs were allowed to keep them. They provided essential meat over the winter period when cattle became too lean, so doocots and other structures were used to breed and house the pigeons. It wasn't until c1750 when turnips were developed as a winter feed for livestock that cattle could be eaten in winter. There was once East and West Doo Caves until the West Doo Cave collapsed during World War 1 due to the vibrations from the firing of the gun battery above it. In the East Doo Cave, you can see the nest boxes cut into the cave walls, the roof also smoothed over to protect the fragile wings of young birds.

As we pass Court Cave, we arrive on East Wemyss seafront. East Wemyss is one of the traditional coal mine communities which sprung up around a mine no longer active today. Along the shoreline is a cairn-type memorial to the accordionist and bandleader, Sir Jimmy Shand, who was born near its site in 1908.

As we leave the village, passing the Angling Club, we come to the area where Michael Colliery once stood. It opened in 1897 and was one of the biggest and most productive mines in Scotland. Following a fire in 1967 resulting in the death of 9 men, the pit which employed 2,000 people, was sealed and shut down, the area never redeveloped; there is a memorial on Main Street, East Wemyss.

Fife was rich with coalfields and has a long history with the industry right across the region. Over 50 collieries were in operation from the mid-19th century to the last closure in 2002 at Longannet Coal Mine, near Kincardine, after severe flooding. To this day there are still vast quantities of coal lying under the Firth of Forth.

On the sea cliffs between East and West Wemyss, we see Wemyss Castle, an imposing structure, towering over us as we pass. Constructed in 1421, it is the ancient seat of the Earls of Wemyss and a private residence to this day. Mary Queen of Scots met her future husband, Lord Darnley, here in 1565. The family were forfeited for playing a part in the Jacobite Rising of 1745. Their title was restored in 1826, and the family name has since been Charteris, although they remain Earls of Wemyss. The castle had been extended over the centuries and, in the 1930s, most of these were demolished to return the castle to its original footprint. The castle was used as a hospital during World War II and was last restored in the 1950s. The Queen and other royals have been visitors here.

We arrive in West Wemyss, another attractive seaside village, restored in recent years by the Wemyss Estate and a conservation area. The village settled next to the castle and developed into a centre for the salt industry. A harbour was built by the estate in 1621 as coal began to be exported from the pits on their land. The harbour became increasingly important for this purpose, and in return, the ships brought flax, wood and iron from the Baltic. By the late 19th century, the village was surrounded by collieries with a railway linked to the harbour, but with the development of larger docks at Methil this harbour then declined. The harbour was mostly filled in with pit waste with the railways and mines gone, but the village was restored in the latter part of the 20th century, so the outer basin of the harbour was reopened for leisure craft, making it an attractive place to visit and live.

As we wander through the village, we pass West Wemyss Parish Church built in 1890, once known as St Aidan’s Church. The Wemyss Estate now owns the building and maintains its exterior; it is still used as a church. Along the end of the churchyard wall is the war memorial, situated between what was once the gates of the churchyard, the piers stating the date 1703. Across the road on the seafront is another memorial to 5 villagers who gave their lives in January 1941 when they prevented a naval sea mine from drifting into the village; the men are buried in the churchyard. The sculpture, by Bruce Walker, was unveiled on the 70th anniversary of that fateful day.

We continue through the Main Street with its colourful cottages, passing the old tolbooth, a meeting place and jail, dating back to the 17th century. We turn onto Coxtool to reach the harbour, mentioned previously, and continue along the Fife Coastal Path.

Reaching Blair Point on our approach to Dysart, we are again in a disused mining area. The Frances Colliery (previously spelt Francis after the Earl of Rosslyn) sits back from the shore with an area called Dubbies Brae in-between, which was subsequently filled with colliery waste known as ‘bing’. As a result, the mine was nicknamed ‘The Dubbie’. The pit was sunk in 1873, and after the disaster at Michael Colliery it took over the reserves from that colliery. It was also linked to the Kirkcaldy's Seafield Colliery in the 1980s making it Scotland’s largest pit complex. It closed in 1985, the oldest of Scotland’s deep mines, its ‘A’ frame headgear remaining as a memorial to its existence. The land has since been redeveloped into an industrial park and water treatment facility, and as we arrive on the streets of Dysart, we see the memorial to the collieries of the area.

Dysart has been a suburb of Kirkcaldy since 1930 but was once a town and burgh in its own right. It saw fluctuating fortunes, but was at one point an extremely wealthy town, having a history of coal mining, salt production, textiles manufacture, iron ore export and other trades. Dysart did exist as far back as 1220 but little is known of the town before the 16th century. The first port dates to 1450, eventually being extensively rebuilt in 1829-31. The 16th and 17th centuries saw hard times for the town with the religious and civil wars. However, the salt trade continued to prosper with its trading partners, the Netherlands and the Baltic Countries. It earned 2 nicknames from this period: Salt Burgh (the salt industry) and Little Holland (Dutch influence in the buildings).

The relationship with coal started with the opening of Lady Blanche pit in the 16th century, others followed - Frances and Randolph. In the 1920s coal export was moved to the harbours at Buckhaven and Methil; the coal industry had refused to pay for the deepening of the harbour for larger ships to dock. With the closure of the Lady Blanche pit in 1929, it saw the merger of the town with Kirkcaldy, despite the Frances pit still in operation. Most notable person? John McDouall Stuart, the first European explorer to cross Australia’s interior, was born in Dysart in 1815.

Dysart was designated a conservation area in 1978. As we wander along High Street, we pass the tolbooth at the heart of the village. Built in 1576 it was the centre for trade, a guardhouse as well as a prison after 1617. Cromwell’s troops were based here in 1651; explosives which had been left by a merchant were inadvertently detonated by a stray match which blew the roof off, which saw the upper section rebuilt in 1733-4. It is surrounded by attractive buildings from varying periods as well as a few less so from the 20th century!

We turn back down toward the coast taking a right before turning down Hie Gait, a quaint old walkway, on to Pan Ha’. The name is believed to be the shortening of Pan Haugh, which was a flat area where salt pans stood. These houses were once home to the workers of the salt industry, stone replacements for the wooden ones which stood here, believed to have been built in the 16th century. Six of the old houses were restored in the 1960s by the National Trust for Scotland under the Little Houses Scheme – the Shore Master’s House, the Pilot’s House, the Girnal, the Covenant House, the Tide Waiter’s House and the Old Bay Horse Inn. Five houses were specially designed to fill in the gaps between the old houses bringing the total to 11.

St Serf’s Church Tower is also along this stretch, the only remaining part of St Serf’s Church dating from 1500. It was abandoned in 1802, most of it being cleared away for the road to be built in 1807 but the cemetery remains. St Serf was believed to have lived in a cave near the church in 500 AD. The cave isn't accessible today as it is in the grounds of Dysart House, built in 1755, now a Carmelite Monastery for nuns since 1931; it was once home to the lairds of the area, the St Clair family.

We follow the road round to the harbour area. On the edge of the harbour stands ‘Sea Beams’ an installation of 9 vertical wooden beams by Donald Urquhart, each a different hue reflecting the varying moods of the Firth of Forth. The harbour is impressive, bounded on its north-west side by a high wall of natural stone. Along the top of this runs Sailors' Walk, a path from the town, via steps, to the outer end of the harbour. The harbour was used in the filming of Outlander (S2) when it stood in for the Paris’ docks; not that you’d realise as they green-screened the whole stone face to turn it into 18th-century French buildings! We wander about the various harbour quays, pop into The Harbourmaster’s House for a cuppa, before walking under the high wall section to continue on our way into Kirkcaldy.

We won't be going into the centre of the Kirkcaldy on this visit, but the town is one of Scotland’s most ancient burghs. It is set around a sandy cove between the Tiel and East Burns overlooking the Firth of Forth. Its name comes from Pictish for ‘hard fort’ and history has been found here dating back to the Bronze Age. In 1304 it was granted permission to hold a weekly market and an annual fair in this ‘most ancient of burghs’. The Links Market, held annually, is Europe’s longest street fair and oldest in Scotland, held along the town’s seafront every April. The harbour had good import and export trade with the Baltic Countries by the 16th century and Charles II renewed their Royal Burgh status in 1644.

With the expansion of the town during the 16th and 17th centuries, it gained the nickname ‘Lang Toun’ due to its long main street, which eventually reached a length of 4 miles. The town suffered during the religious and civil wars, and also during the Jacobite rebellions, but by the early 19th century the harbour was dealing in imports of flax, timber and hemp as well as exports of coal, salt and linen cloth. Kirkcaldy became an important iron foundry and coarse linen manufacturer, and the harbour was extended again when demand for linoleum and coal also increased. The production of linoleum gave the town an unusual odour due to the linseed oil used in its manufacture, which was remarked upon in literature of the time. A good number of other industries also flourished throughout the 19th century.

Much of the industry is gone today, although linoleum production still continues on a smaller scale under Swiss owner, Forbo. Its employment is mainly in the service sector with exception of a few others.

Kirkcaldy Galleries is home to the museum and art gallery of the area and features an exhibit on the town’s industrial heritage. The town has raised several notable people over the centuries: Adam Smith, social philosopher and economist who wrote ‘The Wealth of Nations’; Robert Adam, architect; Sir Sandford Fleming, engineer and inventor; David Steel, Liberal Party leader; Gordon Brown, raised here and became Chancellor of the Exchequer, PM and MP for the town’s constituency; Val McDermid, crime writer; Jocky Wilson, darts champion; and the list goes on!

We reach Ravenscraig Castle ruins, sited on a rocky promontory called Ravens Craig overlooking the Firth. It was built on the orders of James II in 1460 for his wife; it was the first castle in Scotland to be built to withstand cannon fire. The irony is the king was killed in a tragic accident involving a cannon that year, so his wife went on to see its completion in memory of him. It wasn't completed until 1471, by which time James III had given it to William Sinclair, Earl of Orkney and Caithness, in exchange for the Earldom of Orkney. It was attacked and damaged by Oliver Cromwell during his invasion in 1650-1 but remained in the Sinclair family, who by this time were living at Dysart House. The castle was passed on to the St Clairs who sold it in 1896 to Michael Nairn, the Kirkcaldy linoleum magnate. It was used as an ammunition depot during World War 1, then in 1929, the castle was given to the people of Kirkcaldy as a public park. It was passed into state care in 1955 and is now looked after by Historic Environment Scotland.

From the castle, we turn north heading out of Kirkcaldy, following our plotted route through the countryside for 15 kilometres to cross the boundary into Lomond Hills Regional Park. We follow the minor roads to join Strathenry Avenue which goes through an area with the same name. The Strathenry Estate in this area includes Strathenry Castle and House, where Adam Smith, the economist who wrote ‘Wealth of Nations’, spent a lot of his childhood. He was kidnapped from the house by gypsies at the age of 4 and was quickly rescued by his uncle on horseback!

We turn right at Wester Balgothrie walking by Holl Reservoir, one of 6 reservoirs in the Lomond Hills which supply the nearby towns with their drinking water and support recreational fishing. Once over the Lothrie Burn we take a path through the woods leading alongside Ballo Reservoir, the largest of the 6 and stocked with trout, where we then cut across the fields to Glassie, joining a minor road taking us northwest.

At the Craigmead Car Park, we follow the trail up East Lomond (448m), a former volcano, now covered with heather moorland. We pass old lime kilns en route, reminders of our industrial past even here. These types of kilns died out in the 20th century when better production methods were developed.

Negotiating the last steep section to the summit we emerge to views of Falkland village below and further afield, Dundee, Schiehallion, the 3 bridges of the Firth of Forth and Bass Rock. It is too steep a descent down the other side into Falkland, so we retrace our steps toward the bottom of the hill to take a path around to the right, leading us across grassy slopes, then through the woods on Fauld Road to arrive in Falkland village.

Falkland is Scotland’s first conservation village (1970) and it's understandable why when you see the old buildings and streets. Falkland has royal connections going back to at least the 12th century, seeing most rulers and monarchs spend time here because of Falkland Castle then Palace. A castle was built here in 1160 which saw the birth of this village, although it was known as Kilgour, the name Falkland was only associated with the castle. Between 1501-1541 the castle was transformed into a palace. I recommend you look up the palace history to read about the numerous famous people who passed through here. The palace fell into ruin after being partially destroyed by fire during occupation by Cromwell’s troops.

In 1887 a restoration programme of the palace and its gardens were started by the new owner, the 3rd Marquis of Bute, and the family still own the estate to this day. National Trust for Scotland (NTS) was appointed, by Hereditary Keeper Major Michael Crichton Stewart, to take care of the palace in 1952, the NTS then becoming the Deputy Keeper of the Palace. Interesting to note that the Falkland Islands are named after Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland, the name taken from the Falkland Palace residence.

Falkland Palace grounds are also still home to a Real Tennis court. It was built for James V in 1539-41 so is the oldest in the UK and the 2nd oldest in the world. It is the only one found in Scotland and the only outdoor court (roofless). A new club formed in 1975 and they still play today, the only club currently in Scotland.

Falkland’s community was strongly linked to weaving; by the late 18th century there were 291 weavers based here. The buildings reflect this as we wander through Back Dykes to Sharp’s Close, a lane still cobbled as all of Falkland would have been at one time.

We turn up Brunton Street and pass Brunton House built in 1712, the former residence of the hereditary falconers to the Kings of Scotland, restored by the National Trust for Scotland in the 1970s. We continue along Horse Market, passing Lomond Tavern and a quaint weaver’s cottage, before turning down into Back Wynd leading us onto High Street.

Falkland Palace is an imposing structure, and we now take the palace tour before heading down to the village square. At the centre of this now sits the Bruce Fountain which was donated to the town by Tyndall Bruce in 1856. He was the local laird of the estate and also funded the local church, which we see opposite built in 1850. The Town Hall sits just up the street from The Covenanter Hotel which has become famous in recent years, as has some other structures and streets in Falkland. The TV series ‘Outlander’ uses the village as a stand-in for the Highland capital, Inverness, as well as other locations.

We walk to the other side of the square towards Campbell’s, where we take an alleyway out of the High Street onto Mill Wynd. Crossing straight over Mill Wynd we follow the line of the Maspie Burn through woodland, passing Falkland House School to walk under an ornate bridge, then through a stone-built tunnel.

We are in Maspie Den, a river ‘den’ or narrow-wooded valley, initially part of the pleasure ground of the palace. The path was laid out in the 1820s but was restored in 2004; it contains bridges, tunnels and cascades, which we discover as we walk. We continue uphill until we reach the top of Maspie Den, and after a further ascent, the amazing falls appear. We follow the path, cut into the cliff behind the large waterfall, to reach the smaller one via a network of wooden bridges. From the falls we continue on a path southwest, leading us out of the den area to the Craigmead Car Park. We take a path from the rear of this car park and picnic area to climb West Lomond, an old volcano.

The path gently climbs through woodland before crossing open moorland towards the dome of West Lomond. At the summit there is a large cairn and trig point where there are great views west across Loch Leven and over to the Ochils and, to the south, we should be able to see Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh and even the Bass Rock.

From the top of West Lomond, we descend on the path heading south to reach the valley at the Glen Burn. Still going south, we follow the path which climbs Bishop Hill. Reaching the top there is a cairn and wonderful views back to West Lomond. Just below the summit is Carlin Maggie, a 10-metre pillar of volcanic rock, quartz dolerite. It is believed to be a feature of natural erosion by wind, rain and ice. Carlin is an old Scots word for a ‘witch’ and legend has it that Carlin Maggie, a local woman, was turned to stone by the Devil who threw a lightning bolt at her. Other geological features we pass are Stothart Row and Kinnesswood Row which were formed by glacial meltwater forming channels down Bishop Hill. Row is a Scots word meaning ‘roll’ and, in the past, limestone from quarries high up on the hill were rolled down these hollows to limekilns below.