Virtual Walk: Scotland

Virtual Walk: Scotland 2021 1st April 2021:  48.52km walked today taking the total to 8526.42/8868km. 9% of 72 entries submitting 539.14km. We visit Aberdour before heading west along the coast to the Firth of Forth’s famous bridges. Here we turn north west through Rosyth to visit Dunfermline before continuing along country roads and paths to Dollar. Route 23: St Andrews to Glasgow Climbing over the hill from the Ha Lighthouse we descend steps to reach the west side of the rocky bluff. Here we find a short concrete jetty that was used as part of the development of radio-controlled torpedoes during World War 1. Continuing around the shore, we reach Aberdour Harbour and then Black Sands Bay. In a field above the harbour, we may be able to see a 12-metre-high obelisk. This was erected by James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton, when he moved to Edinburgh from Aberdour so that he could locate where his former house had been when he looked through his telescope. We turn up Shore Road, when w...

Virtual Walk: Scotland 2021  31st March 2021:  55.62km walked today taking the total to 8477.90/8868km. 11% of 68 entries submitting 505.66km. Today we walk to Loch Leven and venture out to Lochleven Castle. From there we head south over Benarty Hill, past Lochore Meadows and Cowdenbeath to then end up at the coast at Burntisland. From Burntisland we follow the Fife Coastal Path westwards towards Aberdour. Route 23: St Andrews to Glasgow From Bishop Hill summit itself we follow the edge of the plateau southwards before reaching a path which goes down a steep gully into the village of Kinnesswood. Here we turn right on the A911 through Easter and Wester Balgedie, before we turn left onto the Loch Leven Heritage Trail just past Carsehall. We pass Loch Leven’s Larder, a cafe and farm shop, a good place to stop for coffee and cake. We reach Loch Leven at Carsehall Bog, a large area between the path and the loch where geese roost and feed during the autumn and winter. Turning right...

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...

Virtual Walk: Scotland 2021  29th March 2021:  37.79km walked today taking the total to 8376.41/8868km. 7% of 71 entries submitting 539.88km. From Crail we continue our walk along the south coast of Fife passing through the towns of Anstruther, Pittenweem, Earlsferry, Leven, Methil and Buckhaven. Route 23: St Andrews to Glasgow The next 5 kilometres will take us along the coast into Anstruther. We see the salt pan ruins as we leave Crail, once the producers of much-needed salt for the fish industry in the area, now under threat from coastal erosion. After another stretch, we see the geological feature ‘The Coves’ or the Caves of Caiplie, an eroding sandstone outcrop which is the exterior of a cave system. The caves within were used for early Christian worship and housing livestock but were abandoned after 180 AD. One cave, however, called Hermit’s Well was lived in by a man for several months before the start of World War 2. We continue on the grassy path, over a stile and f...