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Fife Coastal Path

From Kincardine to Newburgh – the scenic route

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Fife's Coastal Path
Scotland's longest continual coastal path, 117 miles of stunning, ever-changing scenery.

THE FACTS

Distance:

188km/117 miles

Suitability:

All levels of fitness, although some sections are more challenging than others.

Terrain:

Variable – from easy walking on well-maintained footpaths to tricky rocky tracks.

Accessibility:

Several sections of the path are pushchair and wheelchair accessible. 

Season:

Year-round.

Fife Coastal Path hugs the sometimes rocky, sometimes sandy but always spectacular coast of Fife.  

From Kincardine Bridge on the Forth’s wide estuary, round the East Neuk of Fife and on to Newburgh on the banks of the majestic River Tay, whether you walk, run or cycle, Fife Coastal Path’s a trail you’ll never forget. 

Prepare for breathtaking scenery, a mouthwatering selection of places to eat and drink, fascinating insights into history, traditional fishing villages, glorious beaches and wildlife galore. 

Beach in Fife
STOP. LOOK. LISTEN.

Gannets diving into the sea. Fishing boats landing their catch onto the quayside. Trains crossing the Victorian marvel of engineering that is the Forth Bridge. Families building sandcastles, paddling at the water’s edge and fishing in rock pools. 

The sound of a cricket ball bouncing across the sand at Elie’s Ruby Bay. Paddleboarders drifting by. Horses galloping along a windswept beach. Waves crashing to the rocks at the bottom of a towering cliff. 

Peace and quiet may envelop Fife Coastal Path but there’s always something happening.

Meet The Locals

Seals, otters and dolphins are regularly seen from Fife Coastal Path, along with many different species of waterfowl and seabirds, including the occasional puffin.

In summer, increase your chances of spotting a puffin by 100% by taking a boat trip from Anstruther to the Isle of May, home to 90,000 nesting puffins! 

Red squirrels, roe and red deer, kingfishers and badgers all reside in the hills, fields and forests that border Fife Coastal Path. To say nothing of the swallows, swifts and house martins swooping across the sky, rare orchids growing in the sand dunes and butterflies flitting over clifftop grasses.

Puffins
STRIDE OUT

Split into eight sections, there’s no need to undertake all 117 miles of the Fife Coastal path in one go.

Walk, run or cycle the route over a period of time. Or do one section, part of a section or the same mile every day, simply because you enjoy the view.

Looking for a challenge? Devote a week to taking this scenic coastal route all the way from Kincardine to Newburgh.

Rest weary feet while quenching sea-air induced hunger pangs. 

Fish and chips eaten on a bench overlooking Anstruther harbour? A crab roll from the Lobster Hut sitting on the beach at Crail? Dinner at the Michelin-listed Seafood Ristorante, a stunning glass cube perched on the cliffs at historic St Andrews? 

Freshly caught and smoked seafood at the East Pier Smokehouse by St Monans harbour, home of the famous zig-zag breakwater? Five-star eating in The Harbour Cafe wooden shack on Elie’s beautiful beach? Or a pie, a pint and a chat with the regulars at one of Fife's traditional pubs, which comes with the added possibility of discovering first-hand (almost) every Fifer’s natural ability to tell a good story well.. 

St Monans

“After walking 16 miles from Elie to Cambo Sands, the next day, we returned to a beach we’d seen and whiled away the afternoon doing nothing more energetic than watching the tide come in.”

Elie
A ROUTE THAT’S BEEN WALKED FOR CENTURIES

Take a walk into history. Follow Fife Coastal Path. A clifftop castle - Newark Castle - that was the childhood home of one of Scotland’s kings. St Monans salt pans where a product once as prized as gold was made. The Lady's Tower, now a ruin but once where a member of Fife’s aristocracy would slip out of her clothes and into the North Sea for a dip. A harbour tower where watch was kept for the ships of invading armies – and pirates. 

Grand seafront houses where ship owners would look out for their vessels returning home. Fishing villages where, tragically, the fishing boats didn’t always return home. Train stations which brought Victorian holiday makers to the beach. And Wemyss Caves adorned with carvings by Picts, thousands of years ago. 

The coast line
The Harbour
Coastal Houses
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Fife Coastal Map

48 Hours on the Fife Coastal Path

Fife ZigZag

DAY 1

9AM

Anstruther. Hitch your daysack onto your back (remember to pack swimmies) and follow Fife Coastal Path towards Cellardyke and today’s destination, Elie.

1PM

Elie. Grab picnic supplies at Elie Deli and head down to the shore. Lunch on the sand, then swim (or kayak with Elie Water Sports) in Ruby Bay. Fancy a pint? On a sunny day, The Ship Inn’s beer garden’s almost impossible to resist. 

6PM

Anstruther (courtesy of the local bus service). Treat yourself to a fish supper from Anstruther Fish Bar before exploring the traditional fishermen’s pubs overlooking the harbour.

STAY 

£ Silverdyke Holiday Park, by Anstruther

££ Catherine Cottage, Cellardyke

£££ The Peat Inn, Peat Inn

Sunset on the Coastal Path

Day 2

10AM

St Andrews. Explore the wynds and closes that twist through the town’s medieval centre, browse in the family-run, traditional shops, stop for an ice cream at Jannettas Gelateria and walk over the Swilcan Bridge on the famous Old Course.

1PM

West Beach. Striding along the smooth, golden sands - avoiding surfers, land yachts and dogs - Fife Coastal Path first takes you to Leuchars and then stunning Kinshaldie Beach, bordered by an ancient forest and the mighty Tay Estuary. Hungry? Check out Salt & Pine Creperie at Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve.

4PM

Tayport. Look for seals and dolphins from Tayport Harbour, while also admiring the yachts in the marina and the view of the Tay’s road and rail bridges.

6PM

Newport-On-Tay. After walking under the Tay Road Bridge, meander through the Victorian streets of Newport-on-Tay for an evening meal at The Newport where top quality local ingredients are given a mouthwatering twist by a former winner of Master Chef: The Professionals, before catching the last bus back to St Andrews.

STAY 

£ St Andrews Holiday Estate, by St Andrews

££ Kinkell Byre Cabins, by St Andrews

£££ Rufflets St Andrews

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For more information visit our partners at:
fifecoastandcountrysidetrust.co.uk/walks/fife-coastal-path/

Fife Coast & Countryside Trust

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