Tag: St Monans

Fife Coastal Path: St Monans to Anstruther

Jul 30th, 2025

After my plans for a walk last weekend were rained out (torrential rain, not pleasant Scottish mist), I was determined to get back on track this weekend. It has however been a long and stressful week at work, so I chose a slightly shorter route again rather than pushing myself for the five miles I was planning. After spending the last few weeks arranging my autumn travel, I am becoming concerned that the goal to get this walk done by end of January might be a touch ambitious, but I can only try and get as much done as possible. And it doesn’t mean I’m going to not finish at all, just that it might take a bit longer. Eagle-eyed readers checking my Fife Coastal Path challenge page may note that I have extended the challenge by 6 months. A new goal, and one I intend to keep!

It’s been a warm few weeks, but this morning I discovered a lovely cool air wafting through the bathroom window, and the sky was overcast but not threatening, so it seemed a good morning to make a bit of progress. So, I hopped on a bus to St Monans, where the primary bus stop is on the main road. It is a relatively short – though steep – walk down Station Road to the waterfront.

I finished my walk at the East Pier, and so it is here that I set my timer again, before heading up away from the harbour along Forth Street and then making a quick right onto Rose Street. Rose Street is lined with beautiful old houses and cottages so omnipresent in the East Neuk, and ends at a small car park from which the Coastal Path continues.

Immediately ahead, less than a ten minute walk, St Monans windmill dominates the horizon. A remnant of the 18th-century Scottish salt trade, the windmill pumped sea water into salt pans, which were boiled using the plentiful local coal supply – Fife was a major coal producer from the 1800s until the 1980s.

As you walk past the windmill, the remnants of the salt works are evident in indentations in the grass as well as the foundation ruins of a workhouse. I of course took a quick detour up to the windmill itself to see the view in both directions. Below the windmill is one of many coastal bathing pools though this one was empty in the brisk breeze.

As I kept moving, I was warm enough to manage with just a t-shirt, but wind-breaker would not have gone amiss. This section of the walk was already busy again – more so than further towards Kincardine – with dog walkers and even a few foreign tourists. Passing the windmill, one can already see Pittenweem in the distance, as well as across the Firth of Forth to the Bass Rock.

Not long before the houses of Pittenweem appear, the path splits with one route leading up the hill and the other along to the swimming pool, where there was a brave soul doing laps in what could only have been chilly water. Due to very evident coastal erosion, this portion of the path is quite new, heading up the hill towards West Brae, where there is a small snack shop and a mini golf.

The coastal path heads down again after this brief rise and around the corner to a great view of the town. The sun was trying to come out as I reached this point, desperately fighting against the clouds, which made for some very dramatic colours, as you can see above.

The route enters Pittenweem on the path between the coast-facing houses and the rocky shore; clearly an area built well before the advent of cars, when it would have been more likely to take a boat to your doorstep. Shortly the path opens up to a road and a car park, at the end of which is a beautiful statue that is the Pittenweem Fishermen’s Memorial – the figures of an anxious mother and child looking out over the sea for their returning loved ones. It could as easily be in my home town as here, though Pittenweem is still far busier as a fishing port. In fact, it is the busiest port in the East Neuk with an active fish market.

I took a short detour – again – out the harbour wall where you get a real feel for how active the place still is. There are some beautiful old buildings at the water’s edge, which I took a bit of time to appreciate before heading on my way.

Beyond the harbour, the path heads up a hill along Abbey Wall Road, which is lined with houses. I love the way the stone wall rises from the rock, as if they were one.

Then suddenly, at the top of the hill, the view opens up and is a gorgeous vista over the ocean and coast in both directions.

From here to the edge of Pittenweem, the path hugs the top of the cliff, with neighbourhoods disappearing up roads to the left, and the path a hazy line through Glebe Park, some grassy patches and behind walled gardens.

It’s the time of year for flowers!

As with most East Neuk villages, the edge of Pittenweem is very dramatic, with a line of houses right up against a wide field. Less than a quarter of a mile beyond, the path takes a turn down the coast with some relatively steep rock steps that could easily be slippery if they were damp.

Descending the rocky steps, one finds the first signs for Anstruther Golf Course, and the alert that walkers should be courteous of players and listen for any signs that an errant ball might be coming their way. Wildflowers line the narrow trail until suddenly they stop, with well-manicured grass immediately ahead.

Generally, the Coastal Path is best followed by keeping close to the edge of the grass, where it meets the rocky shore. There are some great views back along the dramatic shale coastline, back to Pittenweem.

In little time, the edge of the golf course moves inland, with the path sticking close to the shore. It isn’t particularly well marked, but as long as you stay on the edge of the line where the shore meets the beach, you are in good shape, and there is an obvious trail. There are also some relatively gentle ups and downs – in fact this whole section has a few more ups and downs than many on the East Neuk – between grass tufts, a few boulders, and some more wild flowers and gorse.

You will pass this beautiful white beach made entirely of shells, which some have used to write out messages on the rocks as they go by. It looked to me like the kind of beach nicer to look at than walk on – sharp shells are not the greatest material to explore.

Around the corner from this beach, Anstruther opens up ahead of you, and it is possible to get a real feel for the size of the town. While not enormous – the population is about 3,500 – it is the largest town in the East Neuk with a seafront that stretches for more than a mile, including its busy harbour and beaches.

Above you on the left is the Anstruther war memorial, designed as a medieval-looking tower with crenellations on top, and over to the right on a rock is a lone saltire flag, quite dramatic against the sea.

There is a playpark here which was busier with dog walkers than children on the day I passed, then the path circles around between Anstruther beach and the first hole of the golf course.

Beyond the beach, you pass the golf club itself, which must have a stunning view over the ocean and Anstruther harbour. The coastal path continues straight here into the residential neighbourhood and is well-marked, taking walkers up Crichton Street. If you take a short detour at this point though, you reach this lovely wee cottage and view over the sea – I can’t resist a stone cottage!

At the top of Crichton Street, turn right onto the A917, which is the main route along this part of the East Neuk, running from St Andrews down towards Elie. Though it is narrow, this portion of the road is quite busy with cars and busses and trucks, sometimes going a touch faster than would be wise.

One of the first notable buildings is the Dreel Tavern, which sits at an angle away from the road. Dating from the 18th century at the latest, the Tavern currently serves meals and drinks, both inside and in the large beer garden to the rear. Also to the rear is the Dreel Burn, along which you can walk in both directions, though it shortly winds around the churchyard and across the beach to join the ocean. There is a great deal of work being done at the moment to restore the water quality of the burn.

Beyond the tavern on the opposite side of the road, there is a lovely stretch of well-restored older homes in bright colours, and on the corner a house that has been meticulously decorated with shells.

From here, you have two routes. One is the official Coastal Path route, which carries on along the High Street, crossing the burn, and then following the road into the centre of town. Keep to the right, passing in front of the Bank Hotel, and then turn right to meet Shore Street. There are bus shelters on either side of the road, but be careful when choosing a side. Busses to St Andrews, for example, leave from both sides depending on the route, so make sure you check the time tables! While several routes pass this way, frustratingly they tend to arrive around the same time, so you may be left without transport for a while. Fortunately, there are plenty of shops and cafes in which to pick up snacks. And of course the famous Anstruther Fish Bar.

There is another option however, and this is not to turn left along the High Street, but instead to continue straight down the Esplanade, to where there is a car park. If you choose this route, do take a short moment to detour back to the Dreel Halls, which is the tall yellow building you cannot miss. Formerly a church, the upper part was built to house the Town Hall in the 1790s, while the downstairs was used for a school.

Once you have taken a short wander through the extensive graveyard, return to the Esplanade and head for the car park you can see ahead. The homes here are mostly 18th-century or so, and some are beautifully decorated.

The view from the car park is excellent in all directions.

But what is most intriguing – and possibly only accessible at mid- to low tide – is a notch cut in the wall, and a steep flight of stairs leading down to the beach. At the bottom is a set of concrete stepping stones that allows you to cross the water of the Dreel Burn.

The beach ahead is soft and sandy, and can be a bit of a struggle if you are wearing heavy boots. The view of Anstruther in the gathering clouds was stunning, though, and I was pleased to have opted for this route.

As I headed for the bus shelter, these dark clouds became more and more ominous, and I was lucky I think not to be soaked. Fortunately, the breeze of the day continued in my favour, pushing the clouds past, and an almost blue sky returned as I waited for the bus.

Next weekend, I’m aiming to wrap up the East Neuk with the Crail to Cambo route. We’ll see how I do!

Keep track of my journey on my Walking the Fife Coastal Path page!
Fife Coastal Path: Elie to St Monans East Pier

May 8th, 2025

The weather report looked good for this past Saturday, and I was finally energetic enough to return to my goal for the year – and about time too! It occurs to me that my travel schedule may make it a lot harder to get some of these walks done, but I can only give it the best I can!

This stretch, from Elie to St Monans, is a walk I have done several times before, once with Dad, and it has to be one of the more beautiful stretches of the Coastal Path, taking in some gorgeous rocky coastline, beaches, and two lovely small towns.

It is also 100% accessible by public transport, an added bonus. The method I chose for this trip was to pick up one of two bus routes from St Andrews: the X60 which heads straight down to Anstruther then along the coast, or the 95, a winding route that goes south along the coast through Kingsbarns, Crail, Kilrenny, Anstruther, Pittenweem, and beyond. It is actually a fantastic way to get a good feel for the East Neuk without driving; it is almost always a double-decker, and if you can get to the front left seat on the top floor, you get one of the best views around. It is a bit nerve-wracking as the bus winds through tiny villages and looks at times as though it is about to hit buildings, the drivers are skilled and – a few tree branches aside – of course hit nothing. As it was a beautiful morning and I was in no hurry, I opted for the 95 and managed to be first on the bus, nabbing my desired seat. Other than a slight moment of motion sickness over some of the bumpier roads, it was a fantastic trip.

Some bus views

I alighted from the bus just next to the village green in Elie, where there is a detailed plaque telling you about the history of the town and Earlsferry, which is part of the burgh. As the name suggests, prior to the building of the Forth bridge, a ferry took travellers – mostly religious pilgrims destined for St Andrews – across the water from Edinburgh and landed here. The beach is wide and flat, making it a perfect landing spot.

To start my walk, I took a right just after the green, heading for the beach and signs for the public restrooms. They are, rather oddly, simply doors in the stone wall, leading to relatively clean hidey-hole toilets just off the road.

In very little time, this road arrives at the beach, which stretches out before you in all directions. The views are spectacular – along the houses packed up to the coastline, the sand, and coast of Fife heading south-west.

At this point, there are two ways one can go: either follow this road out towards the lighthouse, or take a left up a narrow road. This is the official route and so I opted for this choice, requiring an eventual turn right across a field where there was a faint track. Eventually, the path arrives at a large car park where overnight parking is permitted and there is fresh water, toilets and showers for campers. The views here are equally excellent looking back towards Elie and Earlsferry.

There is a large noticeboard bearing information about the trail, and then the path leads forward through the grass. The main route appears to take a circular route around the slight hill, leading walkers to the Lady’s Tower, now not much more than a hollow arch on the coastline.

I opted to take one of several left-hand paths, walking through the grass and ending up at the ridge of the dune above the beach. Beaches on Fife are not always fortunate enough to be layered in sand, and even the ones that are eventually open up to the long shale ridges that stretch out into the water in sometimes knife-sharp edges. The Coastal Path offers no shortage of these views, as you will see further on in this post.

Turning left, I had walked only a few moments when I realised that the way was blocked by a wooden gate and sign: Path closed ahead, divert to St Monans via A917.

I have to admit to letting out a string of curses. How could I be in this situation again (see my issues walking Leuchars to Tentsmuir)? Had I wasted another valuable Saturday? I hummed and hawed a bit, thinking about going back to the road or possibly trying a walk in the other direction. That section of the path is longer than I was willing to try on this occasion, however, so after seeing several groups head down to the beach, I decided at least to get a beach walk in and see how it went. So, after skirting around the fence, I followed the trail until it disappeared into erosion, at which point I hopped down a steep decline to the beach.

This portion of the walk is, I would caution, always windy, though this is appreciated as otherwise one is inundated with flies from the livestock fields that line the coast. I find walking in soft sand can be quite exhausting, but the dunes and sparkling water are beautiful and it was less than a mile on the beach. I had been watching the group ahead of me carefully, and presently they cut up back onto the path; I followed, happily.

The path here is a well-kept rut between tall grass, but firm and well-kept, with a decent amount of up and down along hillocks. About a mile from the car park, there is the first of several bridges that allow coastal walkers to cut up to the main road.

Here I found a large group of walkers paused, clearly trying to make a decision as to whether to go around yet another fence and warning sign. In a short time, they decided to continue, as the tide was low and the guide figured they would be safe on the beach if the path was closed. I waited a few minutes for them to get ahead and then followed, slipping around the fence and finding the trail perfectly serviceable.

Shortly, the path cuts up a hill to a set of ruins – Ardross Castle, helpfully located just near Ardross Farm Shop, where walkers can stop for refreshments. Built in the 14th century, the castle really only offers a few remnants of vaults and walls, but is beautifully dramatic.

Passing through the ruined castle, I continued ahead of the large group of walkers (who had stopped to see the ruins) and went on my way. As the path follows the edge of the beach, it alternately climbs up an outcropping then sinks back again, sometimes on the top of a sea wall and sometimes a few meters in from the beach. On the left are fields and occasionally relatively steep hills of grass, and on the right the alternately sandy and rocky coastline.

As I was walking at low tide, pools glistened in the sun and there was a quite clear view across the water towards North Berwick. At the higher points along the way are spectacular views towards St Monans or back to Elie. While it was not a hugely busy path, I passed a good number of groups and families enjoying the lovely day, and I stopped one group of ladies to check if they had come from St Monans. ‘Oh yes, just go around the sign!’ said one, which made me laugh but also ended my niggling worry.

After descending one particularly steep flight of stone stairs, I discovered the spot which had caused all of the drama: a deep hole in the seawall, around which the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust had duly constructed a barrier to prevent injury. In proper Scottish fashion, walkers had created a secondary trail round the barrier, and it was easily passed by.

Rising above the beach at this point was a promontory boasting the remains of Newark Castle. Several years back when I hiked this trail, we were able to get right up to the castle, but danger of falling masonry keeps walkers back at a distance today. Constructed in the 15th century, the castle has just enough left to evoke the imagination of what was once there.

Beyond the castle is a stunning doocot (or dovecote) which has excellent views. The cracks between the masonry are sprouting all sorts of beautiful yellow flowers. From here, it is just over a third of a mile to St Monans. The approaching trail is lovely, with the 14th-century Auld Kirk perched on the edge of town to welcome walkers.

Just before the church, the path splits, and there is an option to approach the kirkyard and possibly gain access, though the path leads down below the kirk to the right. (It may in fact not be possible to take this route at high tide)

The path skirts the edge of the seawall and is quite narrow, then requires a quick scramble up a cobbled wall to the path. Here, there are two options – there is a very narrow stone staircase heading straight before you, or you can follow the road along to the left. I opted for the staircase and found myself in an incredibly narrow close between houses, which one can imagine was created long before wheeled vehicles were required. There were some lovely views back over the houses and the ocean, before the hedges rose up around the path. In short time I re-joined the road, turning right towards St Monans harbour.

St Monans is an incredibly well-kept village with a good harbour, where for more than 200 years there was a prosperous boat-building company. There are beautiful old houses reminiscent of parts of New England to me (though stone of course rather than wood), and winding routes that cars can only just manage.

The coastal path leads down a hill and along a narrow street to the harbour. The West Shore leads walkers along the edge of the harbour with beautiful views of the boats, houses and ocean beyond, just visible over the harbour wall. There are several places where you can turn left and head up the hill to the bus, which runs along the main road at the top of the village. When walking with Dad, we stopped at an excellent little café called the Gannet, which I was delighted to see survived the pandemic. Another excellent spot is what was the East Pier Smokehouse, a converted harbour building, and is now Futtle Brewery. Even if you do not need a snack, you can walk out past the building along the harbour wall and look back at the shore in both directions.

Looking east-ish towards Pittenweem

And here I decided to end my walk, though it was a good day and only another mile or so to Pittenweem. My busy April travel schedule means that I am still not quite sleeping normally, so opted not to push myself too hard.

I did regret this when I realised how much I still need to cover. I really need to get my butt in gear and get some longer walks done. This coming weekend I’m hoping to manage Newport to Balmerino, or possibly go further down the coast. We shall see!

Just for fun…