Fife Coastal Path: Lower Largo to Earlsferry
On our final day in Fife last October we drove west to Lower Largo intending to walk the section of coastal path between there and Elie. It was a day of misjudgements, so we didn’t quite make it to Elie, but we enjoyed the walk nonetheless.
Lower Largo is known as the birthplace of Alexander Selkirk (1676-1721) on whom Daniel Defoe modelled his character, Robinson Crusoe. There is a memorial to Selkirk on the site of the cottage where he was born.
Lower Largo has many other picturesque houses and we wandered around for a while before setting off on the path. It also has some very quirky garden gates!
Our first miscalculation occurred here – there was one shop in Lower Largo open and, as we hadn’t made sandwiches, we thought about buying something for lunch. However, we were sure the café at the caravan site we had to pass through would be open, and didn’t. Instead, we set off on the first part of the path, the track of an old railway that used to connect Fife’s coastal villages, before descending through the dunes to Largo Bay. NB the oil rig is not functional, it is one of several anchored in the Firth of Forth due to industry uncertainty over oil prices, which have collapsed during the coronavirus pandemic.
John amused himself taking pictures of the circling gulls as we approached the Cocklemill Burn.
Crossing the burn, we arrived at Shell Bay Caravan Park where we expected to get lunch – but unfortunately the café didn’t open for takeaway until 4pm. Ah well, with stomachs rumbling we admired some of the colourful caravans and a small shrine to a couple who had presumably enjoyed holidays here. Then we pressed on over Kincraig Point.
This was another miscalculation because the winding, muddy path took us longer than expected, both upwards and downwards. But the views were lovely, back over Shell Bay to Largo and forward to Earlsferry and Elie.
This plaque, donated to the people of Elie and Earlsferry by Polish Paratroopers in the Second World War, is the only photograph we took of the picturesque village of Earlsferry. When we arrived it was mid-afternoon and obvious that we did not have time to explore or to continue the short distance to Elie in search of a very late lunch, otherwise it would be dark before we got back to the car. Nor did I fancy slithering back over Kincraig Point, so we plotted an alternative route.
According to our guide book, and more importantly, to Google Maps, if we put up with a bit of road walking we could pick up the other end of the railway path that we had started out on that morning. However, part way along we found that it had been obliterated by a new golf course which Google Maps did not yet show. With the help of some friendly golfers, and a bit of yomping over dunes, we found our way back to the path over Largo Bay and completed our walk in twilight. We certainly enjoyed our dinner that night!
The following morning we packed up and left for Glasgow. This lovely week in Fife was our last trip away from home and, given current regulations, it is likely to remain the last for some time to come. I’ve enjoyed reliving it while composing these posts – but what on earth am I going to write about next?
The Glasgow Gallivanter 
Interesting history of Robinson Crusoe. I didn’t know it was based on a real experience. Rob laughs at me sometimes about this, but my motto when hiking is always take food.
Jude
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I think we have learned that now!
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Hi Anabel – gosh I’d have had to have something to eat … so no wonder you enjoyed your dinner that night. I must read Robinson Crusoe again … I’ve another of Defoe’s other books here to read sometime – love the photos and excellent shots of the gulls by John. The oil rig – looks like the container ships mothballed in the River Fal earlier this century. It will be nice to be free … but I’d also rather be safe … all the best – Hilary
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Yes, I’ll stick with safe too! We have several cruise ships mothballed on the Clyde at the moment.
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Amazing with all the different colourful gates and stunning seascapes. You could do the RSPB birdwatch this wknd and write about that? Xx
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It was a very beautiful walk. As for the birdwatch, you seriously overestimate my skill set! I might recognise a robin 😉.
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🙂 X
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Wow, so much to see on that walk. Looks
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what a lovely walk, thank goodness though for helpful golfers!
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I expect we’d have got back in the end but they were higher than us and could see the path we were looking for.
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Your photographs are beautiful, leading us along in such engaging sequences! Brava, Anabel!
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Thank you!
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Those gates are good fun! Isn’t that typical – the one time you don’t carry your lunch and there’s nothing available. For a start, you could do more posts on Scottish words, like yomping. 🙂
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Interesting thought! Yomp isn’t a Scottish word, but your comment suggests it must be purely British. I first heard it in the Falklands War in the 80s to describe the way the soldiers had to struggle across the difficult terrain. Obviously our yomp across the dunes does not bear comparison!
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It’s not a word I’ve heard before.
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These lockdowns are so miserable! Thank you for writing about your terrific adventures; I hope the vaccinations start getting some momentum and life can get some normalcy. At least you can get some lunch now 😉
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I hope that too! I can’t wait to get back to the sea: we are confined to the city at the moment.
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PS I grew up with golf being the main subject and most NZ ers are obsessed with sport. With that in mind we had to go to St Andrews.
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Seems to be a golf course for just about every resident in Scotland! Or so it sometimes seems.
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I love how people brighten up their space with brightly coloured doors, that was one thing I remembered from my first time travelling on the other side of the world. When travelling, we had snack boxes with various foods. As the food was never too far from our minds or hands. So many different varieties to taste would’ve rude not to 🙂
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Yes, I love the doors and all the decorations people add to their houses. We really screwed up this time with food, didn’t we?
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The beach and the foreshore in general have never been my favourite places ,although I take the dogs there. That’s simple and straight forward – there is nowhere else to go, other than the gardens. To the East – the nearest town is 52 miles away – to the West, 71 miles away – South is the Spences Gulf then into the Great Australian Bight – there are no roads going North from here. In order to go North you must first go East to the Port then go North on the Stuart Highway. I love your adventures and I love John’s photographs, although I have to say, Sir, that I am not a fan of seagulls, but they looked good. Pity about the food. but a good week none the less. I’m sure you will find something to write about, Anabel.
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We’re basically confined to the city. I’m definitely a city girl but this is the time when I sometimes wish I lived somewhere rural or coastal. Not fond of gulls either, but they do look good in the air.
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A valuable lesson learned on always getting food when you have the chance (and one that I’ve learned the hard way myself on more than one occasion). I love the gates with people on them, especially the one with the puffin and cat. So quirky and fabulous!
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I know, you think we would have learned by now! I think somebody local must make the gates because I’ve never seen anything like them anywhere else.
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What an interesting walk and the photographs are among the best I’ve seen. The light seems quite lovely in some of them and they are all interesting.
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Thanks Mari! Mostly John, as usual, so I’ll pass that on.
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I haven’t been to Lower Largo, but have been to Elie a few times. I love Fife.
We are supposed to head back to Scotland in mid May (the postponement of last year’s trip). To me, it just doesn’t feel like it is going to happen this year either. I know a lot can change in a few months, but things still seem so bleak. I hate the not knowing. Is there any talk about how Scotland might open up travel again once people start to receive their vaccines? Do you see Scotland getting back to some semblance of normalcy by summer?
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Fife is very beautiful! Like you, I am pessimistic that things will be back to anything like normal by May or even the summer. There is no talk yet about opening up and it will take till the autumn to get everyone vaccinated. It’s sad.
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Yes, it is going painstakingly slow here as well. But considering our population, it almost seems like an insurmountable task.
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It’s annoying when planned routes evaporate like that but you Scots and your golf! And I’m sure you’ll find a blogging angle in your comprehensive picture collection.
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It is annoying, but we got there in the end. We did wonder why another golf course was needed when we’d already passed two! Golf is not something that has ever appealed to me, but John decided to take it up, had a few lessons – then 2020 happened.
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I’ve always avoided golf on the sound basis i would fall for it and then never leave the course!
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This would slightly worry me with John too …
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It’s a lovely coastline. Puzzled by that bottom seabird though as it looks more auk like or skua than a gull but the reddish stomach has me perplexed! Can’t find a match in my bird book from that flying angle. Did you manage to identify it? Got the white wing patterns of a great skua except for that reddish belly.
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Oh dear, you are talking to an ignoramus here, Bob! I just assumed “gull”. Maybe the colouring is a trick of the light?
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What a wonderful trip (despite the miscalculations)! 😀
Here’s hoping that we can all travel freely again soon. Until then, I absolutely know that you have tons of past adventures that you haven’t yet had a chance to write about. Now would be the perfect time (I say selfishly, as I love reading your gallivanting adventures)! 😀
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I know, I can’t wait to get to the sea again! I’m sure I’l find something to write about, I hope so anyway.
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Oh, those gates are amazing! My favorite is the one with the fish and little man at the top. I loved that various nautical items hanging off the building too. So much eye candy!
Interesting red doors at the beginning too. It looks like the right one was well taken care of and the other wasn’t at all. Do you know why that was? Did they run out of paint? 🙂
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I was struck by the door contrast too. I love a red door! (Our own front door is red.) I think if I lived in the house with the shiny door I’d be quite annoyed at my neighbours for not looking after theirs
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I wonder whose idea those gates were? Very novel! 🙂 🙂 Bit of a struggle and I was just about to say Google maps to the rescue, but it wasn’t! I always feel very deflated when a walk takes longer than expected, Anabel, but you coped. No more gallivanting? I’m starting to know the feeling. 😦
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It’s hard, isn’t it? It’s been so icy here that walking itself has been tricky, never mind any gallivanting!
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Lovely walk Anabel. I stayed in a b&b on The Temple in Lower Largo a few years ago. It was fabulous and one of those places I’d go back to in a heartbeat. Thanks for evoking the memory.
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I looked up The Temple, we didn’t walk along that way, the railway path was above it. I bet it had great views – a lovely place to stay!
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I liked this walk, even without the sandwiches 🙂 I like the quirky gates, the last one is my favourite, Shell Bay looks lovely and I love the shot of the horses on Largo Bay 🙂
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I’d never seen gates quite like that before! I love all those twilight shots (John’s mostly).
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Lower Largo to Elie is the stretch of East Neuk coastline that I probably know best. I am glad you enjoyed your walks there and I am impressed that you covered all of those miles while you were utterly famished.
We are very much missing travel and even day trips. It is definitely the aspect of our lives that we miss the most and not even having the ability to plan a trip is horrid. I, therefore, have some insight into how you, as a Gallivanter, must be feeling. I look forward to reading whatever micro wanderings you come up with for your blog.
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It was a slog by the end, I can tell you! I was certainly looking forward to dinner. Yes, we miss travel and day trips too. Life is just so dull without them!
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I’d have bought the sandwiches even if it meant taking them home for tea!
Gates were wonderful, as were the lumps of concrete.
So glad the golfers helped you out – some can be sniffy of walkers bordering their courses 🙂
J
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Buying the sandwiches would have been sensible! I don’t know what we were thinking really, possibly an aversion to going into small, cramped shops in present circumstances.
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You’re not kidding about the gates. That PRIVATE one is something else. The family that owns that property is very creative.
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The weird figure was behind that gate. I wondered if the artist lived there and had sold his/her art around the village.
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I loved the artistic gates as well as the “sea-nery” shots. My spouse would have been in a hangry snit if we skipped lunch! Guess you’ll be giving us a home tour next.🙂
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The “seanery” was rather splendid. We were both quite grumpy by the end of a day without lunch. Hmm. A home tour? Too much tidying required!
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What a great walk! You know which photos I liked best? Those chunky stone blocks in Largo Bay! I too have wondered what in the world am I going to write about, as I am a TRAVEL Blogger! I am going back over my old photos and creating new posts with them for the time being! I hope all is well by Summer!
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Yes, I thought they looked rather artistic! Remnants of WW2 defences. I hope things have improved by the summer too, but am not getting my hopes up yet.
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Looks like a great walk!
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It was, thanks!
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