The Fife Coastal Path - St Monans to Anstruther

Distance - 3.5 miles (5.75km)

Estimated Time - 2 hours

Parking - there are a number of spaces at the back of the church in St Monans, where the route begins

Travel - the 95 stagecoach service connects you to most of this route

Route - https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fife-stirling/st-monans-anstruther.shtml

The delightful walk from St Monans to Anstruther is a pretty easy going section of the Fife Coastal Path taking you through picturesque seaside villages, past tidal pools (take your swimming suit if you fancy a dip), past a windmill and you are never too far away from a café where you can pick up a tasty snack and enjoy the seaside vibes.

The walk begins behind the Auld Kirk in St Monans where you can either follow the path up the stairs (this is basically the only elevation of the whole walk) or if the tide is out you can start by scrambling along the rocks at the beach and following the shoreline along - the rocks can be quite slippery so please take care here.

Passing through the charming village of St Monans you will come across the welly boot garden - a quirky display of plants planted inside wellington boots. I absolutely loved this little garden, capturing a real show of community spirit and creativity.

"if it wisnae for yer wellies, where wud ye be"

After St Monans, I think I strayed from the path slightly here in favour of walking down on the beach looking for interesting stones. I then realised I was a bit stuck as there was a fence between the path and the beach, but I continued along to the stairs before the tidal pool and stepped over the fence at the top of the stairs, to re-join the path - I spent a lot of time down on the beach in the glorious weather, getting distracted by rocks and shells. Shortly after the tidal pool, you will pass the windmill which was once an industrial area where salt panning would take place.

This is a fairly easy stretch of path, but there is quite a lot of coastal erosion and signage warning you to take care. On a lovely day like I had, this section was so peaceful & quiet except for the sound of birds tweeting a cheery song and the waves crashing against the shore. The Isle of May was visible, quite clearly, in the distance.

Around 3km into your walk, you will come across a small beach and the Pittenweem tidal pool - a popular tourist spot in the summer and frequented by the cold water dippers during the winter. If you fancy getting a little swim in addition to your walk, you won't be short of options on this section - be sure to pack your swimming things. Between the tidal pool and the village, I stopped for ages to watch the playful seals frolicking around in the water. Pitennweem itself is a cute little seaside village with plenty of ice cream shops and restaurants to enjoy a snack with a view. The harbour is a hive of activity with the workers and fishing boats coming and going, with a daily fish market giving you the opportunity to grab some fresh fish.

From the village there is the option to take a side quest to visit St Fillans Cave - an ancient religious site where it is believed St Fillan himself had lived. The key can be collected from the Cocoa Tree Café and a donation of £1 is required.

From Pittennween towards Anstruther you will encounter a small clifflike section with incredible views, pass glorious sandy beaches & walk alongside a golf course. I couldn't believe how beautiful the beach looked here with golden sands - hard to believe this was a day in the middle of October.

The final part of this section takes you through the winding streets of Anstruther, where the paths are thin and very close to the road, where care should be taken. Finishing off at Anstruther harbour, a vibrant and lively area buzzing with activity. Why not finish off your walk by visiting the famous chippy or booking a boat trip to the isle of May.

A beautiful and fairly simple section of the coastal path, which took me 1 hour and 40 minutes in total - including searching for stones on the beach and stopping to watch the seals.

Sections of the Fife Coastal Path

1. Kincardine to North Queensferry

2. N Queensferry to Burntisland

3. Burntisland to East Wemyss

4. East Wemyss to Lower Largo

5. Lower Largo to St Monans

6. St Monans to Anstruther

7. Anstruther to Crail

8. Crail to Kingsbarns

9. Kingsbarns to St Andrews

10. St Andrews to Newport

11. Newport to Newburgh