Kirkcaldy Walking Festival goes online – but you can download the routes and enjoy!

The move comes due to the restrictions on gatherings.

The annual festival, which runs from Saturday, August 1-9, is organised by Greener Kirkcaldy as part of its work funded by The Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) – a Scottish Government grant programme which supports community-led organisations to tackle climate change through projects that reduce local carbon emissions.

The festival aims to encourage people to walk in their local community, and brings people together to enjoy different aspects of Kirkcaldy and Dysart.

In 2019, 284 people joined 22 walks run by a range of local groups including Kirkcaldy Ramblers, Homestart, Kirkcaldy Civic Society, Seafield Environmental Network and LGBT Fife.

But this year, Greener Kirkcaldy has asked a local groups and organisations to share their favourite walks around the town – and made them available for download online, so people can walk them in their own time.

The routes can be downloaded from the Walking Festival Programme which will be posted on Greener Kirkcaldy’s website in the lead up to the festival.

So far, Fife ABE, Homestart, Kirkcaldy Ramblers, Fife Walking, Seafield Environmental Group and WalkOn Kirkcaldy have all contributed their favourite routes.

Craig Leitch, development worker at Greener Kirkcaldy, said: “We are really sad that we can’t get together to celebrate the festival in the usual way, but we still want to encourage people to get out and walk. Local organisations have provided us with a good mix of routes that will suit all abilities and interests, from a longer circumnavigation of the whole Kirkcaldy to a short poetry walk to Beveridge Park to a childrens scavenger hunt.

“We even have a number of video walks for those who can’t get out.

“The festival will allow people to get some exercise as well as learn about our wonderful town. We would love to hear about your walking adventures, so please share your photos, routes, stories, and anything else with us on social media using #KirkcaldyWalkFest2020.”

As part of the festival programme, Greener Kirkcaldy will also be hosting an online event, “Strolling Through Lockdown”, on August 9 at 7pm.

This event will allow people to come together to reflect on the importance of walking during lockdown and to share their walking photos and stories.

The event is free, but booking is essential through the Greener Kirkcaldy website.

Competitions

Organisers will be also be running two competitions during the online festival, where the lucky winners will receive a £25 voucher for Trespass. The first invites people to share their most beautiful, spectacular and funny walk inspired photos, poems, stories or art. While the Walking Marathon Challenge offers a prize for the person who walks the furthest during the festival week. Send them a screen-shot of a distance measuring or step counting app. To enter, people should post their creations to Greener Kirkcaldy’s Facebook page using #KirkcaldyWalkFest2020, or email: [email protected]. Closing date for both is 5pm on August 12.

Our favourite walks

Jim Taylor, leader of the Lang Toun Joggers, revealed that his favourite walk is in the town’s Beveridge Park.

He said: “Out at the rear of Beveridge Park a path heads up towards Auchtertool a nice new sign guides you out past the golf course and onwards towards the steadings. A rough rock strewn path heads gently uphill on this first part of the walk.

“At a fork you head right and the terrain becomes flat and muddy. You have field both sides of you and the track turns to tarmac as you reach the steadings and the main reason for the walk Balwearie Castle home of the Wizard of the North.

“Turn around and head back the same way happy in the knowledge that the return is downhill. On entering the park again head left past the dog walk area and you will come to an information board on the Wizards Walk follow the directions and you will discover a statue of the Wizard in reality Michael Scott.”

Christine May, chairman of Greener Kirkcaldy’s board, said her favourite local walks are Rabbit Braes and Raith Plantation.

She said: “As lockdown kept us closer to home, I saw my local park at Rabbit Braes and Raith Plantation changing through the seasons during my daily walk. At less than three miles, there are contrasts for all the senses. As March gave way to the prolonged dry spell of April and May, I saw the slow change of the seasons on the slope to the valley floor, the early flowering plants dancing, and on later walks admired the pink waves of the ripening velvet grass as the wind blew and lifted the fledgling starlings practicing their first foraging flights.

“The valley floor is always more sheltered, and the high trees are well favoured by chiffchaffs, blackbirds, crows and magpies. Wild garlic and buttercups, hawthorn and meadowsweet, orchids and thistles all provide shelter and sustenance for bees, beetles, bugs and a host of other creatures.

“The Ringlet butterflies flit amongst the grasses, and the scarlet underwings of the day-flying Burnett moth flash on the thistles.

“Towards Broom Road, the shelter of the trees gives way to the open area where regular groups of dog walkers gather to have a socially distanced chat while their pets run. As lockdown has eased, families come for picnics, and fearless youngsters slide shrieking down the steep banks.

“Across Bennochy Road into Raith Plantation, and its choice of paths. The upper route runs parallel to the houses on Bennochy, whilst the wider lower path follows Oriel Road.

“The trees here are huge, growing on the steep sided cliff and along either side of the bottom path. In March and April, the spring light through the bare trees allowed a huge profusion of flowering plants. As the greening of the canopy concealed the buzzards wheeling above, only their calls revealed their presence as they taught last year’s chicks to hunt with the woodpeckers drumming an accompaniment.

“The darker, cooler walks along the lower path on the very hot days in June were soothing as the second mile began. Until, of course, it was time for the lung-bursting scramble up the gully to the top path to come out behind the houses on Sauchenbush Road.

Meanwhile Kirkcaldy writer, broadcaster and DJ John Murray opted for the Esplanade.

He said: “Since lockdown one concession agreed by both UK and Scottish governments has been the right to have daily exercise. For most of us this has meant an energetic or more often leisurely walk about town and we are blessed with what is basically on our doorstep. From an early age my parents would take me for walks so already I was familiar with Ravenscraig Park and the picturesque Dysart harbour, Beveridge Park with its boating pond or for a shorter walk Dunnikier park or Rabbit Braes each with their own charm.

“For my Piscean heritage though my favourite all weather stroll has been our promenade as close to the sea as you can get. As long or as short as you wish from harbour to Inverteil our own piece of the Coastal Path is fortuitously flat, photogenic, and immensely fulfilling. From the days when you could climb over an inactive sea mine at Port Brae to the new works of landscaped development, this ever-changing landscape remains my favoured walk.

“The sports shop is now a world buffet, the YWCA now a community venue and while the nightclub and ballroom have gone along with distant memories of the bus terminal the promise is of better things to come.”

Ally Caldicott, who runs the Litter Picker Brigade at Ravenscraig, said: “In Kirkcaldy and the surrounding areas, we are spoilt for choice with beautiful walks, but for me nothing beats Ravenscraig Park, with stunning woodland walks, access to Dysart harbour, picturesque sandy beaches, wildlife aplenty, oh and a medieval castle which is free of charge to explore, Ravenscraig Park is truly one of Fife’s hidden gems.

“After moving house recently, I am now within walking distance from Ravenscraig Park and I walk around the park two or three times a week, each time as satisfying as the last. The woodland walks are filled with natural beauty, squirrels running close by and birds singing away. Its very relaxing and easy on the eye. There are many different pathways, one of them leading to the beach where you will see stunning views over the Forth, the path leads on to the delightful Dysart harbour and Sailing Club, where part of the series Outlander was filmed. Another pathway leads to Ravenscraig Castle which is enriched in history and well worth a visit.

“The park is ideal for children, dog walkers and nature lovers. It is fabulous place for children to play, with different play areas for all ages. Some of the trees are so old and large you could shelter a family under them, a brilliant place for a picnic. There are so many different paths you can take each time and it is ideal for walks on your own or to meet other people.

“To me, it is a special place creating memories each time it is visited. Ravenscraig Park, isn’t just my favourite walk but indeed my favourite place in the world.”