Community came together for annual Kirkcaldy Strong Walk as part of town's walking festival

The annual Kirkcaldy Strong Community Walk took place on Saturday with many local community groups and charities taking part this year.

The event, which is part of the Kirkcaldy Walking Festival, saw participants walk the two miles from Nourish Support Centre’s base at Elizabeth House at Mitchelston Industrial Estate to The Kings Theatre on the town’s Esplanade.

Since 2021, Kirkcaldy Strong has hosted an annual walk to champion the heroism and partnership in the town raising awareness and funds for local community groups, charities, and their supporters for the extraordinary work they do to help vulnerable locals.

Groups taking part include Nourish Support Centre, Linton Lane Centre, Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs (SFADA), Stages Dance School, YMCA Kirkcaldy, Fife Alcohol Support Service, Walking Mends My Mind, Adapt Substance Recovery, Cheryl’s Walk and Talk and Rapid Relief Team UK.

Lisa May Young, founder, said: “This year’s walk was a real community event. Forty-eight people attended to support local groups and charities as part of Kirkcaldy Walking Festival.

“We appreciated all the passing waves from cars and claps! Thank you to all involved and the Rapid Relief Team UK who provided food and drinks for everyone.

"Special Thanks to our Aiden Ramage who opened the walk, his first walk took place when he was four and a half! I’m looking forward to next year already.”

Kirkcaldy Walking Festival continues with more events planned in the coming days, before its final day on Sunday, August 25.

Those events still to come are:

> Thursday, August 22

Head to Fife Retail Park for a different location for walk round it and a circumnavigation of Diageo's Cluny Bond. Meet outside Wren Kitchens showroom at 10am. The walk is some six miles and should last 3.5 hours, led by Alex Donald

At 6.45 the second ‘Buzzin Tae Stroll’ vent takes in a loop of Ravenscraig and Dysart over a 5k distance.

> Friday, August 23

Explore the Wynds of Kirkcaldy at 6pm. The start point is Fergus Wynd and the end point is Malcolms Wynd, two miles layer. It covers steps, footpaths and hills and will let you find out more about the town’s many wynds and is run by The Epic Adventurers

> Saturday, August 24

Walk from Kirkcaldy to Wemyss, starting at 10:30am from the car park at Ravenscraig Park.

The 8.5-mile walk - it can be shortened - should take around five hours and is best suited to walkers who are comfortable with uneven ground. Some short sections on pavement/road could be muddy in places after heavy rain.

It is led by Fife Out and About Walking Group and will explore the coastline and countryside between Ravenscraig Park and East Wemyss. Along the way you will discover the industrial heritage of the area, peaceful woodlands, the Wemyss Estate, the line of a disused railway, ancient sea caves, a ruined castle and coastal scenery.

The walk includes a short guided tour of Wemyss Caves conducted by a volunteer from the Save Wemyss Ancient Caves Society. Full information and booking https://fifeoutandabout.weebly.com/kwf.html

> Sunday, August 25

There is a Primal Brothers Walk & Talk starting at 9.30am from the lions at Beveridge Park. The three-mile, 90-minute walk will give you the chance to find out more about the group, and the work it does.

At 11am, there is a big beach clean-up. Meet at the ramp next to the big red heart on The Prom and help clean up Kirkcaldy’s beach. This event will last until the tide comes in.

At 2pm, Kirkcaldy Civic Society has a mystery walkabout. Meet at Nether Street car park and join Anne McIntyre on this informative two-mile walk

At 7pm the festival wraps with a ‘Turret to Tower’ twilight finale. The starting point is the turret at Ravenscraig Park, and it ends at Seafield Tower - a distance of three miles.