Heritage and art trails unveiled as Levenmouth taps into tourism growth after launch of rail link

These are the questions the Levenmouth Local Tourism Association faced when the new Levenmouth Rail Link was announced.

A group made up of local business owners and community members and supported by Fife Council, it wanted to create new and excited visitor attractions that would really make the most of what the area has to offer.

In the 1960s and even before that, Levenmouth was a hugely popular holiday hotspot thanks to its beautiful golden beach, wide promenade, great businesses and locality to Edinburgh and Glasgow. However, after the railway was closed in 1969, visitor numbers fell, and the area saw a drop in both tourism and pride within the local area.

However, thanks to an ultimately successful community-led campaign back in 2019, the railway was announced and plans started to really capitalise on the opportunity. Meetings were held, ideas discussed at length, community engagement done, and by 2022, an action plan was drawn up.

Heritage and art trails were on the list - and work began to pull them together. Visit www.levenmouthdiscoverytrails.co.uk to find out more.

Matt Pointon, BRAG Enterprises’ Levenmouth tourism officer who led on the project, said:

“When I started the project, I had just moved to the area, so for me, the whole process was one big discovery. I was reliant upon the local people to provide me with the information for these trails, from their own social history to the stories they wanted telling.”

Over the last year, hundreds of people have been involved in creating and developing the trails, from children at local primary schools testing them out to local history groups and enthusiasts taking time to support the project. Methil Heritage Centre hosted a special event where the doors were open to local people to come in and share their thoughts on the project, and local people have been employed as voice actors on the project.

Developed in partnership with Dunfermline based Web and Marketing Agency Simplicity, which led on the software development side, the trails feature a live map so that you always know where you are, along with audio, images and video sharing information about the area.

Matt added: “There is so much amazing history here in Levenmouth, it was hard to know what to put in and what to leave out.

“There are always lots of opinions with something like this, but ultimately, we’re looking to promote Levenmouth to visitors coming to the area, so making the trails accessible both physically but also in terms of content was very important. Finding the balance between enjoyment and information, not overloading people with too much and trying to keep it relevant.

“And it’s not just history either - the artists who come from this area are world-renowned, as is the energy sector with the tremendously exciting H100 project taking place right here.

“It’s a truly interest place and I don’t think people realise what they have on their doorstep. I hope both visitors and locals will use these trails, enjoy their journey and appreciate Levenmouth even more.”

The eight trails start from various different locations around the Levenmouth area and work by using a smartphone. They’re very easy to use and visit some great spots including Letham Glen, Silverburn Park, Lower and Upper Largo, Buckhaven, Methil and the Wemyss. All trails are easily walkable, and some are suitable for wheelchair users. They can all be cycled, but as there’s so much to take in, you may be travelling too quickly to really make the most out of it.