New access to estate to take cars out of historic Fife burgh

A new access road to Falkland Estate opens this week to cut the volume of traffic going through the historic burgh’s narrow streets.

The new entrance on the A912 opens from Wednesday replacing the current junction at the Pillars of Hercules.

The estate attracts some 200,000 visitors every year, and the burgh’s narrow, medieval roads were struggling to cope with the traffic.

The current junction on the A912 has restricted lines of sight. To improve safety, encourage traffic to enter the estate without passing through the village of Falkland and offer more car-parking space, a decision was made to reconfigure the roadway and parking.

Months of work - delayed by the coronavirus lockdown - have now created the new entrance which is south of the existing access on the A912 which will then be closed.

The aim is to take cars out of the burgh and improve safety for both locals and visitors, while also offering more parking facilities.

The work has meant changes to the existing road layout and drivers should take care when approaching and leaving the new junction.

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Initially there will be temporary signage in place to alert drivers and cyclists to the changes. More permanent signage and landscape planting will follow in coming months. A section of the new car park will be available for use from Wednesday.

Funding for the work came from Fife LEADER as part of the Scottish Government Rural Development ​Programme ​supported by the European Union as well as Falkland Estate Trust and Pillars of Hercules Organic Farm Shop and Café.

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