(099) Culross – Country and Heritage Walk (Fife)

Route Summary
This is an easy walk in the countryside environment around and about the unique and historic Fife coastal village of Culross. The route offers fine views over the Firth of Forth before exploring the village’s charming architectural treasures.

Duration: 3 hours.

Route Overview
Duration: 3 hours.
Transport/Parking: There are Stagecoach bus options for Culross. Check timetables. Free parking at the East Car-Park, where the walk starts and ends.
Length: 7.840 km / 4.90 mi
Height Gain: 134 meter.
Height Loss: 134 meter.
Max Height: 72 meter.
Min Height: 2 meter.
Surface: Moderate. A mix of hard-surfaced paths, woodland tracks, farm roads and minor roads. May be muddy in places.
Difficulty: Easy.
Child Friendly: Yes, if children are used to walks of this distance.
Dog Friendly: Yes, but keep dogs on lead on public roads and near farm animals.
Refreshments: In no particular order: Bessie’s Cafe, Biscuit Cafe, Admiral Cafe, Abbey Cafe, Red Lion Hotel/Pub.

Description
This is a memorable and effortless ramble along the coastline and into the countryside around and about the charming historic village of Culross (pronounced Koo-Riss) on the banks of the Firth of Forth. The route also takes us to a wooded glade where there is the grave of a family of children who succumbed to the Plague in 1645, before moving on through farmland to the ruins of the West Kirk, a pre-Reformation church from the early 16thC, with a commanding view over the Firth of Forth. Descending towards Culross, we arrive at the impressive partial ruins of Culross Abbey, a former Cistercian abbey, founded in 1217. Culross is a very special place, mostly thanks to the work of the National Trust for Scotland who have been working on its preservation and restoration since the 1930s. From the NTS website: “… Culross is Scotland’s most complete example of a burgh of the 17th and 18th centuries. White-harled houses with red-tiled roofs line the steep cobbled streets which run from the market cross to the hilltop abbey. In the centre is the ochre-coloured palace with its beautifully reconstructed period garden … It’s little wonder that Culross is acknowledged as one of the most picturesque villages in Scotland – or that it’s so often used as a film and television location … The streets of Culross have appeared many times in the hit US TV series Outlander …”. For guidance information about Culross, see the following useful links: