Day 5 – Earlsferry to Crail

Day 5 – Wednesday 7th August 2013. Earlsferry to Crail

Blue skies and soaring temperatures in north east Fife

A 13-mile walk through some of the most stunning views in the Kingdom, and a fabulous high tea at the end!

Day five of Bob’s Walk delivered the hottest temperatures and arguably the finest scenery yet – a day in the north-east which took your breath away.

We travelled from Earlsferry to Crail, through Elie, St Monans, Anstruther and Pittenweem;a fabulous journey which embraced wonderful views and the warmest of welcomes wherever we went.

Our pedometer stopped dead on 13 miles as we arrived at the Golf Hotel in Crail for a fabulous high tea, and by then we had seen and savoured the Kingdom at its very, very best.

Once again we were joined by new faces, old faces and community groups who took the number of walkers to over 20 for the third day running.

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The Rotarians from Anstruther & District were joined by Ken Wilkie, the man behind www.bobswalk.co.uk website, and fellow photographer and walker, Peter Grubb.

The mile-walk from Earlsferry to Elie took no time at all, and the silence of the countryside was broken only by conversation and a number of plans flying low overhead on exercise from RAF Leuchars.

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The rural path leading to St Monans produced many photo opportunities – stunning landscapes as well as of the walkers as we started to split into small groups with our canine companions Fred and Amber zig-zagging back and forth and exploring more of the path than probably most walkers have managed!

From St Monans we kicked on past the saltpans and the first of several once-popular old outdoor swimming pools, and along to Pittenweem where a pop-up Maggie’s Centre formed part of the festival and became our focal point for photos, and the presentation of a generous cheque from our Rotarian walkers.

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Tu Edwards was busy serving hot and cold drinks as we sprawled out on the grass for a very welcome break – the sun was just about at its peak, and we were all starting to feel the heat!

With its arts festival in full flight, Pittenweem was a busy place as we headed down to the shore and on to Anstruther.

Our apologies also to Eunice and Susan Thomson who had arranged a little welcome party for us along with Heather Cunningham- one of the participating festival artists – who we didn’t catch up with after arriving in the village via the top road. Our thanks, however for their support and very kind wishes – their pictures is part of our photo-montage from day five online at www.facebook.com/fifefreepress and www.facebook.com/bobswalk.

We said farewell to some of our walkers as we headed out of Pittenweem along the coast to Anstruther which was soaked in summer sunshine, with every pavement table and bench filled by visitors and tourists.

Our thanks to the people who gave so generously as we ventured along the front to the ice cream shop – Bob’s treat! – for a very welcome rest before moving on towards Cellardyke where there were old friends waiting to meet Bob.

And then it was back into the countryside as the towns and villages faded and the path narrowed just yards from the shore.

The second part of the walk was fabulous, but more challenging – the underfoot conditions were far from even, and the switch from stone to path to grass and back again every few dozen yards took its toll on tiring limbs.

Thankfully the coos in the field were far to docile to investigate as we hauled ourselves over the stone wall and into their fields around the Caiplie Caves, en route to Crail where we climbed the last stone steps and began a wonderful descent to the door of the Golf Hotel.

Huge thanks to the staff for their very prompt service despite us arriving at the same time – we were slightly late! – as a huge coach party and a very busy bar to run. The high tea was absolutely fantastic – toast, pancakes, cakes, and haddock and chips.

A perfect end to a perfect day …
Day 6 (Thursday) Crail to Boarhills

A shorter distance – just nine miles – which will see us depart from the Golf Hotel, Crail, towards Fife Ness and Kingsbarns and on to our destination in late afternoon.

If you’d like to join any part of the walk please you will be made very welcome. Please visit www.bobswalk.co.uk/bobs-walk-2013/ for further details.

 

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See pictures from Bob’s Walk

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View from Elie harbour
Photograph by Ken Wilkie