Walk of the Week: Crail to Cambo Sands

In December I wrote about the St Monans/Crail section of the Fife Coastal Path (FCP); traversed on a day of westerly gale force winds when being far east and at sea-level had distinct advantages. With the continuation of that adverse weather, Jimbo, John and I returned late January to the FCP, this time the section from Crail to Cambo Sands; a section quite unlike any other.

In leaving Crail, the last of the East Neuk villages, there is a sense of remoteness in traversing the easterly bulge of Fife, heading for Fife Ness. This sandstone headland, the most easterly point of Fife, seems to challenge the might of the North Sea. With an almost imperceptible change of direction at first, the terrain gradually becomes more gentle passing by Cambo Sands on the way to St Andrews. There are no villages along the way though there are some links golf courses to be skirted. (To avoid disturbance to players and for your own safety walkers should keep to the path.)

A pre-placed car at Cambo Sands car park, by Kingsbarns, meant that our 6-mile linear walk was not too far in the adverse conditions. A narrow lane, Back Stile, leads from the car park to the village and the A917. The regular St Andrews/Crail bus service passes by Kingsbarns – phone Traveline 0871 200 2233 – and more information is available on www.fife coastalpath.co.uk