Overview
The Fife Coastal Path covers 174km between Kincardine and Newburgh, between the Forth and Tay estuaries. On this self-guided walking tour you walk the Leven to St Andrews section, from popular seaside town to world-famous university city. Dip in and out of traditional fishing villages like St Monans, and visit historic gems such as Macduff’s Castle. This is a fine way to immerse yourself in Scotland’s eastern peninsula over five days, where coastal paths and nature reserves are peppered with caves and coves. Stay in small, mostly locally-owned hotels, with luggage transfers.
- East Neuk fishing villages
- Eden Estuary Nature Reserve
- Tentsmuir beach and forest
- Fife Ness Lighthouse
- St Andrews
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Leven
Arrive in the seaside town of Leven. Sitting at the mouth of the River Leven, this seaside town has a lovely beach promenade as well as Fife Heritage Railway, the first of its kind in Fife.
- Accommodation: Dunclutha Guesthouse or similar in Leven
Day 2: Leven to Elie | 14.5km
Today is a shorter route, where you start the day heading towards Lundin Links where its golf course offers great coastal views. The route climbs and winds along the coastline with some beautiful views on the way to the Eden Estuary Centre and Kincraig Head. Due to availability of accommodation in Elie, you are transferred back to Leven for the evening.
- Walking for the day: 14.5km, ↑69m ↓62m
- Accommodation: Dunclutha Guest House or similar in Leven
Day 3: Elie to Crail | 16.9km
Start the day with a transfer back to Elie to resume your walk along the coast. The first highlight is Ardross Castle, then Newark Castle ruins along the clifftop before reaching St Monans, one of three East Neuk fishing villages. Continue along a more easygoing path with views over to the Isle of May and Bass Rock before reaching Crail, considered the most photographed location on the Fife Coastal Path. Crail is the oldest Royal Burgh (town) in the East Neuk of Fife, and it’s a lovely place to spend the evening strolling its cobbled streets dotted with traditional fishing cottages
- Walking for the day: 16.9km, ↑73m ↓60m
- Accommodation: Honeypot Guesthouse or similar in Crail
Day 4: Crail to St Andrews | 22.7km
Soon after leaving Crail, the path winds its way around the Fife headland past Fife Ness Lighthouse. Make sure to check tidal times before beginning your walk today as some sections are impassable at high tide. The trail is a mix of beaches, rivers and farmland before arriving into the historic town of St Andrews.
We recommend adding an extra night in Crail to your tour to explore the Isle of May National Nature Reserve (NNR). This small island is home to 90,000 puffins and the largest Atlantic grey seal colony in eastern Britain. Hop on the May Princess from Anstruther and spend 2h 30mins-3h exploring the island, taking in the array of seabirds as well as potential sightings of porpoises, dolphins or even whales. See When to Go below for seasonal information.
Included:
- Additional night in Crail
- Return transfers to Anstruther
- Boat trip and self-guided walking experience (4-5h total)
- Walking for the day: 22.7km, ↑157m ↓168m
- Accommodation: No12 B&B or similar in St Andrews
Day 5: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of mostly small, locally-owned hotels, B&Bs and traditional guesthouses. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Show the default hotels for this trip
- Dunclutha Guest House (Leven)
- Honeypot Guesthouse (Crail)
- No12 B&B (St Andrews)
Accommodation is subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel or guesthouse being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or packed lunch can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. You can have dinner at the guesthouse you are staying at or at the village pubs and restaurants.
Difficulty and terrain
This tour is classed as moderate, with daily distances ranging from 14-23km. Although daily elevation gains are not very big, some days will be more challenging than others and the terrain will be varied with some rough and rugged footpaths (read more about difficulty grades).
The route is well signposted throughout, however, walkers must be vigilant at all times as there are paths and junctions along the way which deviate from the main route. We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from March until October. It is best enjoyed in the spring and autumn when there are fewer people on the trails and less of the infamous midges, however, the summer months are also fantastic when the flora and fauna really come to life.
For the Isle of May excursions, the Spring and early Summer months are best, particularly to see the puffins. Other seasons are not to be missed, as although the numbers of puffins reduces through July, the late Summer and Autumn months see an increase in the number of seals and other migratory birds. And there’s always a chance of seeing dolphins and whales.
The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date during the season. For detailed info, see our blog on the Best time to go to Scotland.
Getting there
Up-to-date travel advice on the United Kingdom is available here (for Canadian citizens) and here (for US citizens).
Click to view travel options and route planner
By plane
Our recommended airport for this tour is Edinburgh Airport (EDI).
By train or bus
- If you are able to travel to Scotland without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail with train stations in Burntisland and Leuchars with a bus connection to St Andrews (12mins). For more details, see ScotRail.
UK Visa and entry requirements:
IMPORTANT: From 2025, the UK is implementing a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for many countries around the world. Up until 08 January, the ETA requirement only applied to nationals from Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.
On 08 January 2025, the ETA requirement was extended to visitors from eligible non-European countries, including Australian, Canadian and US nationals. Then, on 02 April 2025, the ETA requirement was extended to eligible European countries, referring to most of Europe.
You can view the full list of countries that this applies to here and apply for your ETA here, or on the UK ETA app. The ETA usually takes up to three working days to be processed, although we advise applying as early as possible, in advance of your travel dates. People travelling with an Irish passport don’t need an ETA.
You can read more about the UK entry requirements on our blog.
Inclusions
Included
- 4 nights accommodation
- 4 breakfasts
- Door-to-door luggage transfers on all walking days (one piece per person, max 18kg)
- Access to your digital pre-departure information (accommodation list, GPS map of the route, baggage transfer information, itineraries, route information of cafes, restaurants, local bus timetables, etc.)
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not specifically mentioned as included in the programme
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers
- Extra nights along the route are available upon request
