West Fife Bridges (3 miles)
This walk uses the two bridges at Kincardine to take us over the Forth and back again. It does mean walking alongside busy traffic for two thirds of the way but there is the possibility of seeing some birdlife on the mudflats. Cormorants are regular visitors and egrets are sometimes spotted. Rumour has it that a spoonbill was once seen around these parts! The Kincardine Bridge was opened in 1936 and had a swing section in the centre to allow shipping through. This was welded permanently shut in 1988. It's concrete counterpart - The Clackmannanshire Bridge - has been in operation since 2008. Despite it's name, the bridge is actually situated wholly within Fife's political boundary.
Starting in the centre of Kincardine, make your way along Keith Street and climb the stairs which give pedestrian access to the original bridge. The pavement has a barrier to separate you from traffic. Once over the water, take the footpath on the right which leads to the other bridge. We do have to cross the carriageway here as the pedestrian walkway lies on the far side. Please do so with care.
The Clacks Bridge is slightly longer and was constructed in order to relieve pressure on Kincardine town, which had become a bottleneck. Once across, a path doubles back down under the decking. Before taking this route, look left across the fields for the ruined Kennetpans Distillery which was the first place in Scotland to produce the national drink on a commercial scale.
The final stage of the walk is much quieter, following the line of the shore past a decommissioned power station (bar the omnipresent hum of transformers). Cross the railway at the designated point and proceed along Station Road back to the middle of Kincardine.
