Crossford Estates (1.3 miles)
The entrance to Dunfermline Golf Club is just off the main road in the village of Crossford. Pass through a pillared gate and follow the road towards the clubhouse. This is no ordinary 19th hole but rather a classic example of a 16th-century tower house. Pifirrane Castle was the long-term seat of the Halkett family until 1951 when the house and grounds were sold to the golf club, who moved from Torrie Estate a few miles along the road. Walk through the car park, keeping the castle to your right and proceed on to a stony track running down towards the corner of the course. Just before this road bends sharply to the right, an informal path disappears into the trees. Follow this trail by doubling back diagonally and you will come across rows of allotments within the former walled garden of the neighbouring Keavil Estate.
Keep going uphill and you will encounter a ruined structure within the woods. Possibly and old lodge or stable block. The path then skirts the course fairway before swinging away to meet a tarmac road which leads to Keavil House, now a luxury hotel with a health club attached and also a popular venue for weddings and corporate events. Extensions have been built on to the original house which itself has a colourful history, having been requisitioned by the navy during WW1 and serving as a children's home for a 25-year spell. Take the access road back to the main street. You can also jump off this route by crossing a bridge over a burn and following a short woodland path to the A994, almost to the point where you began.
