Crombie to Limekilns (3 miles)
We start at Crombie village which sits on the A985. Much of the housing was originally constructed for workers at the nearby MOD base. Crombie can be reached by bus from Dunfermline (service 6). Another option, if doing the whole thing without a car, is to walk from nearby Cairneyhill, where myriad Stagecoach services stop. The two villages are just under a mile apart. Head up Muirside Lane in Cairneyhill next to the hairdressers.
The coastal path takes you round the back of Crombie before eventually rejoining the A985 on a broad shared pavement for walkers and cyclists. After three quarters of a mile we branch right where the road is signed for Charlestown. The walking route leaves this minor road almost immediately and skirts some industrial units before crossing an extremely overgrown railway line on the level (the mothballed route to MOD Crombie).
Follow the signed route along minor tracks which leads down to Charlestown via the rather gloomy Rocks Road. The fringes of the Broomhall Estate (belonging to the Earl of Elgin) are situated behind a high wall. We emerge into the village which features a lovely green and a well-stocked shop called The Sutlery. Here you can buy bottled-conditioned ales from the local Limekilns Brew Shed as well as obtain various hot and cold snacks.
Charlestown has a fascinating industrial heritage but that is beyond the scope of this walk. We head down the cobbled road to the adjacent village of Limekilns where we once again meet the water.
PUB STOPS - Two excellent alehouses are located in Limekilns. The Ship Inn is a traditional and welcoming pub which always has two or three ales in tip-top condition. A local Brew Shed offering can sometimes be found and the pub has an excellent reputation locally for its food. The Bruce Arms often features a brew from Inner Bay along the road in Inverkeithing as well as a more mainstream ale. Food also served.
The Sundial Cafe in the centre of the village is also a popular spot. An hourly bus service brings you back to the start of the walk in Crombie.
