Dean Plantation (3.5 miles)
Start in Cairneyhill at the top of Pitdinnie Road which joins the main A994. Follow the single-track route out of the village and past the Forrester Park golf complex. The road from here on is very quiet but take the usual precautions. After three quarters of a mile you will see the green Forestry Commission sign for the Dean
Plantation. Take the footpath into the woods (not the adjacent farm track).
The way can be muddy at any time of year so walking boots are the preferred option. We gain some height and the River Forth can be seen through the gaps in the trees. We basically skirt the edge of the forest so as long as you're not out of sight of the fields on your right, you can't go far wrong.
The path descends to cross a burn and here we turn right towards a farm, following the course of the water. At the outbuildings, pass through a metal gate and turn right along the dirt track, part of the Fife Pilgrim Way We bypass a private residence and curve back round to Cairneyhill. Just before re-joining the main road, look out for rusting vintage cars incorporated into a garden. We finish on the A994 a mere 100 yards from where we began. There is a café at Fairley's Garden Centre on the opposite side of the main drag.
