Leven Railway Walk (4.8 miles)
This walk is now out of bounds as the railway is being rebuilt. I will leave the report for posterity.
At one time, Fife had a railway that left the main line at Thornton and looped around the coast of the peninsula to St Andrews. The system was shut down in stages during the 1960s with the stump to Leven being left in place for coal traffic to Methil power station. This arrangement lasted until 2001 and since then the tracks have been left to decay. Although this route is still officially the property of Network Rail, the chances of being challenged when walking the rails must be remote.
Walk through the car park of Leven swimming pool which is just across the road from the bus station. You will see a metal railbridge spanning the river. It is possible to walk on to the railway here. Follow the tracks towards Sainsbury's. We are currently on a branch which left the coastal loop to serve Methil Docks. This route merged with the old passenger line at Kirkland Sidings, which are now occupied by Fife Heritage Railway
The heritage organisation have their own tracks and running days are staged throughout the year. We push on along the old coastal route, heading back towards Thornton. The going is relatively easy as the trackbed hasn't been taken over by vegetation.
We reach the bridge under the A915 which leads into the old Cameron Bridge station with platforms still intact. This is also the location of the distillery of the same name - now owned by global drinks giant Diageo and by far the biggest producer of grain whisky spirit in Scotland. The line crosses the river twice in short succession and although the tracks are fenced, the pedestrian gate should allow access to the bridges. Turning back here gives a total walk length of around five miles.
You can also continue for another two and a half miles along the line as it parallels the River Ore. It's best not to get too close to the junction with the main line. Indeed, the final half mile was reinstated for opencast coal for a while. Looking for a pint of real ale in Leven? Good luck!
