Distance: 11.81 miles
Ascent: 234 metres
Duration: 3 hours 47 minutes
Two faces of Fife
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Today's walk has been a progression: from leisure to labour, rural to urban, Silversands to Kirkcaldy.
We've seen two sides to Fife; the sun coaxed people out to enjoy the sands of the Kingdom's beaches, despite the biting cold. Plenty of times we've read about "fond memories of holidays by the sea" in this county. The number of people watching seals on the rocks near Seafield Tower suggests there are more memories being made even today.
The towns of Kirkcaldy and Burntisland later provided a stark contrast. The dockside at Burntisland was overgrown and eerily deserted; once past the boarded-up buildings on the outskirts of the town we found Kirkcaldy's newly-constructed promenade to be just as grim, with its whitewashed sea wall looking like an anti-tank defence. This is the other face of the county: hardworking, functional and gritty. But there were signs of hope; the large Carr's flour mill on the edge of the town centre was running, and we had a cheery welcome at a slightly eccentric cafe that offered pottery painting and family fun, along with its hefty homemade cakes.
All day the view across the Forth towards Edinburgh has been irresistible, but we're turning our back on that: Lothian is behind us, the rest of Scotland is ahead and Fife is First.
The people of Fife are said to be very proud of their Kingdom. We haven't quite got the measure of them yet, but hopefully that will change this week as we make our way round to the Tay.
Notes for future walkers:
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