The Kingdom of Fife is situated on the East Coast of Scotland, and is just a bus or train away from Edinburgh and other parts of Scotland. From cute fishing villages to colourful gardens to hidden waterfalls, there is something for everyone. In this post, I am sharing 3 day trip ideas that you can do by public transport in Fife, including Levenmouth, Kingsbarns, and Pittenweem and Anstruther, consisting of fun activities and vegan friendly food.
I have also written a post about the Fife 191 Route by public transport which includes some other lovely locations so make sure you take a look at that too (read here).
For this trip, I was based in Dunfermline so I started my journey from there each morning but you can easily get to these places from other locations in Scotland too. Stagecoach and Google Maps are great websites to plan your trips with. There are different ticket options to help save you money if you are planning to use the bus for a few days, such as day/week/month tickets.
This is a paid partnership with Welcome to Fife, however all opinions stated in this blog post are my own
Day Trip 1 - Levenmouth
The new Levenmouth rail link opened in June this year, allowing easier access from different parts of Scotland. I took the train from Dunfermline to Inverkeithing and then to Leven but you can also get a direct train from Edinburgh. The views along the way were beautiful.
Once I got off the train, I walked along the beach and then turned towards Silverburn Park. Had a stroll through the walled garden and it was such a lovely place to relax. Right next to the walled garden, there’s The Cottage Window Cafe where I had their toastie of the week which was naan and bhaji and was so grateful for the sunny day.
After lunch, I walked around 10 minutes up to Blacketyside Farm where you can pick your own strawberries and raspberries. They have loads of locally produced food in their shop and it was really hard not to buy everything!
I then followed the coastal trail which took around 40 minutes to Lower Largo and walked around admiring all the art outside the cottages. Lower Largo is also the birthplace of Alexander Selkirk, the real-life inspiration for Robinson Crusoe.
I stopped by The Aurrie, a cafe inside a converted church, and had some lentil soup, homemade iced tea and some vegan cake. They also have art by local artists and this is one of the few times I wish I wasn’t a digital nomad so I can buy all the cute mugs and decorations for my home. I then took the bus back to Leven and then the train to Dunfermline.
Day Trip 2 - Kingsbarns
I took the bus X59 to St Andrews Bus Station and then bus 95 towards Leven and got off at the bus stop “The Lodge” which is right outside the gates of Cambo Gardens. I walked on the woodland trail and followed the signs for about 10 minutes and arrived at the ticket office. The ticket cost £7.70 and you can spend a few hours there exploring the colourful garden.
There is also woodland and fairy trails which are worth doing while there.
I had some delicious food at the cafe which is in the old stables. I was very happy to see that the menu was vegetarian friendly and had loads of vegan options. I had a massive salad and a pea and mint soup and the ingredients are fresh from the garden.
I also had a vegan biscoff cake and some fresh mint tea and enjoyed the cosy atmosphere.
From the gardens, you can walk around 30 minutes along the beach to the Wild Scottish Sauna which was my next activity for the day. You can book a session online through their website. I booked the social sauna session but you can also book a private one as well as packages that include guided wild swimming or yoga. It’s located at Kingsbarns Beach Car Park so you can also get there by taking the bus 95 to “The Square” stop and walk 15 minutes.
It felt amazing going for a swim in the sea and then running into the sauna repeating that for an hour. The sea view from the window was beautiful so I got to enjoy that while also chatting with some other people in the sauna.
Right next to the sauna, there’s the Harbour Burger food truck and I had a vegan haggis burger which was perfect for after my swim and sauna session. After that, I walked 15 minutes up to the bus stop “The Square” and took bus 95 back to St Andrews and then a bus back to Dunfermline. This was such a wholesome solo date and I felt super relaxed during and after the trip.
Day Trip 3 - Pittenweem and Anstruther
You can take the bus X60/X61 from Edinburgh towards St Andrews and get off at “Tollcross” at Pittenweem or “Harbour” at Anstruther if you want to go straight there. I went to The Cocoa Tree Shop and asked for the key to St Fillans Cave and then walked a few minutes down Cove Wynd to the cave. St Fillan was an Irish missionary during the 7th century and he spent most of his life as a hermit in the cave and that’s why Pittenweem means “place of the cave”.
After the cave, I took the key back to The Cocoa Tree Shop and had lunch there. I had a mixed bean soup made with cocoa and a vegan Belgian waffle with chocolate sauce and berries.
I walked around Pittenweem for a bit and then followed the coastal path for around 30 minutes to Anstruther. Once I got to Anstruther, I came across Dreel Halls and it happened to be an open day so I got to take a tour up the 16th century tower and learn about its history as well as see Ansruther from a different point of view. Make sure to check out the other Doors Open days in Fife for next year as you can visit historical buildings that are not usually open to the public.
From wildlife boat trips to the Isle of May (from Anstruther) to the Scottish Fisheries Museum to wild swimming in the tide pools, there’s much to do in the East Neuk of Fife, and there’s something for everyone. If you have time, you can also walk from Anstruther to Crail which is another beautiful village to visit.
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