3: Explore a Hermit’s cave on the coastal route from Crail to St. Monans
Easy 7 mile (12km) walk along the coastline from Crail to St. Monans
Park in St. Monans and get the bus to Crail - walk back
No hills (only 77m ascent in total) and around 3-4 hours of walking
Can be muddy. Hiking or welly boots recommended
Fantastic places to stop for coffees and food
Insanely good views and a truly brilliant day out
You COULD make the walk shorter by only doing Crail to Anstruther - if needed.
Getting to the Start
It’s just under an hour to drive to St. Monans from Edinburgh. Once you arrive, you’ll notice that parking is free in the village. Just be mindful of where you’ve parked - so you don’t block anything on the harbour!
Handily, on the way up to the bus shelter, you’ll pass the Giddy Gannet. We stopped in there for a quick coffee and it was honestly fantastic. highly recommended.
Catch the No. 95 bus to Crail from the main road (A917), which is just a short walk up from the harbour. You’ll see the bus shelter. The bus leaves just before every hour (i.e. 09:53am, 10:53am, etc) and takes 32 minutes. So you’ll probably want to be in St. Monans for around 9:15am. This may seem like an early start, but I PROMISE it’s worth it!
If you don’t have a car then St. Monans can be accessed by bus from Edinburgh. Stagecoach East Scotland operates a bus from West End, Queensferry Street to St Monans, Station Road every 3 hours. Tickets cost £8 - £13 and the journey takes 2h 3m.
Highlights
Park in St. Monans (quick hipster coffee at Giddy Gannet!) and easily get the bus to Crail.
Stunning 4 mile walk from Crail to Anstruther (1.5-2 hours) along the Fife Coastal Trail, exploring caves and ruins en route
Fish and Chips in Anstruther for lunch
Another easy 3 mile walk from Anstruther to St. Monans (1-1.5 hours)
Watch the sun set over the harbour in St. Monans and find your car!
Only slightly hilly (77m ascent total) and insane views.
Walk Description
After getting off the bus from St. Monans, it is tempting to head down the hill into Crail. You can……. but the Fife Coastal trail actually starts from the main road, as you walk back out of the village. Just keep an eye out for Fife Coastal Trail signs. You’re going to follow this path for 4 miles and it will take around 1.5 - 2 hours.
The walk follows the coast, passing some truly fantastic places to explore. The first cool place is the Caves of Caiplie, known locally as The Coves. You can explore inside AND climb (safely) up on top of them from behind. Each section of the cave has a different name; Harmit's Well is the easternmost of the Caves of Caiplie and it is named this because for several months just prior to World War II it was used by a hermit as his house, the fixing points for his door and window can still be seen embedded in the natural sandstone walls.
You’ll arrive in Anstruther (probably hungry!) and there are lots of places to eat. We usually bring a picnic, but knew we wanted fish and chips in Anstruther. The Anstruther Fish Bar is probably the most well known and it serves buttered, white bread with your lunch and a metal tea pot. That’s all you need to know! It’s great!
Walk through Anstruther, sticking to the coast, and look for Fife Coastal Trail signs again. You’re set for another three miles. This time you’ll pass through Pittenweem, old salt works and pass an outdoor swimming pool.
When you arrive in St. Monans - take some time to walk to the end of the harbour. You’ll see some well known wave breaking walls. Great for a photo at sunset!
TOP TIPS
If you’re worried about smaller children not making the 7 mile distance, you could make the walk smaller by driving to Anstruther and getting the bus to Crail. Just do the first part of the walk. Honestly though…..? Kids can walk waaaay further than you think! Just zone out the moaning and they get there eventually!
In St. Monans, the Giddy Gannet was such a welcome start to the day. The sandwiches, coffee and cake are all excellent. The owners were lovely too.
If you like cider, Scotland’s first cider bottle store recently opened in Antruther - called Aeble. It has a good selection and really friendly owners.
