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The Burntisland Heritage Trail walk
A walk · Burntisland

Burntisland – A Loop of the Old Port from the Burgh Chambers

About 1.4 miles on foot.

The High Street, BurntislandStartThe LinksWhere you turn

Burntisland is an old port on the Fife shore of the Forth, and its heritage trail is a short loop through the town's long story.

On the way are a gothic town house, a green given by a king, a square church built just after the Reformation, a castle and a ruined kirk. It is 2.2 km, with an audio guide to listen to on your phone as you go.

Time
About an hour and a half: a signed town trail of 2.2 km (under a mile and a half) with numbered stops, graded moderate.
The path
Pavements all the way, with some hills.
Where to start
Start at the Burgh Chambers on the High Street. There are car parks by the Links, a few minutes' walk away.
When to go
All year. From mid October to March go in daylight, to read the plaques and see the ruins.
Children
A short town walk with an audio guide; the Links have a play park.
Before you set out
Rossend Castle is private and Kirkton Church is a ruin; both are seen from outside.

The walk

The trail begins at the Burgh Chambers on the High Street, a gothic building of the 1840s with a tall tower. Next door is the library that Andrew Carnegie gave the town and opened himself in 1907. From there it makes a loop of the old port, with a free audio guide on your phone and plaques and panels to read. It crosses the Links, the green that James V gave to the people of Burntisland, where golf has been played since 1668.

Then come the parish church, finished in 1596 and built on a square plan, and Somerville Square, named after the astronomer Mary Somerville. Further on are the docks and Rossend Castle, where Mary Queen of Scots stayed. The castle is private and seen from the road. The last stop is the oldest: the ruins of Kirkton Church, from the early 13th century.

The whole trail is 2.2 km, under a mile and a half, on pavements with a few hills. Allow an hour and a half.

If it rains

Rain makes this walk wet but never muddy. There is little shelter on the Links or at the docks.

Before you go

  1. Book accommodation nearby

    If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.

    Old Town Chambers8 miles awayOld Town ChambersA place to stayWest End Muse8 miles awayWest End MuseSleeps 4Moment George IV Bridge8 miles awayMoment George IV BridgeSleeps 2The Scott Hotel9 miles awayThe Scott HotelA hotel
Find out more

For further reading, before you go.

Photograph by Zafar Iqbal via Google