I'd been meaning to ride the Fife coastline for years. Somehow I'd never done it. There was always a better plan. Always something which sounded more fun. I remember reading about it in an old mountain bike guide book. The route was described as a must do for every mountain biker seeking adventure.

I could never correlate that description with what I knew of the coastline from weekend outings in the car. Sure, it was nice and had some nice sandy beaches, but it always seemed a bit busy, both with people, houses and industry. How could this possibly be at the top of any mountain biker's to-do list?

Half way though a busy and stressful week at work, I decided I needed a weekend away. I wanted nothing more than to have a break from normal life and enjoy the freedom that comes from cycling with a lightweight tent and a rough plan. I also didn't want to have to drive far and at first thought I'd go for a ride straight from my house to the hills to the south or west of Edinburgh. But, I'd done that many times before. Instead, I choose to ride straight from my house north. I asked a couple of reliable friends if they'd be up for joining me.

Unfortunately, it was too late in the week, they already had plans.
There is a Fife coast cycle route, but this wasn't what I planned to ride. I was going to try the walking route. A quick trip to shop to buy the relevant OS map and I spent a happy hour examining the paths. The walking route appeared to consist of paths and track-roads following the very edge of the coastline for almost it's entire length. The cycling route mostly follows roads, slightly inland. The walking route looked like it'd be far more challenging, interesting and fun.