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Lucklaw Hill, a prominent feature in
the north-east Fife landscape, towers over the expanding
village of Balmullo. Renowned for its huge, pink quarry,
it is the source of volcanic dacite rock for a myriad of
projects in the County and beyond, including field walls,
house building, path and road surfacing. Almost half of
the hill has been quarried over the years, but it is
unlikely to continue much further. On weekdays the air
reverberates to the sound of aircraft engine noise from
nearby RAF Leuchars airfield.
The walk begins through ‘Willie’s
Wood’ - a Forestry Authority
Community Woodland - and follows a
wide grassy rise, rounding to the
left and up to the highest point.
Picnic tables and an interesting
spherical sundial grace the top. The
path descends from here, through a
gate then rising towards a steading
development that was Lucklaw Farm.
Turn left at the end of the path
onto the rough road away from the
steading development for a short
distance to a junction. Turn right
and continue to a crossroads. To
the left is the hamlet of Logie;
ahead a link road to the A914; to
the right the road to the quarry and
Balmullo.
Turn right and, after 60 yards,
cross over the road, pass through a
gateway, beside the fingerposts
indicating the route to Lucklaw Hill
and the Woodland Walk, and follow
the wide grass track up the gentle
rise. The stone wall on the left
continues to where there is a field
gate with a smaller pedestrian gate
beside it that was on the old route
to Lucklaw Hill and led through an
unpleasant, muddy gateway lower down
where the ground was badly churned
up by the cattle. Do not go through
this gate but continue ahead in the
indicated direction to Lucklaw Hill
(not the Woodland Walk).
Keep on this track as it descends
gently and bears right towards a
gate in the wall a few yards up from
a corner (see the picture right).
Go through this gate, turn
immediately left and through a
second gate a few metres on. Cross
the field to the fence line and
follow the tracks beside it, uphill
past a thicket, bounded by a high
wall. A gate at the top of this rise
leads through onto a track which
then branches right, towards the
summit of Lucklaw Hill (690ft/190m)
that is festooned with radio
telecommunications masts and a
triangulation pillar.
Spend a
little time on the top of this little hill and take in the
magnificent 360 degree panorama east and north from St
Andrews across the River Eden estuary and RAF Leuchars
airfield towards the Angus coast, round past Dundee and
the Sidlaws – and the Grampians beyond on a clear day.
Continue west past Norman’s Law and round further still to
West and East Lomond and Largo Law. Keep a watch for
buzzards, kestrels and foxes.
To continue,
keep to the right of the steel fence surrounding the masts
and small building and head WNW towards a gate in the
fence bordering the tree line. Inside the fence four
tracks lead ahead. Take either of the center two through a
mix of heather, broom, blaeberry, birch, bracken, beech,
conifer, holly and many other species of flora, taking
care when walking over the exposed roots of some of the
trees. The path bears to the left and descends towards a
wide forest track beside a barrier and one or two
cottages. Turn right and head down the tarmac road to the
junction at Brackmont and left again. In the dip - at
Loanfoot steading - turn left and follow a rough track
towards the trees on Straiton Hill.
The route can be
plagued by brambles at times as it leads uphill through
the trees emerging at the wide track some 100 yards from
the barrier and cottages where the route turned right
(above). Turn right here and continue to the western edge
of the forest at a gate and heavy rail fence constructed
for horses to negotiate. The route continues ahead, over
the field, to the end of the trees which range in from the
left. However, should the field be planted, respect the
growing crop and follow the fence left round to the large
metal gates leading out through the thicket to a rough
road.
Turn left and
walk the long, inclined straight, southwestwards past
Brighouse, to reach a tarmac road. Turn left, again,
passing Ardlogie house, to the crossroads mentioned above.
Continue ahead at the junction and retrace the outward
route through the woodland back to the start. |
WALK FACTS
Map:
OS Landranger Sheet 59 (St Andrews & Kirkcaldy)
Distance:
5 miles. Mostly on good paths and tracks with a little
road walking.
Starting
Point:
NO 416 205 Cuplahills Community Woodland car park, ¾ mile
along a rough road, signposted from the southern outskirts
of Balmullo on the A92 Tay Bridge / Cupar road.
Parts of
the route pass through agricultural land therefore dogs
MUST be kept on a lead and under strict control.
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