This is a circular walk that combines both Blairadam Forest and Lochore Meadows Country Park. Although the full route as described is 10 miles, there are options to shorten it. The route is described starting from Blairadam, but it could easily be started from Lochore Meadows Visitor Centre.
- Distance: 16 km / 10 miles
- Ascent: 250 m / 850 feet
- Terrain: paths, tracks, some tarmac
- Start / finish: Blairadam lower car park (900m off the B914 public road), Kelty, grid ref NT 129 946.
- Facilities: free car parking, public transport to Kelty, refreshments and toilets at Lochore Meadows
Route Map
Leave the car park heading north into the forest downhill. As you go down the hill you will pass a totem pole on your left then some brickwork with an inscription. This may refer to big cat sightings that have occurred in the area.
At the junction of tracks at the bottom of the hill, go through the green gate but don’t veer left onto the main forest track, instead keep straight on using a rough path through the trees. The path will take you over a couple of wooden footbridges before turning left to go uphill to join a forest road. Turn left onto this road and follow it round to the right when it reaches a house.
Continue onwards on the track which leads to Blairadam House. At the junction with a sign for a private road, keep to the right. You will now walk through an open area of fields passing through some gates. At the next junction you need to turn to your right. Before doing so however, note the walled garden to your right. Although you can’t get access to it, you can peek through the door/gate.
The track/road takes you eastwards alongside the walled garden, past a cottage and through an underpass to reach the public road at Maryburgh. Turn right on to this quiet road and follow it for approximately 400m to reach a path on your left with a green sign for Blairfordel. Take this path / rough track for 500m to where it meets the main road. Go right on the road, using the pavement on the opposite side, for 180m to reach a side road on your left sign posted as a cycle path to Lochore Meadows.
Follow this road towards Lochore Meadows park. Although quiet it is an access road into the park so there is some traffic on it. A few houses are passed and after about 900m a private road goes off to your left towards some new build houses. Our route goes left at this junction but if you want a shorter walk and don’t mind some additional road walking you can keep straight on and then follow the north shore footpath around the Lochore to reach the Willie Clark Visitor Centre.
The houses at Blair Mill are reached after 250m. Continue past the houses, through a couple of gates into woodland on a track. The track will take you gently uphill through the woods to join a public road, the Hill Road, at the entrance to Benarty House.
Turn right on this road and follow it for 400m to reach a gate on your right opposite a set of steps leading on to Benarty Hill. Go through the gate into Harran Hill Woods and follow the rough track known as The Avenue. Keep right at a junction slightly uphill into Harran Hill Woods. Follow the good track over the hill and steeply down the other side to emerge on to the road into Lochore Meadows.
Turn left, pass a small car park and then take the path on your right down to the lochside and away from the road. Follow the lochside path all the way round to the Willie Clarke Visitor Centre where there is a cafe and toilets. The visitor centre would make a good alternative start point.
Follow the road/paths from the visitor centre to the green Outdoor Centre after which you can pick up the lochside path around the southern shore of the loch. The next section is a very pleasant walk around the loch with views across to Benarty Hill. When you reach the western end of the loch keep left at the path junction so that you leave the loch behind you. At the next junction you can either keep left for the direct route or take the right hand option to reach a bird hide. Both routes join up before reaching the Kelty Lochore car park.
Follow the road out from the car park to reach the main road. Take care and cross over the road. Almost directly opposite is a tarmac path leading into a new housing estate. Follow this path, turning right onto a road. Follow this road (Limepark Crescent) to its end, crossing over a mini-roundabout, to go up some old steps to join a path. Turn left on to the path which will emerge on to a side road and then reach the main road in Kelty.
Cross over the road and turn left walking past a shop and a pub. On your right, almost directly opposite Seafar Road, between two houses, is a tarmac path with street lights. Follow this path through a wooded park to reach a car park at a playing field. Exit the car park turning right on to Keltyhill Road and then right again on to Keltyhill Avenue. Follow Keltyhill Avenue, with more parkland to your right, to where it bends round to the left. At this point a footbridge over the motorway should be obvious behind the houses.
Cross the footbridge back into Blairadam Forest. A woodland path takes you into the forest to join the forest path network. Keep right at the first junction (crossroads) going downhill to reach a burn. Keep straight on after the burn (left will take you to the access road into the forest) following the path which bears left and joins the forest road close to the car park where you started the walk.
Fife Walking 