Saturday 10 September 2011

Elie Chain Walk, Fife - a free fun family adventure!

Ok in the summer we had a few very good adventures one of which was in Elie, Fife and this one was both adventure-tastic and free! A very suitable adventure for both young and old, I mean if I can do it (old stechy-pants McKenzie) - anyone can! 
 Ok for a start - you head to Elie in Fife a peedie bit down from st andrews.....
You head towards and park at the Earls Ferry Golf course - avoid flying golf balls and make your way towards this gorgeous beach and the fife coastal path.
 Have a lovely bimble along the beach, dip your toe in the frozen water, mind on its Fife, the sea is the North sea, and its blinking cauld enough to freeze your tootsies off.
Once you run out of beach a bit of an amble up the edge towards the rocks and a peedie white sign shows on the rocks - you start there, ponder a while at the wonderful safety notice.
The chain walk is free, run by the local council, no attendees, no safety nets, no bother. Its not a hard walk, with sensible footwear and an eye on the weather/tides its fantastic fun. 3 km (takes about 1 1/2 hours)  - which is brilliant fun, gives them exercise (without them noticing), its free fun and goes in a trice! And, one of the best bits about it is when you finish it you can go back the return way by the chain walk and its completely different or woose out and go along the coastal path at the top to enjoy the views and return to the beach. I'd be inclined to not let anyone you're with know you can go back along the top and enjoy going back again over the return walk by the chains, its quite different each way, and with the experience and confidence you've all gained on the way there - you'll enjoy it all the more on the way back. 

Any hows onwards to adventures! The pictures just about tell the tale, I'll try and not babble on too much.......but look at the size of that chain - its pretty solid!
 Now when out and about with kids, of all ages, finding something fun to do, which you'll all enjoy that doesn't cost the earth - that aint that easy - but this was awesome. Mr Flowers had read about it online so we went off to see if we could find it...........and as luck would have it, we did!
 Chains take you over rocks, down towards secret caves and over a lunar like landscape of the Elie coastline.......
 A few of the inclines can appear to be a bit scary and tall, but to be honest its pretty easily negotiable......more scrambling than climbing.
 Here they go up, one by one, we'd left the kids to 'lead' once we'd gone over the first few bits and they got their confidence up - certainly didn't mind their enthusiasm, and I was completely confident about their abilities once they'd done a bit.
 Elie has a lovely variation of rocks, these look all jaggy and interesting..................jaggy is a technical term don't you know!
 You clamber between bays and chains - its pretty coastline and good to have a stretch inbetween climbing up and over the rocks.
 Now whilst all the rocks look very interesting - in one of the bays, there were rocks which were like those my friend told me about at the devils causeway, in Ireland - very wierd! And, so interesting!

Cool eh?
 And whilst you go up, and over, and across.........................

 There are a few places, when if like me, you're still pretending you're a child, you can skoot down on your bum! But, don't let your mum know, you'll probably get a row (telling off) for having got your trousers so mucky!
There you go then, a bit of free family fun, a bit of a laugh - adventures with beaches and rocks and climbing up and down all over the place - what a laugh and a lovely adventure, bit sad when we got to the end of it - but hey, now we know where it is we can go anytime we're down that way again!

7 comments:

  1. Basalt columns? Been to Fingal's Cave?

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  2. You're a brave woman. I'd be the one that got stuck and had to be rescued...

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  3. Elephants eye thank you

    http://www.geolocation.ws/v/W/4d66e2c28786560f3d01c258/basalt-columns--kincraig-cliff-this/en

    That's exactly what they are!

    If I'd researched a bit more before engaging brain, but what's the fun in that! Appreciate your help there :)

    Janet, I was the slowest and the most screamy! But thankfully they wait for me :)

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  4. That looks like great fun, I think Myra would be to feart though. Jaggy, I like. Our youngest daughter lives in east wemyss in Fife.

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  5. Brilliant fun alistair, wonder if your daughters been?

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  6. Looks Brill _ i will be dragging the Feeney boys there next year when the weeather gets a bit better

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