The Rock Rest is situated on the north side of the allotments on Bramble Lane.
The photograph shows the bench in contemplation style, a quiet read in a quiet place.
News Update - what's happening!
Update on Trust activities.
A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY.
Hamish Brown will be continuing his very intimate talk with stories, facts and anecdotes about your trip along the Fife Coastal Path. The two previous talks have arrived at Kirkcaldy and were continually augmented by audience participation and the many tales that you can tell.
The Sands Hotel, Burntisland, 7.30pm Monday 10th November. All welcome.
Theft of Stone Bench from Rock Rest Picnic Area.
The Rock Rest picnic area was created in a small stone quarry, along a track near the farm, near the allotments. It has grown into a lovely spot, used as a place for people to have a snack. However walking further up into the quarry the Trust has provided a granite stone bench, tucked in by the rocks, a quiet place to read or just contemplate. This bench was funded by a generous bequest by a family. Recently the Trust was stunned to find that someone had forcibly removed this bench. This was no quick, easy job, and the culprits must have known where to find it, as its location is not obvious. The flat, polished, granite seat was firmly stuck down with epoxy resin glue and weighed 75kg. Whoever stole this needed tools to dislodge it, and help to carry it to a vehicle on the nearby track then transport it away.
It is especially saddening, with the bench coming a gift to the Trust, in memory of a loved one. Volunteers have spent a great deal of time and effort on this project, together with practical help from Alcan, and it is really upsetting to see what has happened. Since the creation of the Trust in 2011 many different projects have been completed and these have been of great benefit to the many walkers and visitors who use Kinghorn Loch. We hope to continue our work and do more in the future. The incident happened some time between the 18th and 25th September and has been reported to the police and the Trust would love nothing better than for the bench to be returned. We would ask if anyone who might have seen any suspicious happenings to contact the Police or else let the Trust know.
"Splashing at Pettycur in February."
Photographed by Anne Smith.
Photo Competition Winner 2025.
Competition is always really keen at the photo presentation. This was the thirteen annual show, and this is only the third time that the same person has won the trophy twice. Well done to Anne. Friends vote for the best photo and this year it was announced at the Annual Summer BBQ, after counting of the online and paper votes. The weather was very kind to us through the year and was lovely at the BBQ in September, mild enough to sit out in the evening and enjoy the country air. You can check out all the entries through the link below, but congratulations to Anne for this wonderful entry.
The small colourful group of puffins made a sharp contrast
with the display of wild flowers
Comment from Ian Archibald for his 2024 winner:
"The photograph of the puffin ‘couple’ that won was taken by me in July 2024on Inchkeith. A few others and myself were very fortunate to be invited by Ron Morris [Conservation Officer for the islands in the Firth of Forth] to join him and members from the Fife Seal Group. Following a tour of the islands and islets we landed on Inchkeith. Ron did advise us to be careful on the crest of the island because the puffins were known to nest in their burrows there … but none were seen. Then not far from the harbour on the west side of the island we looked down from the path and spotted this group on the edge of the cliffs."
The puffins arrive in April for the breeding season and leave the island in August. July is best month to see puffins on the islands - particularly Isle of May.
Walking Group.
Walking from Burntisland Links, over Pettycur Sands to Kinghorn is a favourite for the Walking Group. This year the tide was right to include it in the Burntisland Civic Week Walk. Six new people joined us. Sun, sand, sea and good company makes for an excellent trip. Our walks in July featured Balmuto Castle at Auchtertool and Balwearie Castle in Kirkcaldy. Our walks are varied and in summer we take advantage of harvested fields with deer and hare, and in autumn we look for woodland walks, and the winter snowdrops are always a delight. People are welcome to join us whenever they can.
Summer BBQ
Our annual BBQ for Friends of the Trust is held in August. It is always a feast with burgers and sausages cooked on a charcoal fire. Marilyn and Ron enjoy hosting it at their cottage and add their specialities, Ron's curries and Marilyn's quiche. This year there were some new faces along and a good mix of young and "mature" people. The chat went on well into the evening with darkness falling with some gathering inside for the and others enjoying the mild quietness outside. This good social event is now established as a Trust tradition.
RNLI Jubilee Open Day
In July we joined the RNLI to celebrate the Silver Jubilee Open Day at the Lifeboat Station on Kinghorn Beach. The Trust had a stall on the sand. There were plenty of families along to enjoy the fun on the beach. People came to look around our stall which gave us the opportunity to tell them about the Trust and the work that we do.
One of our boards was dedicated to our Troll, Frodi, that lives under a bridge in the dark woodland. We were able to tell the families where they would be able to find him and to play out the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Youngsters were invited to draw a picture of a troll with some excellent results.
It was an enjoyable afternoon that we may well repeat in the future.
Hamish Brown, now 91.
Last year he started a presentation on the Fife Coastal Path, having now completed his second book on interesting places along the way. However, after two presentation evenings he had got from The Bridges to Kirkcaldy only, such was the interest, questions and discussion from the audience. So he has agreed to another presentation on November 10th 2025, to go a little further! Plenty of evening talks to come before getting to the Tay Bridge!
He is our patron, and celebrated his ninetieth birthday last year, in style, by abseiling down the Forth Rail Bridge. He raised a big sum of money for the Chest, Heart and Stroke charity. Hamish has managed a lifetime of achievements including being first to climb the 289 Munro peaks in Scotland in one trip in 1974. He is an author of many books on the outdoors. We know him locally for all the snowdrop bulbs he has planted over many years together with the Rotary Club, which we enjoy around the loch and in the woods in early spring.
Treating the loch water with barley straw - the annual task in the depths of winter.
The ducks love the straw and are in to the pile before it is out in the water. Once on the rafts it is a free-for-all to rummage around and then get nesting. The swans take prime position to build a high nest and are there for a month before cygnets hatch.
It is all hands to the deck to fluff up and get the barley straw out on the rafts. The weather was wonderful this year (the photo is from a rainy 2023) and put out in record time with two boats employed for the task. Sixteen volunteers from all the sports clubs and the Trust make light work of the task.
Once the rafts are loaded, the straw is slowly degraded at the interface of the atmosphere and the water surface. Over several months the large pile of fluffed up straw diminishes and is just about gone by late autumn.
For a downloadable explanation including contemporary photographs please click on button below: