The Walk Fife Podcast - Exploring the Kingdom on Foot

The Kingdom has warmed up for episode 24 of the Walk Fife Podcast.

The better weather has seen many people head out and enjoy all that Fife has to offer.

Join Sean as he chats about the latest updates on the Walk Fife website and shares some news from around the region.

Ramblers Scotland

Many of you will have noticed that we have added a new page to the Walk Fife website covering the work of Ramblers Scotland. This fantastic group has 54 walking groups across Scotland, including five very active groups right here in the Kingdom of Fife. If you enjoy meeting and walking with others then Ramblers Scotland has a lot to offer you.

Walk Fife Workshops

Our last free navigation workshop that took place on the 14th near Cupar was a huge success. Gary and Andrew would like to thank Walk Fifer’s Sue and Karen for their assistance and we as a team also want to thank Ken Munro who very kindly gave us access to some of his wonderful land. We would also like to say thank you to Alison who came along with a box full of home baked goodies.

Big Spring Beach Clean 2018

Our wonderful coastline are under attack from the incredible increase in marine plastic pollution. Ruby Bay in Elie needs your helping hands on Saturday 21st April. Join SAS and the local community for a Big Spring Beach Clean from 11am-1pm as part of the biggest Big Spring Beach Clean ever.

Competition

We recently launched a new competition on the Walk Fife website. We have super bundle consisting of a Suunto A30 compass and three OS Explorer maps covering the entire region of Fife in perfect detail for the walker exploring the Kingdom on foot. Sean shares the question the correct answer to which may win you this greta prize for those exploring Fife.

Listener Questions

Sean answers more of the questions sent in by listeners and topics this time include sherpas on the Fife Coastal Path, transport and route cards.

Get in touch

If you have any suggestions for future episodes of the Walk Fife podcast then please get in touch with us through our website or you can even drop us a line through Twitter or Facebook. Please email us at [email protected]

Show Links

Ramblers Scotland - http://www.walkfife.com/ramblers-scotland-groups-in-fife/

The Kingdom of Fife is once again being hit by rain, sleet and snow as we struggle through Spring.

This spell of bad weather is a good excuse to stay dry and warm inside and listen to episode 23 of the Walk Fife podcast.

Join Sean as he lets us know what has ben happening with the Walk Fife website and shares some news from around the Kingdom.

Navigation workshops

As followers of our social network accounts will already know, Walk Fife are running a free workshop covering advanced map & compass navigation techniques. The workshop takes place on the 14th April and the closing date for applications fora place is the 8th April. The 3 hour workshops covers a wide array of map and compass techniques.

Fife Pilgrim Way

The Walk Fife team have added a page to the website recently covering the new Fife Pilgrim Way. This is a new 70 mile walking route that passes through the Kingdom and, as the name suggests, this pathway reflects upon the days when Fife was the one the many religious destinations within Scotland for pilgrims between the 11th to 16th centuries.

The Kingdom attracted many thousands of pilgrims from across Europe each of who made their way through the region on a journey of faith and discovery. This modern day route follows some of the region’s ancient pathways and gives the walker a chance to walk in the footsteps of these medieval travellers.

Wemyss Caves

This coming Sunday the Save Wemyss Ancient Caves Society will host first Open Sunday Tour Day for 2018 and will meet at SWACS Museum located at the East Wemyss Primary School from 2pm-4.30pm to explore the ancient caves and learn about their Pictish carvings (please arrive before 3pm).

Picking the right footwear

After meeting many people recently at a number of walking events Sean shares the question that came up time and time again when chatting. When you are exploring Fife on foot it is important to wear the correct footwear. Sean reveals out tip tips for choosing the right pair of shoes or boots for you.

Listener questions

Sean also answers some questions sent in by listeners and topic for this episode include Grade 1 walking routes, route maintenance and how fast you should walk.

Get in touch

If you have any suggestions for future episodes of the Walk Fife podcast then please get in touch with us through our website or you can even drop us a line through Twitter or Facebook. Please email us at [email protected]

Show Links

Navigation workshop - http://www.walkfife.com/advanced-map-compass-navigation-techniques-free-workshop-14-04-18/

The weather in Fife is improving just in time for episode 22 of the Walk Fife Podcast.

After a spell of harsh weather paused it’s progress, it is nice to see Spring starting to make itself known across the Kingdom once again.

Join Sean as he chats with us about the latest news from the Fife Walking Community and the Walk Fife website.

Going global

One the past year the Walk Fife website has been receiving visitors from all around the world. Recently we have had many emails asking us if we could provide a translated version of the website to make it a little easier to find out about our community and walking routes.

Not wanting to disappoint those wishing to explore the Kingdom, we have now added a translation package into the website. The translator can be found in the bottom left corner of every page on the website.

Walking advice

Since the last podcast we have had two articles posted on the Walk Fife website that have been again really popular with the community. The first post demonstrates how to fold a map correctly. Folding a map can be tricky if you haven’t attempted it before so Walk Fife’s Sean put together quick 4 step guide on how you can correctly fold your map.

The second post which received a lot of nice comments was shared with us by Walk Fife’s Jim. Over the past few years Jim noticed that many people seem to struggle with using binoculars correctly with some people even resorting to using one eye in order to see through them. Jim describes how you can easily adjust your binoculars to suit your eyes. A really useful post for those of you keen on observing the Kingdom’s wildlife and scenery.

Competition winner announced

The winner of our competition to win a Osprey Hikelite 26 Daypack has been drawn. Simple yet effective, the Hikelite is the ideal combination of high-performance features, durable materials and excellent value for money. Designed with everything that you need for a day’s hiking, these convenient packs come a variety of colours to suit.

The lucky recipient of this amazing pack is Caron Edwards. Our three runners-up, each of whom receive a Walk Fife t-shirt of their choice, are Helen Bright, Stephen Mann and Elaine Strine. We will have a new completion online soon.

Mini Walking Fest in Fife

Craigencalt Rural Community Trust recently announced their programme of walks that will form their Spring Mini Walking Festival.

The aim of the festival is to get people out enjoying the local area and the planned walks will cover the coastline from Aberdour to East Wemyss and will also stretch inland across the hills and will allow walkers to enjoy some of the splendid scenery of the Kingdom of Fife.

The Mini Walking Fest will run from Wednesday 11th April to Wednesday 25th April and it is hoped that the festival will attract visitors to come and enjoy a day out and get involved in various activities. Taking part in a festival like this is a great way to get to meet new people learn more about an area of Fife that is very walker friendly.

The trust is asking everyone who is interested to register for walks beforehand as then we know to expect you. Both registration and the walks are free.

Listener Questions

The topics of questions sent in by listeners for this episode include annoying drones, wartime Fife and discovering Fife’s ancient past.

Get in touch

If you have any suggestions for future episodes of the Walk Fife podcast then please get in touch with us through our website or you can even drop us a line through Twitter or Facebook. Please email us at [email protected]

Thanks for listening!

Show Links

Walk Fife Podcast Episode 21 - Snow, Charity Walks and Otters?

Episode 21 of the Walk Fife Podcast sees the Kingdom thawing out after a blast of winter weather.

Last week really surprised people as the Beast from the East took hold of the county.

The Kingdom of Fife bore the brunt of the winter storms that blew in from Eastern Europe. Sean shares his experience of walking through the snowy countryside and tells us about when he was unexpectantly caught out by a blizzard.

Children’s workshops

Unfortunately we will be unable to run any children’s workshops this summer. For several months the Walk Fife team have been working closely with a number of youth organisations to plan a short series of workshops for young Walk Fifers but sadly t the very last moment we were unable to secure sufficient funding. However we now have a structure and outline agreements in place for next year and we are working toward securing funding. The next navigation workshop for adults will be announced soon.

Charity events

There are a number of charity walks coming up soon and Sean shares two that the Walk Fife team are taking on. The two events are the Loch Leven Walkathon which takes place on 25th March and the Edinburgh Kiltwalk which is scheduled for 16th September. Walk Fife’s Sue and Rebecca are both taking part in the Cancer Research UK Race for Life 10k run which takes place in Kirkcaldy on 24th June.

Top walking stories

Walk Fife volunteer John recently shared his story of recovery from a massive heart attack in 2016 at the age of 39. In the post John describes how imbalance his work and personal life caused his health to deteriorate to a level where he was headed for trouble. This is a really good read

We also had a terrific article shared with us by friend of Walk Fife and climber, Martin Dare. In his post Martin describes when he had to perform an emergency arrest with his ice axe when he slipped while climbing a very snowy Sgor na h-Ulaidh this winter. Martin’s story highlights perfectly the need to practice your emergency drills as you never know when you will need them.

Otters spotted in the Firth of Forth?

Recently a number of people have thought they have spotted a pair of otters in the Firth of Forth near to the coastal village of North Queensferry. Sean heads out to St Margarets Marsh and settles down in a hide as he attempts to spot these wonderful little creatures. Otters are a rarity in this area of the Forth due to the environmental conditions and Sean explains why it may be that we are actually looking for another more mischievous animal. Listen in to see what he discovers instead.

Win a day pack

The deadline to enter the competition on the Walk Fife website to win a Osprey Hikelite 26 Daypack is fast approaching . Simple yet effective. Hikelite is the ideal combination of high-performance features, durable materials and excellent value for money. We have one of these terrific daypacks to give away to one lucky winner and some great runner-up prizes (see link below).

Get in touch

If you have any suggestions for future episodes of the Walk Fife podcast then please get in touch with us through our website or you can even drop us a line through Twitter or Facebook. Please email us at [email protected]

Thanks for listening!

Show Links

Loch Leven Walkathon - https://www.chss.org.uk/supportus/fundraise-for-us/events/walkathons/loch-leven-walkathon/

This episode of the Walk Fife podcast is packed with walking news from the Kingdom of Fife.

Join Sean as he updates us with the latest from the Fife Walking Community.

Magnetic Warning

Mountaineering Scotland recently issued a warning to walkers about the threat of magnet closures in clothing and equipment that caused a group of walkers to recently become lost in Glen Shee. Sean explains what happened and how you can avoid the same problem.

Workshop Funding

After the amazing response to our recent free navigation workshop, we are looking for help to re-run this particular workshop a couple more times this year. As Walk Fife is run entirely by volunteers and with any for of funding, Sean asks listeners for their help in finding a source of funding that will help us hosts more workshops this coming summer. If you have experience in sourcing and applying for funding and would like to help Walk Fife then please email us at [email protected]

The Kingdom’s History

In the last episode of the podcast Sean asked listeners for their help in writing articles for the Walk Fife website covering the history of the Kingdom of Fife. We have had an amazing response and we will be soon producing some articles for the website soon. If you are a keen historian and you would like to share your knowledge of the Kingdom then please drop us a email at [email protected]

Listeners Questions

Sean takes some time to answer some questions that have been sent in by listeners. Topics include winter attractions in Fife, walking guidebooks and the grading of the walking routes on the Walk Fife website.

National Whale and Dolphin Watch

The Sea Watch Foundation recently announced the results of their 2017 National Whale and Dolphin Watch and Sean talks about how surprising they are. The 2018 event is going to be run between 28th July – 5th August and you can find out more information on how to volunteer by visiting their website at www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/nwdw

Competition reminder

We recently launched a new competition on the Walk Fife website to win a Osprey Hikelite 26 Daypack. Simple yet effective. Hikelite is the ideal combination of high-performance features, durable materials and excellent value for money. We have one of these terrific daypacks to give away to one lucky winner and some great runner-up prizes (see link below).

Get in touch

If you have any suggestions for future episodes of the Walk Fife podcast then please get in touch with us through our website or you can even drop us a line through Twitter or Facebook. Please email us at [email protected]

Thanks for listening!

Show Links

Walk Fife Workshops - http://www.walkfife.com/workshops/

Episode 19 of the Walk Fife podcast is packed full of good advice from the Fife Walking Community.

In this show Sean talks about GPS safety, shares the latest news from the Walk Fife team, updates us on the latest workshop and a upcoming charity event for walkers.

Sean can’t stay indoors for the whole of this episode and heads out in the hills in the second half to get some more miles in for his 4000 mile walking challenge.

Workshop update

Walk Fife will be running a free workshop – Using a Map & Compass For Beginners – on the 24th February 2018. Learning to use a map and compass correctly as a walker is important. Sean runs us through the highlights of the workshop and how you can apply for a place.

Privacy concerns

Over the past week the Walk Fife team have been sent many questions regarding the safety of using GPS enabled devices to track your outdoor activities. Sean explains what has happened and what you can do to protect your privacy and security when using such devices.

Charity walkathon

Sean lets us know that the Loch Leven Walkathon is returning to the beautiful Loch Leven’s Larder on Sunday 25th March. Sign up and help Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) support those in Scotland recovering from life-changing illnesses to get their quality of life back.

Questions on the move

In the second half of the podcast Sean heads out on the Sleeping Giant Pathway and takes a break to answer some questions sent in by listeners.

Topics include litter problems in the countryside, saying thank you to people for sharing walking routes and an admission from a runner.

Flexible mapping

Sean shares news of a upcoming review that will be hitting the website soon. Splash Maps are a flexible approach to mapping due to the fact that they are printed on to fabric making them tough and waterproof.

Competition reminder

We recently launched a new competition on the Walk Fife website to win a Osprey Hikelite 26 Daypack. Simple yet effective. Hikelite is the ideal combination of high-performance features, durable materials and excellent value for money. We have one of these terrific daypacks to give away to one lucky winner and some great runner-up prizes (see link below).

Get in touch

Thanks for listening!

Show Links

This episode of the Walk Fife Podcast is packed with news from the Fife Walking Community.

Sean takes some time out from his walking challenge to let us know about the latest updates from the website.

It has been a busy few weeks for the Walk Fife team of volunteers and across the Kingdom. The website has been really active and routes are being shared more than ever before.

2018 Walking Workshops

Sean kicks off the podcast by talking about the upcoming workshops which were recently announced through the Walk Fife website. We will be running workshops across the county covering topics such as map reading, learning to use a compass, using a GPS, safety for the walker, planning a route, digital mapping and many more.

New Competition

We recently launched a new competition on the Walk Fife website to win a Osprey Hikelite 26 Daypack. Simple yet effective. Hikelite is the ideal combination of high-performance features, durable materials and excellent value for money. We have one of these terrific daypacks to give away to one lucky winner and some great runner-up prizes.

Vlogging the miles away…

One of the tasks Sean has set himself in his 4000 mile challenge is to make sure he documents the walk in a weekly blog. To back up hs blog he ahas now added a weekly blog on our youtube channel which is presented by an animated version of himself. Sean talks about the move to video and what other plans he has underway.

Walk Fife Posters

Sean updates us about the success our promotional posters has brought the Walk Fife website and how you can get involved in spreading the word of the walking routes shared through the website.

Diversions

Over the past few weeks we have received a number of message from members of the Fife Walking Community concerning diversions in place on and near the Fife Coastal Path. These diversions are in place while various parts of the path are upgraded and expanding access to the path to more walkers. Sean also mention the upcoming forestry work that will be undertaken in Braefoot Point woods. If you have any news of other diversions to paths within Fife that you think we should share with other walkers then please contact us and let us know - [email protected]

Get in touch

If you have any suggestions for future episodes of the Walk Fife podcast then please get in touch with us through our website or you can even drop us a line through Twitter or Facebook. Please email us at [email protected]

Thanks for listening!

Show Links

Sean is back with the first Walk Fife Podcast of 2018.

The team are back and refreshed after the holiday and Sean updates us on what has been happening since the lat episode.

The Walk Fife website has been really popular over the holiday period with hundreds of routes being downloaded and walked. Sean kicks things off talking about the latest improvements to the website.

Website Improvements

The team have been tweaking the website after receiving feedback from the Fife Walking Community. The first thing that has been revised is the equipment review section. We have now added a filter allowing users to choose the reviews they are most interested in reading. The functions behind the mapping element of the website has also been improved to make it easier for android users to access walking routes.

The safety advice page has also been updated with some more safety tips being added to the list. These additions were suggested by users of the website keen to makes sure everyone can enjoy the outdoors safely. We have also revamped the “Meet the team” page to allow you to meet the core team of volunteers behind Walk Fife.

Sharing Walking Routes

Sharing a walking route through Walk Fife is easy but there are a few things we would like to see from a submitted route. Sean runs us through some of the things we would like to people to include in their descriptions and how a photo can really make the difference.

Sean’s 4000 Mile Walking Challenge

Sean recently set himself a challenge to walk 4000 miles in 2018 and he explains why he is attempting this and what rules he is going to follow throughout the challenge. Sean is no stranger to walking long distances and in 2016 walked over 3500 miles in a similar adventure. Taking on your own walking challenge is a good way of not only improving your overall well-being but it really does change your view of what is possible. You don’t have to opt for a huge number of miles you could start off with a goal of 10, 50 or 100 miles. The number of miles doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you are getting out there and working towards a goal that you once thought wouldn’t be possible.

Walking Questions

We have been sent several questions this week and they cover topics such as recording and sharing routes using a GPS watch, routes for dog walkers, sharing reviews of equipment and why distances in the UK can be confusing. If you would like to ask us a question or you would like to appear on the podcast please email us at [email protected]

New Walk Fife Top - The Crepe Shack

The Crepe Shack is a firm favourite of walkers exploring the Fife Coastal Path and can be found in the beautiful Tentsmuir Forest. The shack provides tasty treats to visitors. Sean talks about the award and how you can nominate a Top Stop.

Get in touch

If you have any suggestions for future episodes of the Walk Fife podcast then please get in touch with us through our website or you can even drop us a line through Twitter or Facebook.

Thanks for listening!

Sean explores the shores of Tentsmuir in this episode of the Walk Fife Podcast.

Tentsmuir Forest is a great place for the walker looking for stunning scenery and peaceful surrounding.

As he wanders along the shore exploring the dunes and woodland, Sean chats to us about the latest news from Walk Fife and takes some time to answer some of he many questions sent in to us by listeners of the podcast.

Competition winner announced

Sean announces the winner of our competition to win a Garmin Etrex touch 25 which closed to entries recently. We asked “Where in Fife can you find ancient Pictish carvings” and the answer is of course Wemyss Caves.

The Wemyss Caves lie on the shoreline at East Wemyss. There were originally 12 case along this stretch of the coast but due to changes in the environment and human activity there are now only a few that can be visited. Pictish symbols are carved into the walls of four of the caves.

The carvings were first recognised as being the work of the Picts a little over 100 years ago and since then they have been studied and recorded by archaeologists and historians. Unfortunately due to human activity, erosion and in some cases vandalism some of the carvings have been destroyed. You can learn more by visiting the Save the Wemyss Ancient Caves Society website at http://www.wemysscaves.co.uk/

The winner of the GPS is Brian Hunter. The three runners up were Dawn Taylor, Elaine McPherson and Richard Miller.

Walking Workshops

The Walk Fife team were all stunned at the response we have had for places for our recently run workshop. We had 381 people apply for one of the 20 available places proving that our new system is working and will be adopted for the workshops we will be hosting over the course of 2018. The team would like to say a big thank to everyone who shared the details about the workshop with the walkers of Fife. We will share news of the 2018 soon.

Listeners Questions

The questions for this episode are fairly mixed and include topics such as where Sean’s favourite place to walk in Scotland is, volunteering for Walk Fife, sharing walking club news and our Walk Fife Top Stop Award. If you would like to ask us a question or you would like to appear on the podcast please email us at [email protected]

Get in touch

If you have any suggestions for future episodes of the Walk Fife podcast then please get in touch with us through our website or you can even drop us a line through Twitter or Facebook.

This will be the last podcast for 2017 and Sean will be back in early 2018.

Thanks for listening!

Show Links

SWACS - http://www.wemysscaves.co.uk/

Sean is sheltering from the bitter winter winds in this episode of the Walk Fife podcast.

Winter is taking hold of the Kingdom of Fife but there are still plenty of wonderful walks to enjoy.

Walking workshops

We recently announced that we will be running a repeat of our first workshop on 16th December. Sean explains the changes in the booking system and tells us about Walk Fife’s plan to host a number of workshops for kids in the summer of 2018.

Win a GPS!

Sean reminds listeners about the latest competition on the Walk Fife website. The prize this time is a Garmin eTrex Touch 25 GPS device and all you have to do is answer the question on the website. The closing date for entries is December 8th 2017.

Website developments

The Walk Fife team have been hard at work developing and improving different aspects of the website based on feed back from the Fife Walking Community. Improvements include the removal of the sidebar and adverts from the route pages and the inclusion of a “Meet the team” page which allows the community learn more about the team of volunteers behind Walk Fife.

We have recently been posting reviews of outdoors equipment and books on the website which have been contributed by the Way Fife team and people from the community. Sean talks about how these sections are open for all contributions alongside articles for the Walking Advice section of the site and how you can get involved.

Listeners questions

Sean answers some of the questions sent in by listeners of the podcast and in this episode topics include winter walking in the Lomond Hills, 360 videos and podcast guests. If you would like to ask us a question or you would like to appear on the podcast please email us at [email protected]

Show Links

Walk Fife Workshops - http://www.walkfife.com/workshops/