Fife Pilgrim Way

[Bradypus]

A short article today about a new waymarked route through Fife to St Andrews which is currently being developed and which should be officially opened this summer. As someone who studied, lived and worked in Fife for a number of years - including both St Andrews and Dunfermline - this story is very close to home for me.

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/new...Idd3gQcxM1oTIwbFAQGN4VQbYY4f3UyPpWAp2lQNPyObU

 

[Jan_D]

Fife is truly beautiful - always reminds me of the "shire" in Lord of the Rings ...

The problem with this idea - like the other "Way of St Andrews" routes they started advertising last year - is the lack of accommodation. They aren't going to get the numbers they're hoping for unless they provide bothy-type hostels (or maybe even convert churches into accommodation? So many unused or closed churches in the area, it's a sin!)

Even on the famous Fife Coastal Path (which starts in Edinburgh, and makes a wonderful 8-10 day walk), there are only 2 hostels along the entire way. Given the proximity to the University, and all the international golf events, private accommodation in the area can be VERY pricey. A Spanish friend of mine, who lives along the Norte, simply couldn't believe the lack of accommodation for walkers; in the end it put her off coming. So although I love the idea of attracting people to this wonderful area, they really need to start thinking about providing more reasonable "pilgrim type" accommodation options.

 

[Bradypus]

So although I love the idea of attracting people to this wonderful area, they really need to start thinking about providing more reasonable "pilgrim type" accommodation options.

It is a problem with many walking routes in the UK. Outside of a few hotspot regions like the Lake District or along the West Highland Way there really is no big network of low-cost accommodation. The number of youth hostels has been drastically reduced from their peak era and now concentrate more on town and cities than rural areas. Not all that cheap now either. It makes long distance walking in the UK an expensive proposition unless you are prepared to camp - and even then the scarcity and cost of official sites is an issue. Wild camping is legal with certain conditions in Scotland but most of Fife is well-populated and it would not be a great option for much of this route. The cost of accommodation is one of the reasons so many Brits go to Spain to walk And the food. And the drink. And the weather.....

 

[Former member 49149]

The same applies across the water, here in Ireland. The problem is that without demand, there will be no supply. For those who can camp, it is more feasible.

 

[Jan_D]

The cost of accommodation is one of the reasons so many Brits go to Spain to walk And the food. And the drink. And the weather.....

... And the people. And the festivals. And the toleration of pilgrims

 

[Pam Scott]

The British Pilgrimage Trust is trying to rectify the problem of accomodation by encouraging the use of redundant churches and chapels. Obviously services would be minimal but it would be a cheap bed for the night and would depend on the guardians of the said churches. I should imagine if it got off the ground it would be like being a pilgrim in years gone by!

 

[Jan_D]

The British Pilgrimage Trust is trying to rectify the problem of accomodation by encouraging the use of redundant churches and chapels.

That's good to hear. But what do you mean by "encouraging" - or, more precisely, who are they encouraging? The people who manage the church properties... or pilgrims themselves? (I mean, I just walked past an unused church in the middle of Fife yesterday - one that, according to my research, served as pilgrim accommodation in medieval times - but it was obviously all bolted shut. I suppose, as a local, I could enquire about opening it for pilgrims, but I doubt there would be much receptivity to this idea. In fact, I wouldn't even know who to contact... would the British Pilgrimage Trust be a good place to start?

 

[Pam Scott]

I think it would be a good idea to contact the British Pilgrimage Trust they would be able to help you. I don't know vast amount about it but they would be able to help you and give you more information. As far as I am aware they are talking to people like the Churches Trust, Historic buildings. Interestingly there has been crowd funding for Pilgrims accomodation at one church. Not sure where.
I think to a large degree it's a matter of finding places where there is a need and finding if the people caring for that particular church are willing to take it forward.