Pittenweem | The Scottish Pearl

The Fife coast is truly breathtaking. After exploring Anstruther, I decided to continue my walk to Pittenweem.

After all, it was only one mile east.

So off I trotted. It was a beautiful walk until the path suddenly ended and it was not Pittenweem.

It was a golf course.

I had to walk across the golf course to continue the walk to the neighbouring village. It was not what I had expected but I was lucky. It was a beautiful day and once I crossed the course without incident, the rest of the walk was stress-free. After a short stroll on the major road, I made my way to the footpaths of Pittenweem village.

As I arrived at Pittenweem harbour I could not help but notice the difference to Anstruther. It was certainly smaller and it felt more like a commercial working harbour. It was also significantly calmer. Of course, I had to walk on the pier.

Standing on the pier gave a lovely view of the village with its predominantly white wash storefronts on the harbour perimeter.

As I stood on the pier, I did not get the panoramic views of Anstruther, [at least not with my height] however, I did have a pleasing viewpoint of the harbour and village.

Pittenweem is a colourful village of winding, narrow streets. It has a wonderful residential waterfront. I walked the entire length of the village’s coastal path.

It was a short visit but certainly worth the walk and stop.

I love discovering small hamlets and villages near the capital. Granted Pittenweem is still a fair distance but definitely doable in a day.

What a lovely village. I have since learned that the name is derived from Pictish and Scottish Gaelic. “Pit-” represents Pictish pett ‘place, portion of land’, and “-enweem” is Gaelic na h-Uaimh, ‘of the Caves’ in Gaelic, so “The Place of the Caves“!

I missed the caves but that gives me a reason to return in Spring. This fishing village has been in existence since the medieval period. As I made my way to the harbour, I passed the fish market where the daily catch is sold. It made me smile as it dawned on me that this scenario has most likely taken place for centuries. Amazing!

I loved meandering along with the multitude of alleyways that all seemed to meet at the harbour.

As I got closer to the harbour I was greeted by the local gulls. I was convinced that they smelt fresh food in the air 😆 They were singing for their lunch!

Even on that brisk, cold and windy day, it was a joy to be by the water in this village. As always I found the water therapeutic but on this occasion, the surroundings were also wonderfully picturesque.

A 360 view of Pittenweem Harbour

There was hardly anyone around which was perfect for me but then again, I was out and about in frigid temperatures wandering the eastern coast! So not surprising that visitors were few.

Stacked rocks found at the end of the harbour

At the end of the harbour, I found stacked rocks. While living in Canada I use to think of stacked rocks as a way of telling the next traveler “Hello” while pointing them to a safe course to continue their journey. I always found that comforting. Now as I roam Scotland, I have come to realise that these stacks are more commonplace than I had originally thought. Regardless, I still find them comforting. On this day, the stacked rocks marked a spot for my break! A great spot for my hot beverage and a bite to eat before making the journey home.

After my break, I slowly wandered back through the lanes and quaint stores for my return trip. I found the entire trip invigorating.

The Scottish Pearl

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Tag Archives: Pittenweem

A Walk to Pittenweem

Discovering Pittenweem