I had previously walked various sections of the route but this uses some lesser known paths to join the sections: in particular, coming from the Kinross end, Glenvale is approached via a lovely grassy path which is reached from Dryside Road about 2km before the more popular car parking area further along....

Ann Eve

It starts off around the Loch Leven Heritage trail and heads up to a welcome break at Loch Leven's larder at Wester Balgedie from where you get fab views across Loch Leven. It turns the corner into a valley and heads up to the spectacular rock formation in Glen Vale, known as John Knox's pulpit....

Johanna B

From the end of the road the Slowways route follows the Loch Leven Heritage Trail, which can be quite busy with walkers and cyclists, especially at weekends and on fine summers days. The surfaced route is mainly slightly away from the actual shore of the loch, and there is a bird hide to visit near Burger Bridge for views across the Loch. Views over Loch Leven become extensive, and the unsurfaced path undulates through the fields. In Glen Vale, the route joins a track on the south side of the burn, this climbs, and gives good views across to John Knox's Pulpit, a stunning rock formation. Once past the House of Falkland the Slowways route follows the road, passing a cafe/ visitor centre and car park, before entering the picturesque village of Falkland....

F Berry

From Kinross the route heads out of town along roads and a tarmac path along an old railway and then turns towards the hills. Keep an eye on which forest track you need to be on and take a path off to descend down to cross the hill road and ever nothwards to Auchterarder. There is another short section on a very quiet tarmac road before I took a path off to the left and headed down the valley to Auchterarder with delightful views virtually the whole way down to Auchterarder....

Monours

The view of Benarty hill is super and just after a slight rise in the path I also had a panoramic view across Loch Leven to Bishop hill....

Monours

A pleasant short easy route, with not much to add to the previous good detailed reviews. The path by the stream is particularly charming in early summer. No problem with navigation except perhaps to watch you take the right turns in the housing estate....

Andrew Davies

A new bridge has been constructed as you approach the new housing estate on the outskirts of Kinross and the route then threads its way through the modern housing and crossed the Gallowhill Road. Here, if you are on two feet you can follow the route straight on down a desire line path to join the route of the old railway....

Johanna B

At the end of the old railway path there is a very short but steep gravelly section but this can be avoided by keeping to the tarmac path as it turns to the right and then on towards the road, rather than using the mapped grassy path directly to the road....

Ann Eve

It is variable in quality, from purpose built paths around Loch Leven to a steep rough path on Bishop Hill. There are refreshments available at Vane Farm RSPB Visitor Centre, and at Findatie (Loch Leven Lodges) just off the route. The western end of the path, round Loch Leven, is wheelchair accessible, but the path over the flanks of Bishop Hill is very steep and rough and would not be at all accessible. Exiting the Moss, a trodden path has evolved in a direct line towards Grahamstone, although the signposted path takes a circuitous route three sides round a rectangular field. The path round Loch Leven (The Loch Leven Heritage Trail) is surfaced, and busy, especially at weekends. See my review of Kinloc two for 3 photos of Loch Leven Heritage Trail west of Vane Farm...

F Berry

The middle part is more demanding; the path round the crags and into the woods needs careful attention as it is steep and rocky and there is no clear path for a short section where you have to aim for the wall round the wood and follow it to a wide and obvious path into the woods (which is not shown on all maps)....

Ann Eve

This is the most direct walking route between Kinross and Leslie and is a must for nature lovers as it follows the Heritage trail around Loch Leven National Nature Reserve with opportunities to birdwatch at several hides and the RSPB Loch Leven centre. There are many options for refreshments starting in Kinross, the RSPB café, Lochend Farm Shop, the Well Country Inn and, finally, in Leslie. The first part of the route that follows the Heritage trail is suitable for wheelers, though it would be difficult to reach all the way to Scotlandwell as the connecting paths from the Loch are not wide enough. On fine days, the views across the loch to Loch Leven castle, where Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned, are stunning. From the top of Bishop Hill, you have, what I consider to be, the finest view across Loch Leven and over to the Ochils and Cleish Hills....

Johanna B

The western end of the path, round Loch Leven, is wheelchair accessible, but the path over the flanks of Bishop Hill is very steep and rough and would not be at all accessible. It was necessary to avoid Scottish Water buildings below Holl Reservoir so a slight detour northwards off the Slowways route was required. At West Balgothrie a fingerpost indicates that the route to Leslie is due south down the access road to the Holl Reservoir car park. There is a fingerpost where we needed to turn south (500m short of the actual summit of Bishop Hill), but it was quite misty and there are many paths and tracks so we ended up deviating from the Slowways route. I have only given it 3 stars due to the deviation needed at Holl Reservoir, the route finding difficulty on the Bishop Hill plateau, and the fact that there are a couple of places where a short cut would be a more valid route....

F Berry

Crossing the Coul Burn could be a problem if there has recently been a lot of rain, but the new forest tracks in upper Glen Coul provide an alternative, although the distance is greater. The track becomes rough again, then before the right of way begins its ascent, at a gate and signpost, take a trodden route through the bracken to cross the Coul Burn where there is a waymarker post on the eastern bank. If heading north westwards on this route, the waymarker beside the burn can be spotted from the track. This path could be avoided by using forest tracks and the Dunning Glen road, via Littlerig, but this is considerably further. Forest tracks are followed on the northern flanks of Innerdouny Hill (currently undergoing forestry work) until a minor path towards Coalcraigy Hill is reached. Head along beside the field boundary, then cross a fence on a stile, and head southwards down the hill on grass next to the forest, using a trodden path....

F Berry

For a short stretch this route is almost impossible south of Vane Hill, the correct route (Dunkin3) follows the minor path to the west of the wall surrounding the land shown as 'quarries' on OS map 1:25000 scale....

F Berry

This route can easily be shortened in two places: by a kilometre between Loch Leven and Scotlandwell where it does three sides of a rectangle where there is a path along the short side; and on the top of Bishop Hill where it takes a long loop around the summit ridge and could cut down a forest track. The first section of the route is flat (ish) and mostly follows around the Loch Leven Trail before heading up into Scotlandwell. A bus connects Kinross to Scotlandwell and to onto Leslie so this route is easily walked as one or two sections in either direction...

Johanna B

Leaving Auchterarder the path follows the old postman, Johnnie Mathias's route, climbing steadily up hill, and then transfers onto quiet country roads before heading into the hills on farm tracks. The first part is on a track, but then the path heads off left on a narrow footpath and requires a burn crossing before heading up through new tree planting to the forest track on the other side of the glen. Another section follows on forest tracks (currently restricted access due to felling) before turning left onto a narrow path to join up with forest tracks rising into the hills on the Kinross side of the hills....

Johanna B

This Slowways route is generally easy to follow but need amendment in the middle section where a path outside of the forest is easier to follow....

Johanna B

The route from Dollar to Crook of Devon is mostly off road and follows an ancient drove road. At Crook of Devon, if you are not needing the shop, a more direct route can be taken from just after 'Beech Grove', leaving the village centre to your left and rejoining the route just before Crook Moss. At Kinross, a faster and more direct route into town can be taken by staying on the old main road to the town centre....

Johanna B

This route is easily split in two shorter walks using the newly reinstated bus between Kinross and Dollar, breaking the journey at Crook of Devon....

Ann Eve

A much better route would be to follow the gap to the east of the old forest, on the flanks of Coalcraigy Hill. Use a path along the fence line to gain the original route along forest tracks. North of Innerdouny Hill the Slowways route takes a short cut through the forest....

F Berry

The first part of this route is accessible to wheelers as it follows the Loch Leven Heritage Trail. It follows around the west and south side of the Loch on a cinder track with occasional glimpses of the loch and passes one spectacular viewing point with a panoramic view across the loch to Bishop Hill and West Lomond. At RSPB Loch Leven, the path uses an underpass to cross the busy B9097 and then climbs steeply up Vane Hill on a narrow zigzag path. After a short walk along a farm track the path enters a field via a kissing gate. On arriving at Lochgelly, the path passes under the railway and here the drainage is very poor and after heavy or prolonged rain the route will be flooded....

Johanna B

The scenery is very varied, with lovely views over Loch Leven from Vane Hill, and pleasant farmland south of Benarty Wood. There re cafes at the RSPB reserve at Vane Farm, Loch Leven, and also at Loch Ore Country Park/Activity Centre....

F Berry

A short level path leads to a signposted grassy path down through a large meadow with grazing cattle and out into Loch Ore meadows with car park, toilets and cafe as well as a wonderful children’s play park and water sports....

Ann Eve

The route between Kinross and Kelty takes a loop out east to find walkable paths before climbing over Vane Hill and returning westwards to Kelty and then taking a more direct route to Dunfermline. Some sections, such as the Loch Leven Heritage Trail, and the path at Loch Fitty, are suitable for wheelers, but the climb over Vane Hill and some of the narrow paths between Kelty and Dunfermline make the route as a whole a non-starter for wheelers. Walking the route in summer meant that I was able to benefit from the blaeberries on Vane Hill and the blackberries of the sections between Kingseat and Dunfermline....

Johanna B

We walked from north to south and the first part of the route from Kinross to Kelty is the same as Kinross to Cowdenbeath KINCOW 2 which I had walked and reviewed recently so I just walked from Kelty to Dunfermline on this occasion. Some reviews of previous versions mentioned the route was hard to follow here, but coming from north to south there was no problem, although it was useful to check the GPX map....

Ann Eve

I walked this route in July and August 2024, using buses between Kelty and Dunfermline and Kinross. However there are some lovely views from parts of the path that are not in woodland, and Loch Leven and Loch Fitty, and the former bing at St Ninians provide interest. En route, there is a cafe & toilets at the RSPB reserve at Vane Farm, also various shops, cafes and pubs in Kelty, and buses to Kinross, Dunfermline and other places. From Kinross, the route follows the Loch Leven Heritage Trail as far as Vane Farm, 7km. After Vane Farm, the route climbs the shoulder of Benarty Hill on a steep path with many timber steps....

F Berry

Here are my photos from Monday's walk from Kingseat and Kelty...

Fiona McOwan

Near the junction with Robertson Road you can pick up Pleasance Road which takes you eastward from Dunfermline all the way to Kingseat Road, so you would turn left to walk up a quiet road into Kingseat. The other place where there is an unnecessary complication is a much later step, where it shows to turn right off Benarty Road to take a semicircular loop off road....

Fiona McOwan

There are some amendments to the route to be made but we will finish walking the route, hopefully the week beg 26 Aug and then map and review the final version which will be possible to successfully walk.....

Johanna B

The first part of the route from Kinross around Loch Leven to RSPB Vane Farm is suitable for wheelers as it follows a well made path with only one slight climb. Here it joins a good track that leads around the end of the hill and heads down the hill towards Harran Hill wood and Loch Ore Meadows. The path crosses a minor road and then turns right into Harran Hill woods, and then passes Loch Ore at its western end, though views are limited....

Johanna B

There is a fairly steep descent but on good paths in woodland (bluebells in spring) down to LochOre meadows, after which it is fairly flat into Kelty and through the town....

Ann Eve

The section between Strathmiglo and Auchtermuchty takes a more direct route than Kinauc1 but does follow along the busy A91 after leaving Strathmiglo via Glebe Park. I gave this route 4 stars because of the main road section approaching Auchtermuchty....

Johanna B

I found the tramp along the Dryside Road rather tedious, so was pleased to head off it towards (but not into) Gateside, along softer paths, although this adds about a mile to the route, and does provide rougher, and potentially boggier ground in wetter months. The route would not be suitable for wheelers as it is rough, with tree roots, along the Gateside 'diversion', and the steps/banking north of Burleigh Sands would be very difficult. The route is easy to follow, the only tricky bit being the turnoff the Dryside Road, towards Gateside, which is more or less opposite a path which heads up Glen Vale....

F Berry

The route is correctly drawn, although when zooming into a very large scale it avoids Burleigh Castle grounds, and the main path to the loch from Burleigh Sands car park, but any confusion by users is likely to be short lived. I think this route deserves 5 stars, as although it is twice the length of a direct route along the main road between Kinross and Milnathort it offers varied scenery, loch views, and is solid (not likely to be muddy) underfoot....

F Berry

When coming from Milnathort and the pavement runs out, just go through the gate on the left and, having admired the castle, walk parallel to the road , across a bridge, and come out on to the road immediately opposite the path down to Burleigh Sands....

Ann Eve

It is a scenic route with a castle, views of Bishop Hill and Loch Leven. The route leaves Milnathort townhall heading east through the town and turning on to the Burleigh Castle road....

Johanna B

A straightforward, if a little dull, route that is all on pavement alongside the main road between Kinross and Milnathort....

Johanna B

A pretty urban and unremarkable walk - Kinross kind of blends into Milnathort - but it is very straightforward and a good link....

May Robson

This is one road from Kinross into Milnathort - very walkable and safe....

Hannah Ustun

It's a very walkable, relatively quiet road between the town and village (or is this also a town?), with a bit of a meandering back path in-between. Not overly exciting but a reliable link up!...

Lily

The final section of the walk is on a main road into Kinross, however there is a pavement to walk on and the time spent on this section is quite short....

Euan Duthie

The road section at Crook of Devon can be avoided by sticking to an off road track that takes you to Peat gate....

JMiller