LOCHGELLY man Robert Hunter is this week able to reveal that there are a whole host of countryside walk opportunities close to the town.

Robert, from Watters Crescent, said that some of the walks that were previously not accessible to him on his scooter are now, or nearly so, and he wants more disabled people to know what can be enjoyed.

In two articles, featured today and tomorrow Central Fife times.com looks at Robert's findings.

He said, “One of the ones I do quite a lot is along the farm tracks around the Westerton Farm, though parts of it can have muddy stretches which my scooter can mostly cope with, with a good clean afterwards!

“Some of the paths/tracks are right-of-ways and others are part of the Fife Core paths plan which can be viewed on the Fife Council’s website and others can be used by the right to roam laws and of course by the goodwill of the farmer which can make the difference between enjoying the walk or not. You also must always “abide by the Countryside code at all times” which you can download for free from www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/ or you can phone 01738 458530 for a copy to be sent to you.

“The right-of-way that I know of can be accessed from Gardiner’s Park (Lochgelly Albert’s ground) down to the Westerton Farm, around a field, over the bridge over the A92 down an avenue of trees then over a wooden bridge that goes over the Lochgelly Burn. From there I think you have to follow the sides of fields and it should take you to Auchtertool.

“I don’t know if there’s any record somewhere of the route the right-of-way is supposed to follow.

“The part of the right-of-way that starts at Gardiner’s Park used to be an open strip of land which had some trees and a worn path through it, that was until, I take it was the council, came along and landscaped it, planting shrubs etc from one end to the other, which at the time was great but as time went by and no-one would take the responsibility for maintaining it, it is now almost impassable to anyone never mind someone using a scooter and that’s even if you could get through the ‘A type’ entrance that was put in place at either ends of the path, or if the farm gate besides them can be opened.

“Going by what I said above I have to use the main road into the farm to access the other tracks around the farm which can be very busy, well...it is a working farm.

“For me the walk is an in-and-out, the same way type of walk because there are no other exits I can take using my scooter, that’s not to say there are not other exits, because there are, but they are just not accessible to me on my scooter, for example, when you get to the bottom of the Drum Road, which is the only road into the farm, turn to the right, this used to be a track that joined the Westerton Farm to the Newton Farm, the farmers at that time worked both farms.

“When the Newton changed hands a gate was put across the track closing it off through to the Newton Farm/steading which could take you to the right-of-way through the Cowdenbeath golf course, the entrance to which is still there but a better entrance to it was opened up from Brucefield Terrace, which is another story which I may speak about another time.

“Another exit that I can use is to the left at the bottom of the Drum Road. You keep on along the road, it will change from tarmac to dirt and gravel track, you keep on going until you reach a gate across the track, climb over the gate and continue across the field to another gate, climb over this gate also. Now you are on what used to be the road into the Lochview Hotel”.

More tomorrow.