Safe cycling for all ages

CYCLISTS are spoilt for choice in the West of Fife, with a number of official routes in existance.

One of the most popular is the West Fife Cycle Way which runs from Dunfermline to just west of Bogside, a distance of eight miles.

It is a fairly easy off-road run, even for young children, getting under way at William Street car park in Dunfermline and following the former railway to Alloa.

Leaving Dunfermline, the route skirts south of Carnock and Oakley before passing by the outskirts of Comrie and Blairhall, and, a few miles further on, the finishing car park at Bogside.

It also cuts through sections of the Cairneyhill-Crossford-Crombie and the Culross-Cairneyhill-Torry Bay cycling routes, giving anyone the chance to head to the coast and back.

The old Dunfermline-Alloa railway line opened in 1850 and was closed, like many others in Fife, in the 1960s.

Cyclists will pass by Inzievar Woods at Oakley, once visited by novelist Jules Verne, and cross over the eight-arch Comrie Dean Viaduct.

The on and off-road route, starting from historic Culross and best tackled on all-terrain bikes, is suitable for families with older children.

It covers just over 13 miles and takes in the nature reserve at Torry Bay where there is a chance to see birds such as oystercatcher, shelduck and goldeneye.

The Cairneyhill route, for all-terrain bikes, starts in the village Main Street and can be enjoyed by families with young children.

Its nine miles again take in a section of the West Fife Cycle Way before heading to the coast and a visit to Charlestown.