Walking pilgrimages have become very popular in recent years, with the Camino de Santiago attracting more and more pilgrims every year. This is not a new phenomenon, however, as pilgrimage has been very popular throughout the Christian world for thousands of years. In the reformed countries, however, pilgrimage was outlawed and so for many centuries the tradition died out, until its resurgence in recent years.

Reformed churches now recognise the benefit of pilgrimage as a spiritual exercise, and we can enjoy various pilgrim routes here in Scotland. One of the Scottish Caminos, the Fife Pilgrim Way (FPW), was waymarked a number of years ago, and has gained in popularity over the last few years. There are a number of ‘feeder’ pilgrimages to the start of the FPW at North Queensferry from various parts of Central Scotland, including the Ladywell Way (LW), which leads from Motherwell to North Queensferry. These feeder routes, unfortunately, are not yet waymarked, but are quite easy to follow, given proper instructions.

In 2023 and 2024, as we emerged from the various lockdowns, a number of pilgrims have tackled the LW and FPW, the latter in preparation for the Jubilee Year of 2025, and we intend to complete the pilgrimage again in 2025. We walk once a week, managing about 10-12 miles each day, and covering 110 miles in total from Motherwell Cathedral to St Andrews.

Many of the roads, bridges and river crossings along the FPW, such as the Queen’s Ferry, named after St Margaret, were originally for the pilgrim traffic to St Andrews and Dunfermline. Remains of the inns, chapels and almshouses used by pilgrims can still be seen along the way.

There are a number of highlights along the path. The walk from Avonbridge along the river is picturesque, if a bit demanding. Linlithgow, birthplace of Mary Queens of Scots is worth a visit, as is the lovely hamlet of Abercorn, to the north east of Linlithgow. St Bede, in the 8th century, mentions Abercorn as the site of a monastery and the seat of a bishop, and the most important ecclesiastical site in Scotland at the time. The name of the Diocese of Abercorn lives on in the church as a Titular See. Auxiliary diocesan bishops are given the title of bishop of defunct dioceses, and the current Titular Bishop of Abercorn is Bishop John Charles Dunne, the retired auxiliary of Rockville Centre Diocese, USA.

We were blessed with wonderful hospitality along the way, being welcomed by various parishes, both Catholic and Presbyterian as we stopped for lunch. We started our day with Mass where it was available, and in Kelty, Markinch and Kennoway we enjoyed the hospitality of the Church of Scotland, with Rev. Douglas Galbraith and friends giving us a guided tour of the church in Markinch, the oldest building in continual use in Scotland. These people continue the tradition of pilgrim hospitality, and were a welcome sight for weary walkers.

We had around 16 pilgrims on each day, and they came from all walks of life and from various corners of the country. A number of our group were veterans of the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and enjoyed walking the Scottish Camino. We had a wide range of ages and fitness levels and the walking speed varied from person to person. However, pilgrimage is not a race, and we all arrived at our destination in our own time.

We have all contributed to the pilgrimage, through our unique talents and personalities, and it was a pleasure meeting new people and hearing their stories. A lot of walking, talking and, I hope, listening was done, new friendships were forged and we all learned a lot about ourselves and others. We would all recommend this Scottish Camino to any would-be pilgrims - you may be surprised by the rich and varied landscape to be found on our doorstep.

There are a number of resources available for those who would like to tackle the LW and FPW:

Details of the Ladywell Way can be seen at:  https://www.thewayofstandrews.com/route/routes-and-photos/the-ladywell-way/

There are various books available on the Fife Pilgrim Way, including the following:

The Fife Pilgrim Way: In the Footsteps of Monks, Miners and Martyrs. Ian Bradley.

Fife Pilgrim Way. Duncan Weaver and Jacquetta Megarry

Walking the Fife Pilgrim Way. Shana Lee Hirsch and Victoria Hunter.