I am cycling across a patchwork of fields, skylarks filling the air with song, the crunch of gravel on tyre the only other sound. Below me an estuary winds slowly towards the sea, above me a steep wall of hills rises beyond the trail. The Dornoch Firth, you ask? Or maybe the Kyle of Tongue? Actually it’s Alloa. I have written three books about cycling in Scotland and pedalled pretty much everywhere from Stornoway to Stranraer — but something about this stretch of cycle path makes my spirits soar.
I had almost forgotten how much this part of Scotland has shaped my life. Before I cycled around the world on a single-speed bike ten years ago I used to commute between Stirling and Edinburgh by bike and train. For three years I got to explore almost every path and road around the Inner Forth.
Instead of being overwhelmed by the distances when cycling between the roadhouses across the Nullarbor in Australia I always thought about it in terms of my rides home on this route. When you think about the distance as three times cycling from Stirling to Edinburgh, it doesn’t sound as hard as 200km against the wind across the desert.
The bus will transport cyclists and their bikes every Sunday until the end of October
MARKUS STITZ
The route from Alloa to Dunfermline is the first part of a 23-mile route I’ve mapped out using the Inner Forth Bike Bus. Launched in 2024 with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the free hop-on, hop-off Sunday bus service leaves Port Edgar near Edinburgh four times per day, stopping in Charlestown, Newmills, Kincardine, Alloa, the Kelpies, Linlithgow and Bo’ness.
My cycle actually starts before Port Edgar. From my home in Newhaven I follow a route through the lesser-travelled paths to the west of the city. I pass Cammo Tower, follow the River Almond, join the John Muir Way through Dalmeny Estate and then arrive at Port Edgar, where the friendly bus driver Frank is waiting at the marina car park.
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Frank straps my bike on the trailer and we have a chat while we cross the Forth Bridge. What I recognise immediately is that this isn’t just a bus ride to get from A to B — the bus journey is also a scenic exploration of the smaller roads that connect the various stops.
For the first leg of my journey I get off at Alloa and follow a short section of the Alloa Waggonway, an early tramway that connected the coal pits above town with the harbour. Shortly afterwards I pass Alloa Tower, one of the earliest and largest Scottish tower houses. From here I follow the former Alloa to Dunfermline railway line, leaving the tarmac at Bogside to enter Devilla Forest, a haven of gravel cycling through a canopy of beautiful trees. Shortly after Moor Loch I pass the grounds of the Tulliallan College, home of the Scottish Police College. About a mile later I stop for a late breakfast.
The route passes 14th-century Alloa Tower
MARKUS STITZ
While I have seen a few cyclists on my journey, I mostly have the route to myself. And as suspected I have no difficulty finding a table at Marco’s Kitchen, a small café in the heart of Kincardine. Used to Edinburgh prices, my £11.30 veggie breakfast is not only super-tasty, it is also excellent value for money.
The second part of my cycle takes me along the Inner Forth route along the edge of the estuary past the beautiful Burgh of Culross. Here I enjoy an hour off the saddle, wandering around the narrow cobbled lanes to the remains of a former Cistercian abbey. There’s much more to see here: the beautiful Mercat Cross, Tanhouse Brae, probably one of the most scenic streets in Scotland, and the beautiful gardens in the grounds of the palace. The cycling to stopping ratio is at least 50:50 today — I am in no rush.
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The bus lets you explore the cobbled lanes of Culross
MARKUS STITZ
From Culross I continue on a beautiful cycle path, passing the Torry Bay Nature Reserve, surrounded by birdsong, and the small village of Torryburn. The next stretch along the shore road is magical, with amazing views across the Forth of Firth. I test my climbing skills to cycle away from the coast to Crombie, from where I follow a cycle path next to the road. For the last stretch to Charlestown I am back on gravel, a fitting end to an amazing day on the bike.
While my cycling route “only” totals 23 miles, it takes me a full five hours to Charlestown, where my bus back to Port Edgar leaves at 4.10pm. It’s a compliment to the area. Instead of putting my head down and riding my bike fast, I stop, listen and enjoy the rich heritage that surrounds me. For that I say “chapeau” to the bike bus — I’ll be back.
Markus Stitz cycling guide books can be found at bikepackingscotland.com/books. For information on the bike bus visit innerforthlandscape.co.uk