Getting There
Sat Nav: KY5 8BA
Leave the M90 at Junction 5 and follow signs to Glenrothes B9097, northbound turn right, southbound turn left. At a T-junction turn right, signed B966 Cowden Heath. Turn left, signed Ballingry, Lochore.
Enter Ballingry (watch the speed bumps) and pass St Serfs Church on the right. Turn right at the T-junction. Enter Crosshill. At a mini-roundabout turn right, brown signed to Lochore Meadows Country Park. The car park is at the end of the lane.
Return to M90 Junction 5
On leaving the park, turn left at the mini-roundabout.
Turn left onto Ballingry Road and at the T-junction turn left. Turn right onto the B996, then left onto the B9097 to return to Junction 5 of the M90.
Lochore Meadows
This extensive country park manages to satisfy the needs of a multitude of users with no sense of Big Brother control. Dogs are clearly very welcome, and on the day we walked here Jem had a great time with a bunch of like minded off-lead scallywags.
The poo bins are well placed around the dog loop, which starts at the car park. And after using that, the 1,200 acres of loch and parkland are yours for the exploring.
The area around the visitor centre is zoned, and dogs are restricted in this area.
There are four marked trails.
The Golden Triangle walk is wheelchair accessible, and is a one mile walk to a castle and back on a hard surface path.
The path around the loch is also hard surfaced and flat. We tried this one, and found that as soon as we’d left the visitor centre and passed a couple of fishermen this was a popular route with friendly local dog walkers. The circular route is 3 miles or so.
The 3rd route is an uphill unsurfaced track to Harran Woods, and the final choice ‘The Pit Road’ is a 3 mile flat path which winds around the headstocks of this former coal mining area. This route starts from the car park, but walk away from the visitor centre onto the grassy banks to get going.
There are also a number of other woodland paths, which are signed in red.
We walked anti-clockwise around the loch early in the morning as the mist was slowly clearing from over the water. There is, apparently, a great view of the loch and forest land when the sun is out.
We met the very enthusiastic ranger on the way – and talking to him confirmed our feelings that this country park is one of the most laid-back and relaxing places to walk the dog for as little or as long as time permits.
Facilities
Free parking. Visitor Centre 1000-1600. WCs and disabled. There are other WCs at the Outdoor Education Centre when the Visitor Centre WCs are closed. Café. Dog poo bins, and dog loop. Ranger service. Children’s play area, boats and a small beach for families (no dogs on the beach).
Costcutter supermarket in Ballingry for picnic supplies. Petrol station in Crosshill.