Fife Pilgrim Way lands prestigious planning industry award

Publish Date: Tuesday December 6, 2022

The Fife Pilgrim Way has been recognised for its outstanding engagement and partnership working at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Awards for Planning Excellence 2022.

The 64-mile waymarked trail received a Commendation in the category for Excellence in Planning for Heritage and Culture. It was the only Scottish planning project entry to receive a prize, despite competing against multi-million pound projects across the UK.

Fife Coast and Countryside Trust (FCCT) led on the development of the trail and manages it on behalf of Fife Council. Opened in 2017, it starts in North Queensferry or Culross and winds through the heart of Fife and less well-known areas to arrive at the spectacular ruins of St Andrews Cathedral. It pays homage to Fife’s rich medieval past while bringing to life the Kingdom’s history, geography and industrial heritage for locals and visitors alike.

FCCT’s CEO Jeremy Harris, who received the award, said: “We’re really proud to have worked with many enthusiastic partners to create the trail and to continue to manage it. I’m delighted our team, local communities and partners have been recognised by this prestigious award.”

Partnership

Fife Council’s Spokesperson for Economy and Planning, Councillor Altany Craik added: “This is a very well-deserved award, and my congratulations goes to our Planning Service for making this possible.

“The Fife Pilgrim Way is one of Fife’s most popular tourist attractions. It gives modern day walkers the opportunity to enjoy the 64-mile route starting in North Queensferry or Culross and finishing in St Andrews. It is a wonderful example of enthusiastic and sustained partnership working for the benefit of the area’s communities and visitors.”

The RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence are the most established and respected awards in the UK planning industry. Running for over 40 years, they celebrate exceptional examples of planning and the contribution planners make to society.

Judges commended The Fife Pilgrim Way for its outstanding engagement and monitoring to show how the scheme had progressed. They said: “The project has made great use of the area’s distinctive heritage to inform the upgrading and development of a sustainable path network across the region. Judges felt this submission is doing more to connect economic value to health and wellbeing growth, with great use of project management skills to deliver the project.”