Cowden Hill

Hill, Mountain in Fife

Scotland

Cowden Hill

Abdie Parish Kirk The B-listed (LB2560 <span class="nowrap"><a title="https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB2560" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB2560">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> ) kirk dates from ca. 1827 and replaced the medieval kirk a few hundred metres to the south east. The Italianate bellcote is unusual. — Abdie Parish Kirk Credit: Bill Harrison

Cowden Hill, located in Fife, Scotland, is a prominent feature of the local landscape. Rising to an elevation of approximately 292 meters (958 feet), it qualifies as a hill rather than a mountain. Situated in the eastern part of the country, Cowden Hill boasts stunning panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and the Firth of Tay.

The hill is characterized by its gentle slopes and is covered in a mix of grasses, heather, and scattered trees. These natural features lend a picturesque quality to the area, particularly during the summer months when wildflowers bloom and add vibrant splashes of color to the landscape.

Cowden Hill is a popular destination for hikers and nature enthusiasts, offering various trails and paths for exploration. Visitors can enjoy a leisurely walk to the summit, from which they can soak in breathtaking vistas of the nearby Lomond Hills and the coastline. On a clear day, it is even possible to see as far as the Angus Glens and the Grampian Mountains.

The hill is also home to a diverse range of wildlife, including various bird species, rabbits, and occasionally roe deer. It serves as an important habitat for these creatures, as well as a peaceful retreat for those seeking tranquility amidst nature.

Overall, Cowden Hill in Fife provides an idyllic escape for outdoor enthusiasts, offering stunning views, recreational opportunities, and a chance to immerse oneself in the natural beauty of the Scottish countryside.

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Cowden Hill Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 56.324959/-3.187683 or Grid Reference NO2615. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Abdie Parish Kirk

The B-listed (LB2560 Link

) kirk dates from ca. 1827 and replaced the medieval kirk a few hundred metres to the south east. The Italianate bellcote is unusual.

Bill Harrison

Abdie old kirk

The 13th Century kirk is a scheduled monument (SM825 Link

) but the listing provides no details whatsoever. Thankfully, the Canmore listing (30063 Link

) comes to the rescue with a very detailed description. The church was abandoned and soon fell into ruin when the replacement kirk was built a few hundred metres to the north east in 1827.

Bill Harrison

Buildings at the entrance to Abdie old kirk

The farther building is said to be a " session/offertory house" and the nearer is a "hearse or gig-house and loft". The ensemble is B-listed (LB2561 Link

). An enormous yew tree looms behind them.

Bill Harrison

Minor road to Abdie old kirk

Bill Harrison

Balfour-Napier monument, Abdie old kirk

Arms of Balfour of Denmiln (Or, on a chevron sable between three trefoils slipped vert an otter's head erased argent) impaling Napier (Argent a saltire engrailed between four roses gules barbed vert) commemorating the marriage between Michael Balfour and Katherine Napier sometime before 1652, when Katherine died. The memorial is almost completely eroded but the arms at least were more discernible in 1930 and their details were entered into the ‘Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the Counties of Five, Kinross, and Clackmannan', published by RCAHMS (the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland) published in 1933,

Bill Harrison

Stubble, Cairneyhall

A field beside the Loch of Lindores.

Richard Webb

Pier, Lindores Loch

Clear, shallow water by the boat pier.

Richard Webb

Piers, Lindores Loch

Fishing boats tied up at the end of the season.

Richard Webb

Lindores Loch

Richard Webb

Fishing boats, Loch of Lindores

Tied up at the end of the season.

Richard Webb

View across Inchrye reedbeds to Glenduckie and Norman's Law

Standing on the Dunbog to Lindores Loch track looking North East. The extensive reedbeds aren't named on the map but lie between Inchrye and Dunbog. On the Northern side is a dismantled railway that used to connect the Den of Lindores with Kilmany and then Wormit ... now long gone. In the distance is Norman's Law, the highest point in the North Fife Hills.

David

Gate on Collessie to Lindores Loch path

This path, not shown on the OS maps of the area, connects Collessie to Lindores Loch and is one of the way marked Fife Corepaths. West Lomond Hill is in the background, approximately 7 miles away as the crow flies

David

Railway Bridge near Cairneyhall Farm

The railway (Perth to Edinburgh line) goes over a farm track that joins the Newburgh to Collessie road near the southern end of Lindores Loch

David

Strange enclosure near Woodmill Mains

This is one side of an enclosure fenced with railway sleepers, perhaps 30-35 each side flanking a single track road width of concreted level ground. All of it is in a poor state now. The enclosure is just off a track opposite Woodmill Mains. Considering its age and construction it may have been something to do with the railway that is immediately adjacent the nearby Newburgh to Collessie road.

David

Abdie and Dunbog Church

Douglas Nelson

Abandoned cattle feeders Monimail to Dunbog track

These cattle feeders are on the old track between Monimail and Dunbog at the junction with the track to Cairneyhill Farm and Lindores Loch. The new wind turbine can just be seen through the haze as the track dips down to Dunbog. This is a good place to stop for a rest when walking or mountain biking over the North Fife Hills. Note that there is at least one additional photograph of these feeders on Geograph mapped to the wrong location.

David

Goldenloch, by Lindores, Fife

Goldenloch, also referred to as The Golden Loch, is a fishery nestled near Abdie and Dunbog, by Lindores.

Jerzy Morkis

Small pond on Baw Hill

Small pond near the top of Baw Hill. This is a little visited part of the North Fife hills. The top of East Lomond hill can just be seen on the skyline between the two distant trees.

David

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Cowden Hill is located at Grid Ref: NO2615 (Lat: 56.324959, Lng: -3.187683)

Unitary Authority: Fife

Police Authority: Fife