At the fork for the path and steps, you can take the little trail to the right – follow the path until you reach the end and take a look down the slope, can you spot 18th century millstone half way down? Double back and take the steps to continue the trail.
Alternatively, follow the path on the left and stop at the bench where you can look down onto the paint mill.
Ochre is a soft rock that can be used to make paint – usually yellow or red, or a colour in between. A rich seam was uncovered in the area in 1802. The rock was extracted from pits and open-cast mines, ground with water in large millstones and then dried to form a fine powder. It was once fashionable in Fife to paint the outside of houses with ‘canary’ ochre. But fashions changed at the end of the 19th century, and the mines closed due to lack of demand. You can still see houses painted with ochre in the village of Culross in West Fife.
As you go around the trail, tap the ‘previous’ and ‘next’ arrows to move between points. The picture at the top of the page is shows you where you should be.
If the map does not show your current position when you click “Show My Location” , check your phone browser setting and allow Location.
If there’s more than one of you with a smartphone, you can use the What3Words app to help you navigate. It’s free to download – type in the what3words location, tap “use compass” and it will help you find your way. Though remember, this will point to the exact location, not necessarily following the right path, so use the map on each page to help you.
