Forest bathing at Keil’s Den

Keil's Den is a long, narrow wood on the steep banks of the Keil Burn, just north of Lower Largo. The Woodland Trust has looked after it since 1992, after local people raised most of the purchase money in two weeks. It is ancient semi-natural woodland with veteran beech, ash, oak, birch, Scots pine, alder and holly, and an old coffin road once ran through it to the cemetery at Upper Largo. The steep sides and the sound of the burn keep it feeling enclosed and quiet.

There are just over three kilometres of paths, mostly unsurfaced, with a main path around the edge and a middle path for a shorter half circuit; the full loop takes about an hour and a half. Paths can be narrow and muddy, and the sections down by the burn are steep. In spring the floor is covered in bluebells and wild garlic. The small lay-by car park holds about six cars, and there are no toilets on site.