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5 of Tayside and Fife’s biggest sinkhole hotspots

sinkhole
A 60ft deep sinkhole appeared when the ground opened up in Ballingry.

We’ve compiled a list of local sinkhole hotspots and you might want to watch your step, particularly when you’re in Fife.

Sinkholes appear for a variety of reasons. A major cause is underground erosion caused by poor water drainage.

In areas where there has been a lot of deep coal mining, such as Fife, old mine workings can also cause problems.

Here are five of Tayside and Fife’s most notable sinkhole incidents.

1. West Wemyss

In February last year, a perfect storm of coastal erosion and torrential rain caused a huge sinkhole to open up at the coastal path near West Wemyss.

A number of Fifers made light of the situation on social media, commenting that the chasm was no bigger than some of the area’s potholes.

Fife Coast and Countryside Trust later said the crater didn’t fit the definition of a classic sinkhole because damage to the sea wall had been the cause.

Land owners Wemyss Estate quickly got contractors on the case and the route was back open the next month.

2. Ballingry

With the ground in the area a labyrinth of former coal mine workings, it was no surprise when two sinkholes appeared in Ballingry, Fife.

The biggest of the two was a whopping 60ft deep. They appeared in a field next to a popular walking path called The Avenue, leading to Lochore Meadows.

Before the incident in March 2020, a local farmer had driven heavy vehicles over the shoogly ground.

It was enough to convince him not to go near the area with a tractor again.

Adding to the drama, the collapse narrowly missed a gas pipe.

The Coal Authority said an old mine shaft had contributed to the incident.

It took 80 tonnes of gravel – 11 truckloads – to fill the voids.

3. Perth

In recent weeks, the appearance of a sinkhole in Caledonian Road shocked Perth residents.

A section of the road was closed and the hole cordoned off.

The sinkhole in Caledonian Road.
The sinkhole in Caledonian Road.

A local resident who saw the pit appear said what could have happened if someone had fallen in “doesn’t bear thinking about”.

She added: “I was actually quite scared about it.”

4. St Andrews

We’re back in Fife, where part of Kilrymont Road in St Andrews had to be fenced off in May 2020 after the middle of the road gave way, forming a sinkhole.

Scottish Water named a collapsed sewer dating back to the 1960s as the culprit.

The road remained partially closed for more than a week during the Covid-19 lockdown while the water authority carried out repairs.

5. Broughty Ferry

A 6ft deep sinkhole posed a danger to people walking along Broughty Ferry’s Beach Crescent in April 2015.

The council cordoned off the foot wide crater after local residents spotted it.

Picture by Andrew Bailey.

One Broughty Ferry resident described the sinkhole as “incredibly dangerous”.

The cause of the crater remains a mystery.

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