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Legends of the Leven: A Personal Invitation from Your Guide, Matt Pointon

  04-Mar-2026 |   Matt Pointon

Hello, I’m Matt and I’d love to welcome you on a journey through time along Levenmouth’s River Park.

Each month, I have the privilege of guiding the Legends of the Leven Heritage Walk, where we explore 10,000 years of history in just two hours and a couple of miles. It’s an incredible experience to stand beside the River Leven and trace the story of Scotland -  from the Ice Age and Stone Age settlers, through the Iron Age and the Romans, into the rise of Christianity and the Reformation, and on through the Industrial Revolution to the Levenmouth we know today.

What fascinates me most is how all of that history can be viewed through the lens of one river - a river that has shaped communities, industry, faith, travel and identity for thousands of years.

A Bit About Me

When I’m not leading walks in the River Park, I work full-time as a tour guide with Signature Tours, driving guests across Great Britain.

My background is in adventure tourism. I hold a degree in Adventure Tourism with Outdoor Recreation and a Master’s in Responsible Tourism Management and I’ve spent nearly two decades working in the industry and it was my last job that brought me here to Scotland.

In that job, I worked as the project manager for the Levenmouth Local Tourism Association where my job was to support the local developments towards the railway opening. I was heavily involved in the process working with the community, the businesses, the local authority and other stakeholders to maximise the opportunities that the reinstated rail link was bringing into the area.

Being Part of Something Historic

As a part of this job I worked with The Leven Programme and have lots of knowledge and stories about the process of opening a railway, as the railway is of course a significant part of the river park and was actually the catalyst for much of the development taking place in the area today. As a part of my job I also developed and authored the Levenmouth Discovery Trials which gave me a deep knowledge of the history and heritage of this amazing area.

My career has taken me all over the world. I have driven people around three different ski resorts in France, Switzerland and Japan. I have been a motorcycle and kayak tour guide in Australia and a desert fat-bike tour guide in Qatar. I have led over 500 go-kart tours around the world’s busiest place, Shibuya in Tokyo. I have driven boats in America and worked all over the UK on day tours and small group holidays. And I have been a teacher of Travel and Tourism at a college in England. My favourite experience of them though has to be my time in Levenmouth being involved with something so historic - the railway opening and the transformation of the River Park.

Why I Care About History

My love of history comes from learning about how to make the world a better place. We must look back to understand the lessons and cycles society goes through if we want to make the world a better place to live in the future. Heritage is then how we react with our history; the social stories, the "whys" about things. How we feel about the facts of the past and what we bring forward to our daily lives. I feel Scotland is the perfect canvas for painting a picture of history throughout the centuries as it has been involved in so many stages of global development, has a fascinating story of it's own and the landscape provides a stunning backdrop to these lessons and stories. 

Join Me on the Journey

I sincerely hope that you will join me on my tours of Levenmouth’s River Park where I can share with you some of the history and heritage of this truly amazing place. Did you know, for example, that the oldest recorded document in all of Scotland originates from our River Park? And what do the names Methil and Leven really mean? Did you know that some pioneering technical projects are taking place in this area? Or that our valley is home to one of the most well-known and valuable brands in the entire world?

Learn about this and so much more on our Legends of the Leven tour, totally free and available now. See you on the walk.