We’ve visited Cambo Gardens in Kingsbarns, Fife, a couple of times before, but not since they opened their Visitor Centre in the old stables in 2017. When we went last October, the café was open with outdoor seating in the courtyard (fortunately under a canopy) and we took advantage of that to have coffee when we arrived and lunch before we left. Both were very good but, sadly for anyone wishing to visit now, all facilities are closed under current restrictions, though you can still tour the gardens. The walled garden includes some quirky sculptures as well as plants.
Cambo Gardens
Cambo Gardens
Cambo Gardens
Cambo Gardens
Cambo Gardens
Cambo Gardens
Cambo Gardens
Cambo Gardens
Cambo Gardens
Cambo Gardens
Cambo Gardens
From the gardens we walked round the side of Cambo House. The estate has been in the Erskine family for over 300 years and is currently run as a wedding business, holiday accommodation, agriculture, and housing.
Cambo Country House
Cambo Country House
From here we took the Woodland Walk alongside Cambo Burn. Reaching the shore, we met the Fife Coastal Path and followed it east past Kingsbarn Golf Links to a minor road.
Fife coast at Cambo
Fife coast at Cambo
Fife coast at Cambo
Fife coast at Cambo
We then returned to the Visitor Centre on muddy estate paths past Cambo Farm. On the way, we admired the Mausoleum and the dovecot (doocot).
Cambo mausoleum
Cambo mausoleum
Cambo mausoleum
Cambo mausoleum
Cambo dovecot
Cambo dovecot
Cambo dovecot
This was a lovely half-day out – in the afternoon, we drove to Crail and did the second half of the walk described in my last post. A full day out to a part of the coastal path we had not visited before was to Tentsmuir Forest between Leuchars and Tayport. The name originates from the 1780s when some of the sailors from a Danish shipwreck pitched tents on the moor.
There’s a large carpark at Tentsmuir Sands where we were pleased to find the toilets were open. There was also a van selling crêpes which we didn’t expect and didn’t use because we had brought a picnic lunch – but they smelled good! Tentsmuir Sands are absolutely glorious.
Tentsmuir Sands
Tentsmuir Sands
Tentsmuir Sands
Tentsmuir Sands
From there we walked out to Tentsmuir Point and back on a combination of paths through both dunes and forest.
Tentsmuir Forest
Sand dunes
John at Tentsmuir
Dunes and lookout
Anabel at Tentsmuir
View across the Firth of Tay
Tentsmuir fungi
Tentsmuir fungi
Bark
Bark
Tentsmuir fungi
The coastline of Tentsmuir has shifted constantly making it the fastest growing natural landmass in Scotland. In the Second World War, concrete blocks were placed along the high water mark for defence, since when the shoreline has grown further and further away from them at an annual rate of about 5 metres. Other relics from WW2 include an observation tower and an old railway wagon which re-emerged from the sands in 2010.
WW2 defences
WW2 defences
WW2 defences
WW2 defences
WW2 railway wagon
WW2 Observation Tower
The beaches and estuaries around Tentsmuir were once important for salmon fishing which has also left its mark. The March Stone, dated 1794, acted as a boundary for fishing rights, dividing the Shanwell and Old Muirs salmon fishing areas. The nearby ice house from the 1850s was used to preserve the fish before shipping it south.
March Stone
Ice house
We didn’t see any cattle, apart from this sculpture, but apparently a hungry herd grazes the dunes to keep them free from tree cover. Wind pumps keep the dune slacks (the natural hollows between dunes) from drying out, conserving the habitat for a variety of plants and wildlife. So although this looks like a natural wilderness, it is carefully managed and preserved by Scottish Natural Heritage.
Cow sculpture
Tentsmuir wind pump
Of all the places we visited doing our October week in Fife, Tentsmuir was my favourite. I have just one more post to complete the story and that will take us to Lower Largo.
On this walk (or actually, two walks) we left Cellardyke to the east, passing another of those old outdoor bathing pools. This one was apparently popular from the 1930s to the 1960s.
Nearby was the rather dilapidated looking East Neuk Outdoors – a few licks of paint needed I think.
East Neuk Outdoors
East Neuk Outdoors
East Neuk Outdoors
This lady was gazing out to sea from her bench. Was she watching this little lobster fishing boat?
Lady on a bench
Fishing boat passes Bass Rock
Or simply contemplating the view of the Isle of May, the Bass Rock, and North Berwick Law?
Isle of May
Bass Rock
North Berwick Law
From here we looked back at Cellardyke:
There was bird life aplenty:
Cellardyke birdlife
Cellardyke birdlife
Cellardyke birdlife
And as we neared Caiplie this rather large bull – fortunately behind a fence:
Bull!
Bull!
Caiplie
An unusual sandstone outcrop has eroded into Caiplie Caves (and arches) with early Christian crosses carved on the wall of the largest cave. We were fascinated by the shapes and colours here.
Caiplie Caves
Caiplie Caves
Caiplie Caves
Caiplie Caves
Caiplie Caves
Caiplie Caves
Caiplie Caves
Caiplie Caves
Caiplie Caves
Caiplie Caves
Caiplie Caves
Caiplie Caves
Caiplie Caves
Caiplie Caves
Anabel at Caiplie Caves
Cross carvings
The distance from Celladyke to Crail is just under 4 miles and Caiplie is about the half way mark. On the first of these walks we had set out after lunch, and by the time we had finished exploring the caves it was gone 3 o’clock. No way could we walk to Crail and back to Cellardyke before dark (this was October) so we turned round here. A few days later, we walked out to the caves again, this time from Crail, another charming East Neuk fishing village which boasts one of the UK’s most photographed harbours.
Crail Harbour
Crail
Crail
Crail
Crail Harbour
Crail Harbour
We admired the village from its old houses (1632 is the earliest date I can read) to its topical take on the pandemic (masked garden ornaments).
Milestone
1703 door
Blue door
Masked pugs
Modern art?
Lobsters on gable
Gate by harbour
Cobbled street by harbour
1632 house
Restored cottage
Restored cottage (detail)
Restored cottage (detail)
So our two walks met in the middle which meant we had covered the whole section of the Fife Coastal Path from Cellardyke to Crail. Next time is also a tale of two halves with a garden and some glorious sand dunes.
PS in my last post, I mentioned the windmill and old salt pans at St Monans. I was interested to read a BBC article last week about Darren Peattie who aims to restore salt harvesting to the village, two hundred years after it ended, and also plans to reconstruct one of the nine old salt pan houses to turn it into a visitor centre.
The Fife Coastal Path passes right through Cellardyke, where we spent our October break. Every day, we explored a different part of it. Walking west from our front door we passed through the fishing villages of Anstruther, Pittenweem, and St Monans.
Anstruther
Probably the most notable features of Anstruther (pop. c 3,600) are the Scottish Fisheries Museum and the Anstruther Fish Bar, neither of which we visited. However, the window from which two faces are peering in the gallery below is part of the museum. We did visit the Dreel Tavern (though not on the day of this walk) where a plaque on the wall commemorates the time that James V (1513-42) was carried across the Dreel Burn by a beggar woman because he was frightened of getting his stockings wet!
Anstruther Harbour
Anstruther Harbour
Anstruther figures
Anstruther Harbour
Peeping out from Scottish Fisheries Museum
By well doing poverty becomes rich
Esplanade
Mercat Cross
Murray Library
Wightmans Wynd
Anstruther house
Dreel Burn
Anstruther Church, Hew Scott Hall
Shell house decoration
Plaque on Dreel Tavern
Dreel Tavern
Former Witches Wynd
We also looked at the monument to Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847), First Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland, and later found his birthplace.
Thomas Chalmers memorial
Thomas Chalmers birthplace
Thomas Chalmers birthplace
Thomas Chalmers birthplace
From Anstruther, we continued along the coast to our next port of call, Pittenweem.
Leaving Anstruther
Leaving Anstruther
Pittenweem
Pittenweem, with a population under 2,000, is much smaller than Anstruther. The name is said to mean place of the caves, and you can still see St Fillan’s Cave, dating from the 7th century, though in these strange times you can’t go inside. We admired the pretty houses, had a good lunch in the Clock Tower Café, and examined the poignant new Fishermen’s Memorial by sculptor Alan Heriot, unveiled in 2019. It depicts a fisherman’s wife and child scanning the horizon for the return of their loved one. The plaque reads “This memorial is dedicated to the men and women who make their living from the sea and to those who have lost their lives in so doing”. It is thought around 400 lives have been lost in a 28-mile stretch of the Firth of Forth off the East Neuk since the early 1800s, many of them never recovered.
St Fillan’s Cave
Pittenweem
Old Mercat Cross
Tolbooth
Halloween door
Halloween window
Pittenweem
Pittenweem
Pittenweem
Fisherman’s Memorial
Fisherman’s Memorial
Pittenweem
1874 house
1874 house
Pittenweem
Pittenweem
Pittenweem
Pittenweem
From Pittenweem, we continued along the coast to St Monans.
St Monans
St Monans is even smaller than Pittenweem with a population under 1500. Before you reach the village, a restored windmill and the remains of a few pan-houses are testament to the area’s industrial history: the Newark Coal and Salt Works Company founded in 1771.
St Monans windmill
Remains of pan-house
It’s hard to tell what’s natural and what isn’t in the rocks! There’s a swimming pool created in the sea, as in many of these villages. Much too cold to try out!
Rocks at St Monans
Rocks at St Monans
Rocks at St Monans
Natural swimming pool
As with the other two villages, there was a harbour and some pretty, colourful houses to admire, this time with the added attraction of a Welly Garden. It was raining quite hard by this time, so stealing a pair might have been a good option!
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
Welly Garden
Welly Garden
Welly Garden
Welly Garden
Welly Garden
Welly Garden
Rain or no rain, from St Monans we had to turn round and do the walk in reverse to get back to our holiday home in Cellardyke: 7-8 miles in total. In the next post, I’ll turn east from our front door and take you along the coastal path to Crail.
In October we spent a lovely week in Cellardyke in the East Neuk of Fife. Our self-catering accommodation was called Sea Loft, which you can see in the picture below, taken from across the harbour. It’s in the larger building next to the pale yellow one, although our entrance was in the street behind. Each side of the house had a different address!
The streets in Cellardyke are very narrow – this was ours, and our apartment was accessed via the red door and up one flight of stairs.
Dove Street
Dove Street
From our front windows, we had good views over the harbour, including watching someone jump in and have a swim! He was wearing a wetsuit and only stayed in the water a couple of minutes, but he must still have been very cold.
Cellardyke Harbour from Sea Loft
Sunrise from Sea Loft
Cellardyke Harbour from Sea Loft
Cellardyke swimmer
Cellardyke swimmer
Inside, Sea Loft was a cosy refuge with retro styling and some interesting artwork. Perfect for two!
Sea Loft living area
Sea Loft kitchen area
Sea Loft kitchen area
Sea Loft art
Sea Loft bedroom
Callardyke Harbour, originally known as Skinfast Haven, has evolved from a basic breakwater built in 1452. I’m not sure how far back the tradition of using it to hang out washing is – we were told which poles we could use, but didn’t make use of them. Our laundry might have ended up taking flight some days!
The Haven
The Haven
Hung out to dry
Cellardyke Harbour
Cellardyke Harbour
Hung out to dry
The streets in Cellardyke might be very narrow, but they are also very picturesque.
Narrow streets
Narrow streets
Narrow streets
Narrow streets
Colourful door
Colourful door
Wendy House
Wendy House
Window dated 1801
House dated 1723
Puffin
Red doors
Red windows
Former cooperage
Backyard view
Narrow streets
The old Town Hall (1883) has the Mercat Cross (1642) securely fixed to its wall.
Town Hall
Mercat Cross
And the War Memorial is on Toon’s Green on the edge of town.
Cellardyke War Memorial
Cellardyke War Memorial
Cellardyke War Memorial
Cellardyke War Memorial
The sharp eyed might have noticed that the opening shot of the town’s welcome board referred to Cellardyke as part of the Royal Burgh of Kilrenny. Kilrenny is a village a little inland from Cellardyke, and one sunny morning we took a walk up there. It was pretty too, with an interesting church and graveyard, and a woodland walk.
Kilrenny Church
Kilrenny Church
Graveyard
Graveyard
Routine Row
Doocot
Innergellie Woodland
Farmland
So this was our home base for a week. We had six days of coastal walking to look forward to – more about that soon(ish).
Between Christmas and New Year we stayed a few nights at the Inn at Lathones, just outside St Andrews, with the intention of walking a few stretches of the Fife Coastal Path. It’s our third time at this historic hotel where we enjoy the cosy atmosphere and good food. This time, we had a room in the Old Forge with access to the deck overlooking the farmland at the back. This would be lovely for sitting out in warmer weather but not in December – however, it did mean we always had something to look at.
Inn at Lathones
Old Forge room
View from deck
View from deck
View from deck
Day 1 – Crail to Fife Ness
On our first full day, we headed for Crail, a traditional fishing village with a 17th century harbour.
Crail
Crail Harbour
Although we’d been to Crail many times before, we had never taken the path to Fife Ness which we now set out to do. Near the edge of town, we passed the 16th century doocot (used to harvest doves for meat), then a children’s playground and a very large caravan park. After this it became more interesting as we entered the Kilminning Coast Wildlife Reserve where seabirds, such as shag, eider, cormorant and guillemot can be seen.
Crail doocot
Crail doocot
Coastal path near Crail
Some colourful cottages appeared above us, then we rounded a corner to the lighthouse at Fife Ness – a squat building rather than the usual attractive white tower.
Colourful cottages near Crail
Lighthouse at Fife Ness
Fife Ness is the most easterly corner of Fife. Its harbour dates from the sixteenth century and was used for fishing until the end of the eighteenth. It was then converted into a sea beacon construction yard, hence the circular grooves in the stone, and lightships were also built here to guide shipping before the lighthouse was constructed in 1975.
Harbour at Fife Ness
Harbour at Fife Ness
The next part of the path skirted a golf course, and then we came to Constantine’s Cave. Local legend has it that King Constantine I (one of the early Pictish Kings) was killed in this cave following a battle with the Danes in 874.
Constantine’s Cave
Constantine’s Cave
At this point we decided we had gone far enough and retraced our steps back along the coastal path.
Coastal path near Crail
Coastal path near Crail
North Berwick Law and the Bass Rock were just visible across the Firth of Forth.
North Berwick Law
Bass Rock
In Crail, we took time to admire the buildings before heading back to the hotel.
Building detail
Marine B&B
Building detail
Crail
Anabel at Crail
We were particularly impressed with Penman the butcher’s Christmas window!
Penman’s Christmas window
Penman’s Christmas window
Day 2 – St Andrews and Pittenweem
The following day, we didn’t do so much walking. John’s cousin, Lindy, lives in Anstruther and they kindly asked us to lunch which we thoroughly enjoyed. Beforehand, we had a quick stroll around St Andrews.
St Andrews
St Andrews
Afterwards, we visited Pittenweem, Fife’s only working fishing harbour, and the site of a cave used by St Fillan in the 7th century. The light was already starting to fade when we got to the harbour.
Pittenweem Harbour
Pittenweem Harbour
It gave the buildings a pleasing glow.
Pittenweem
Pittenweem
We saw several decorated bicycles – but only one decorated bench.
Pittenweem
Pittenweem
As we climbed away from the sea, it got darker and darker.
Pittenweem
Pittenweem
Pittenweem
By the time we walked back down past the cave it was very dark indeed.
Pittenweem
St Fillan’s Cave
St Fillan’s Cave
St Fillan’s Cave
And the harbour looked even more beautiful with the lights shimmering in the sea.
Pittenweem Harbour
Pittenweem Harbour
Day 3 – Dysart to West Wemyss
On our last day, we decided to stop in Dysart, a Royal Burgh dating from the 7th century, to walk the coastal path to West Wemyss. The old Harbourmaster’s House, on the deliciously named Hot Pot Wynd, now houses the Coastal Centre Exhibition and the Harbour Bistro. Great – a coffee before we started. Wrong! Despite the notice outside, and having looked at the website before we left, the place was closed. This was 31st December so not a public holiday. I know a lot of places close for the whole period between Christmas and New Year but some information would be nice. Shame on you Fife Coast and Countryside Trust!
Harbourmaster’s House
Opening times
Undaunted, we spent some time wandering round the harbour. Donald Urquhart’s Sea Beams represent the colours of the sea at different times and in different lights.
Dysart Harbour
Dysart Harbour
Sea Beams by Donald Urquhart
The start of the walk took us along the shore past the 13th century St Serf’s Tower and the restored Pan Ha’ red tiled cottages, then up Hie Gait.
St Serf’s Tower and Pan Ha’ Cottages
Old lintel
Old lintel
Hie Gait
From Dysart the path climbs to the Frances Colliery memorial and preserved winding gear, testament to the former importance of the coal industry in the area. The colliery, with so many others, closed in the 1980s.
Frances Colliery memorial
Frances Colliery winding gear
From Blair Point you can look down on West Wemyss.
West Wemyss
West Wemyss
From here, the path takes you past a walled chapel garden, the private burial ground of the Wemyss family, and some pretty mosaics.
Walled chapel garden
Walled chapel garden
Walled chapel garden
Mosaics
Mosaics
West Wemyss originated as a planned town for workers on the Wemyss estate. At one time, it was one of the most important ports in Fife, trading in coal and salt with the Continent. It is certainly picturesque, but was almost deserted and once again everything was closed despite the local pub being listed on the coastal path information boards as a “Welcome Port”. We’d had a large hotel breakfast, so there was no danger of starving, but the wind was biting and somewhere to warm up would have been nice.
West Wemyss
West Wemyss
West Wemyss
West Wemyss
There was nothing for it but to turn round and head back to Dysart where The Man i’ the Rock was able to serve us a late lunch. After a quick look around it was back in the car and home to Glasgow for New Year.
Dysart Tollbooth
St Serf’s
St Serf’s
I love this part of the coast: beautiful views, historic towns and villages with some industrial history thrown in. We’ll be back. In the meantime, I’m linking up to Jo’s Monday Walks. She’s in another of my favourite places this week, the Yorkshire Dales, and her cyber friends are walking all over the world. Please take a look!
Looking for a break between Christmas and New Year, we found a good bargain at the Inn at Lathones near St Andrews. The plan, if the weather was good, was to do some small sections of the long-distance Fife Coastal Path. The first day, we were really lucky. It was bitterly cold and windy to start with, but pleasant once the wind dropped. We set off from Elie to do the section up to St Monans, where we had lunch in the lovely Mayview Hotel. We did think of walking further and getting a bus back to the car, but having done no research on this we decided not to risk it and walked back the way we came. It’s a very good section of the path with a windmill and several ruined castles and towers and it seemed even more beautiful on the way back in the late afternoon light.
Elie from the harbour:
Lighthouse at Ruby Bay where we parked:
Lady’s Tower:
Ardross Castle:
Newark Castle and tower:
St Monans:
The windmill was part of the salt industry at one time; in the late eighteenth century it pumped water into the salt pans and you can still see traces of the panhouses – mostly just green mounds, but this one is clearer:
Some of the atmospheric pictures from the way back:
Our plans for the second day were to do a short section of the path near St Andrews, have lunch there and then drive further round the coast to do a bit more. However, while we were having lunch, the rain and sleet started and we abandoned that idea. We did get some walking in the morning though, starting from East Sands:
After lunch and a bit of shopping, we headed back to the log fire in the hotel bar. This had two advantages: it was warm and it had wifi so that I could write this post. The same was not necessarily true of the rest of the hotel! The bedroom was quite cold until the evening when the heating cranked up, and the wifi wasn’t strong enough to allow us to connect there. However, the food was very good, the staff were great and the place was otherwise comfortable. It’s an old coaching inn, but the bedrooms are all comparatively modern as they have been constructed from outbuildings such as the Smithy and the Old Forge. It’s also a local music venue and seems to have had some good gigs. Last time we visited it was summertime and I think if I was coming again I would wait for better weather – mind you, that’s probably true of most places in this country!