KINGDOM of FIFE

Behind the boat is an outdoor sculpture called 'Sea Beams' by Donald Urquhart, comprised of nine vertical oak beams illustrating the different colours of the sea.The Firth of Forth can be seen behind it here. The oak beams were each cut from a single tree.

On the skyline can be seen the iconic St.Rule's Tower, the square one, which is100ft or 33m high. The climb to the top of St Rule's Tower involves a very tight metal spiral staircase, which leads up to a set of intramural stairs, which themselves lead up to one of the narrower stone spiral staircases you will find in Scotland. Passing people descending while you are ascending this spiral staircase can be interesting and it pays to listen out for anyone already on the stair coming towards you before you commence either your climb or descent. The total climb to the top of the tower involves 156 steps. One has to pay for the privilege these days, but in the 1940s and early 50s it was free, and I have been to the top many times when we lived in St.Andrews. The views from the top are worth every step of the climb, and more. The twin towers belong to the ruins of St.Andrews Cathedral. A most impressive ruin. Since the coronavirus situation has escalated, so preventing us from taking our usual holiday in Scotland this year, I have decided to look back to photos taken in Scotland in past years, and post some of those which have not been seen either on Panoramio or Ipernity.

I well remember the smells of the lobster creels, and the tarred rope, the oily fuels and the tang of the seaweed, and of course the smell of the gasworks just along form here. My childhood.

Very handy for going for a quick dook at dinner time, if one attended the Fisher School. The mist almost obscures the Kinkell Braes caravan site.

In this photo one can see the tidal swimming pool, the West Sands and Tentsmuir Forest in the background.

For me this beach was endless, the sun always shone, the sea was never too cold to bathe in and there were no caravans parked on the Kinkell Braes. We lived within easy walking distance of the East Sands, and there was rarely a day that I wasn't here, pottering about, collecting shells to paint, or peering into the rock-pools looking at the anemones, small crabs, molluscs and shrimps. Was I wearing rose tinted glasses? Maybe, but I did have a wonderful childhood.

HFF to you all, and stay safe. According to the website, the Old Pavilion is our newest facility here at the Home of Golf and is located next to the first tee at the Old Course. It offers golfers somewhere to wait in comfort with access to toilets and light refreshments ahead of their tee time. There is also a bag drop facility and information point available for visiting golfers. Single golfers with suitable handicaps who wish to play the Old Course without an existing tee time should check in at the Old Pavilion on the day of play and the staff will do their best to join them with a two or three-ball group. With patience, this can be successful but there are no guarantees. There is a practice putting green alongside this building. The clause "golfers with suitable handicaps" rules me out. I am just about able to have a good laugh on a 9 hole pitch and put circuit. ;-)

Lower Largo or Seatown of Largo is a village in Fife, Scotland, situated on Largo Bay along the north side of the Firth of Forth. It is an ancient fishing village in the parish of Largo. Lower Largo is famous as the 1676 birthplace of Alexander Selkirk, who provided inspiration for Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. The Fife Coast Railway line through Lower Largo was closed in 1965 as part of the restructuring programme of British railways known as the Beeching cuts (overseen by Richard Beeching), and though it has been disused since then the viaduct that dominates the village remains an important local landmark. Such a lovely wee town with a gorgeous beach.

Dum spiro spero, which translates to "While I breathe, I hope". At some point, it also became the motto of the town of St Andrews, Scotland, and is visible on heraldry around the town from the mid-19th century onwards.

The view when I walked to school as a child. I miss this view even now, 70+ years later.

Sit down and take it easy.

A house dating from 1692 located in the Scottish fishing village Anstruther, has become known for its shell decorated facade. It is a creation made by Alex Batchelor who lived in the Victorian era. He was a slater and a plasterer, who probably in the 1840s was active in this project. The locals considered Batchelor as somewhat eccentric, not in the least since he also had made a shell decorated coffin and was willing to let people take a look at it after paying some pennies. There is a story that the show included that for an extra penny he would lay down in the coffin. The shells decorating the wall include scallops, dog whelks, edible whelks, limpets and a few mussels. I think it requires some attention as there are some blank spaces, but considering the situation, on a sharp bend on a busy road, it is in remarkable condition.