A Fabulous Day in Fife

Could I have asked for a more picture perfect day?

No grey clouds in sight.  Now, how lucky was that?

I could hear the Coastal Path calling my name.

As I indicated in my last post, I decided to head out to find those seals that I had searched for on my first visit to Scotland.  That was in January ’12, and although I remember a brilliant day, the trail was practically non-existent after a certain point, and quite contrary to what you may have been led to believe, I had no intentions of doing anything crazy just to view some seals.

But, Yvonne, the woman who runs the B&B where we are staying here in Kirkcaldy, mentioned that she and her husband had just seen the seals this weekend.  Well, that comment was all I needed to do a quick plan change and put on my walking shoes.

I headed through town, down to the Firth where the tide was obviously recessing.   The access to the Coastal Path was a bit complicated due to a lot of new construction going on right along the firth where the path entrance runs.

Apparently some genius decided to build a giant supermarket right against the firth, destroying the breathtaking views from dozens of homes built along the coast with the purpose of actually seeing the Firth.  The homeowners were told that they did not buy the view when they purchased their homes.  Now, I ask you, how sad is that?  Who in the world would want to gaze upon a supermarket instead of the beauty of nature?  And why would any company think that such an idea would be acceptable?  But, it appears to be a done deal, and I'm certain that there are a lot of very disappointed home owners.  

Well, I finally accessed the path and just could not believe the beauty of the day.  I walked along until I could see this stone tower ahead. 

This is the point where I had to stop the last time I attempted this walk. Yvonne had told me that this tower is one of many that had once stood along the coast.  People would travel up the coast on holiday, and would need a place to stay to break up the trip, so families had their own privately owned tower to overnight in. 

When I had walked the coastal trail at this point previously, the well trodden path had ended here.  Much to my surprise, a cindered walkway was greeting me this time,  and I knew that I'd have no problems hiking this part of the trail.

I rounded the corner and began my descent along the path.

 I wasn’t too far from the tower when I heard a long bellowing sound in the distance…….like a very sad moan.   Over and over again.   

Had the weather been foggy, I might have been convinced that there was some ghost haunting the tower, but I realized that the sound that was echoing off the cliffs came from the source of my quest.

How exciting!

It wasn’t too much further along the trail when I could glimpse the seals on the rocks.

Here’s a close up of the happy creatures

Can you see them laying on their backs, sunning their tummies?  They probably don't get many sunny days in which to bask themselves, and they were obviously enjoying themselves.

I stood there for quite awhile, watching them jump in and out of the water, just having a grand time, while continuing to  bellow out a forlorn cry.  It was obviously low tide, and I wondered if they would have come in much closer during high tide, but I certainly  wasn’t going to wait the hours involved with the changing of the tide to see.  I didn’t need to shake hands with them to enjoy their magnificence. 

At this point, I decided to continue on the coastal path to Kinghorn, since I had noted that the tower was just about a halfway point, and since it was newly graveled, I felt comfortable that I would have steady ground to walk along.

The vistas were gorgeous.

 And, there was plenty of activity along the way.  Obviously, something must smell awfully good here to attract this much attention.

Once in Kinghorn, I made my way to the train station to catch the train back to Kirkcaldy.  The station in Kirkcaldy is next to the art museum that just opened up last week.  I decided to pop in and see what the place had on display.  It was free, and I had plenty of time……so why not?

I was very impressed with the set up inside the museum.  Someone obviously put a lot of time into putting together the displays.  I was surprised to see that the museum holds the original charter from 1644 when Charles I confirmed Kirkcaldy as a Royal Burgh.  It is mounted behind glass, in its entirety, behind a steel door that you open up to view, then close when finished. .   Now that’s pretty amazing.

The place was brimming with the history of Kirkcaldy, which was once world renown for its linoleum industry.  Unfortunately this town ended up like many of the steel towns when those businesses closed down.  There is little vibrancy in the town today.

One facet of the museum that I was excited to see was its genealogy center.  If one had family to research from Kirkcaldy, or any nearby area, the resources that one would need are right at your fingertips. 

It is a genealogist’s dream.  Microfilm, with three readers, shelves of books that included parish registers and biographies,  census and newspaper films.

And all of these resources are free. 

So, if you have any family to research in this area…….you know where to go.  It’s right off the Kirkcaldy train station.  And, there’s a café where you can take a break and get a wee snack.   What more could you want?

I could have spent more time looking around inside, but I wanted to be sure to get outside to enjoy the lovely weather, which is a rare treat.  The grounds around the museum are landscaped beautifully and offer a pleasant walk in themselves.

Since the museum is free, I may just try to get back to view it in more detail should the weather become rainy.

In the meantime, I hope to get out on another outdoor adventure today even though the sun has disappeared. Ernest has promised me dry weather....but I'll be wearing my raincoat just in case.

Until tomorrow.......

  

A Literary Heaven

Shiver me timbers! 

  Did I mention that Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Treasure Island just a few cottages away from where we were staying in Braemar?

And, that Old MacDonald had a room…….ee – eye – ee – eye – oh?

But it was time to head on, so we “took the high road” and we “took the low road”, as we drove away in Scotland in the morn’n.

Over hill and dale, weaving our way through the Cairngorms. Did you know that a large mountain in Scotland is called a Ben? (just some trivia for you)

The road was twisty and narrow, and at one point it became quite obvious that

Little Bo Peep had lost her sheep.

Hey!  We could tell her where to find them!

Luckily, there had been a hand drawn map side posted at the side of the road as a warning.

At first, we thought the sign was quite amusing, but we could see now that it was posted for a good reason.

This little guy seemed to be confused as to what to do when we showed up, and he kept running down the middle of the road bleating, “Maaaaa-ma!   Maaaaaa-ma!”

What an adventure!

My hope of seeing a Highland Cow (coo as they say here in Scotland) were met when we spotted one obviously posing for anyone interested in stopping.   He was so friendly, that  I expected him to start doing a jig!

When we entered the grounds for Blair Castle, we were greeted by an attendant who insisted on selling us two “senior” tickets.  I suppose that I should start getting used to that.  I attempted to argue with him, but I don’t think he heard me.  (He was pretty “senior” himself!)

This castle was built in 1296 by the Earl of Atholl. While he was off fighting in the Crusades, his neighbor kindly decided to build the tower and move his family in.

When the Earl returned, he complained about the "squatter" to King Alexander III and won back his land, evicted the occupants, and built the rest of the castle around the tower.

The inside is filled with  heirlooms and historical items dating back from the 1^st Duke of Atholl and carried through the 11^th Duke, who died in May 2012.

The holding were quite remarkable, with original hand stitched bed hangings dating from the 1690’s and sets of chairs with needlepoint covers that were painstakingly sewn by the wife of the 2^nd Duke of Atholl.

All of the rooms were quite amazing.  The only room in which we could take photographs was the ballroom.

If you're wondering why THIS would be the only room permitting photography, then you are not alone.  Believe me, when I think of the word "ballroom" I would never imagine something with antlers mounted all over the walls.

Or swords, for that matter.

Antlers seemed to be a big theme in this room as well as in the hallways, which were lined with them throughout the house.  The rooms, however, were decorated quite elegantly, in direct contrast.

 On the estate stands St. Bride’s Kirk where Bonnie Dundee, the Jacobite leader, is buried.  His breastplate and helmet are on display inside the castle.  I was surprised at how little this man was.

The grounds also feature a huge walled garden, known as Hercules Garden.  

We spotted a Little White Duck floating on the water  and, as you can see, there were plenty of lily pads had he wanted to take a bite!

 We headed out to make our way to Birnden to the Beatrix Potter Garden.  I had been looking forward to walking through this special place. 

 Let me just say that what you see is just about the whole of it.

We did see Peter Rabbit with some friends,

and Mr. Jeremy Fisher having a chuckle on a rock (he's in the far right corner)

I’m kind of worried that the Mr. Tod, the Sly Fox  might have had Jemima Puddle-Duck for lunch, because she was nowhere to be found.

It took all of 5 minutes to walk through the garden.  I had imagined much more.  Marty said that it was a good thing that I hadn’t planned this stop as our main adventure of the day!

But I certainly did love this quote by Beatrix Potter.

Since we obviously had some time, we decided to walk through the Hermitage, a lovely wooded walk that leads to a spectacular waterfall

What a lovely way to end the day!

Today I'm off to find some seals!  

But, I don't plan on climbing out on any rocks like someone else I know.

Castles in the Cairngorms

The morning began with a fabulous breakfast in the breakfast room offering a lovely view.

This was the "Continental" Breakfast choice. 

Apparently people on the Continent can have some delightful breakfasts!

After our pleasant meal, we hopped in the car and headed out early to Balmoral Castle which is about 9 miles away, but the drive takes about 20 minutes.  My goal was to avoid as many tour buses on this narrow road as possible.  Early is always better, and it worked out quite well for us. 

The weather was a bit brisk today, and I'm grateful that I packed the wool liner to my coat, because I definitely needed it!  Braemar has the recognition of being the coldest town in Scotland.  That does explain the chill in the air.

Balmoral Castle is the Highland Retreat for the Royal Family.  The Queen visits from late July through late October, so the castle is only open to the public from April through mid-July.

 

Actually, let's say that the Castle Grounds are open to the public.

 £10 gets you onto the estate, where one can walk around at leisure, but there is only one room in the castle open for viewing. It is a very large drawing room, with wood paneling and many photos on the wall. A couple of display cases feature items from Victoria and Albert, and there were 6 dresses, one from each decade, that Queen Elizabeth wore at various events. They were pretty spectacular.  Unfortunately......no photos were permitted. 

Because this is the Queen's vacation home, the gardens are designed to bloom when she arrives, which is in last July.  There are very large rose gardens.....but none in bloom yet.  I'm not quite sure how they can control the blooming time of a rose. Since Roses tend to continue blooming through the summer,  this aspect of gardening confuses me.  The point is.....we didn't see one rose.

But, there were some other beautiful gardens to view. The flowers are grown in such a manner to assure plenty of various types to make up arrangements while the Queen is in house. (or should I say....in castle?)  Flowers adorn the interior daily.....at least that is what the audio guide stated.

This spectacular  castle was built by Queen Victoria, and Prince Albert was personally involved with planning the gardens.

This was Victoria's favorite retreat, and she and Albert spent many summers with their children on the estate.  It's really easy to see why she would enjoy coming here to escape the London dirt and heat.

There are very large vegetable gardens where the produce is harvested to serve in the castle.

The view of the castle from the gardens is beautiful.

The river Dee runs along the estate grounds.  Salmon and trout are fished from the river.

We spent several hours walking the grounds and enjoying the beauty of the surroundings.

One interesting fact of which I had been unaware was that Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip are both descendants of Victoria & Albert.  Their great-grandparents were siblings, and Albert and Victoria are  great-great grandparents to both.  I never realized that they shared the same lineage.

We finished our tour walking along the River Dee to get to the car park, and began the drive back to Braemar in what appeared to be perfect timing, as we passed several tour busses headed to Balmoral.

Our next planned visit was to Braemar Castle. 

One might think that this would be a disappointment after visiting such a grandiose estate as Balmoral, but our experience was quite the opposite.

We LOVED this castle!  It is community owned, as the locals did not want to risk losing it when the owner decided to sell it many years ago.  The castle was lived in until 1950, and the volunteers have been working hard to keep it preserved.  

We paid £6 to enter the castle where we were greeted by an extremely entertaining tour guide named Betty.  I can't tell you how much fun we had as she took us from room to room, explaining the history that is displayed in each.  

She began with the basic history:  Braemar Castle was originally built by the Earl of Mar in 1628. 

It's history included being burned during the Jacobite uprising,  rebuilt and used as a garrison until 1797, then taken over once again by the Earl of Mar, 10th Lord of Farquharson.

This castle consists of many turrets, and we began by entering up a set of stairs to the first level.

The first interesting thing that Betty pointed out is that the the turret steps lead up to the left rather than the typical up to the right. Apparently Lord Farquharson was left handed, and it was easier for him to maneuver the stairs in the opposite direction.   Pretty clever, don't you think?

The first flight was built with a couple "trip" steps, where the rise is slightly higher, so that an invader running up the steps, "trips" due to the slight difference. 

Betty took us through nearly 30 rooms in the castle, each decorated with furniture that had been donated to the castle. She explained that when the castle was sold to the community, the owners took all of the "good stuff", as she put it, with them.  So, there were only a few items originally left in the place.  But, local people donated many items of historical significance, and as people find items in their houses that have been squirreled away, they offer it to the castle to display.

Each of the bedrooms on the corners had a turret attached, and were set up with a desk, or vanity table.

Can you see the "curve" to the door to this room?

The curved door leads to the room of the "Black Colonel", a Farquharson who originally burnt down the castle.  The room is noticeably colder than the others which Betty told us is supposed to be because it is "haunted" by the Colonel.  People claim to have seen his face on the bedpost and smell tobacco smoke in the room.  It was funny to see Betty tell the story, because it was obvious that she found it all to be just a bit of hoopla.

The drawing room was large and inviting.

  The dining room table was set up for entertaining.

 The windows  offered a spectacular view of the sheep in the fields.  They were original, with wide sills,  and some of the shutters had "graffiti" markings from soldiers who had carved their names into the woods when the castle was a garrison in the 18th century.

The place was just brimming with history of the locals, as well as Royals, who used to attend the Highland Games on the Braemar estate.  There were photos of Queen Elizabeth enjoying the fun year after year.  This place has been buzzing with activity for centuries.

Betty was brimming with enthusiasm throughout the tour, and the next thing we knew, an hour and a half had passed before we walked back out the door!  I'd say that we got our money's worth.

One last significant landmark here in Braemar.

The front of this cottage holds an engraved plaque that states that Robert Louis Stevenson lived in this house while he wrote Treasure Island.  We learned from Betty that he actually wrote the first 18 chapters here and that the names of the characters actually came from the school ledgers in the town.  

Apparently the man was so popular here in the town, that his wife got tired of answering the door for people who wanted to see her husband.  So, when they knocked at the door and asked for Mr. Stevenson, she would tell them that he was not there, he was in Edinburgh.

In the meantime, Stevenson was out in a back shed, writing the book.  He had named the shed "Edinburgh".  So, when his wife mentioned that he was in Edinburgh, she wasn't lying.

Clever, don't you think?