Hi Folks, I hope you are all well and have had an enjoyable Summer.

Talking about the Summer this year my husband and I have had two holidays, as my husband celebrated his 60^th Birthday at the beginning of August so as a treat I paid for two breaks, one in Scotland and the other in England.

Our first holiday was in Fife in Scotland, we stayed in a lovely chalet at Kinghorn, a beautiful, picturesque town situated on the north shore of the Firth of Forth.  Our chalet was situated up on the clifftop where we had a tremendous view across the Firth of Forth.

Visiting Fife was the first time for both of us and we were not disappointed. In fact, we were amazed at how much there is to see and do. We visited a few of the small fishing villages along the coastline which were all very picturesque and the beaches were outstanding.  I have always said that we have the best beaches especially in Northumberland but the beaches in Fife are definitely worth a visit too.  If my mobility was not impaired, I would have loved to have walked the Fife Coastal Path although I don’t think my husband would have been too keen on spending his holiday walking 117 miles and not being able to visit a pub or a bookies ha ha! Now if I was married to Matt Baker or John Craven then it could have been a completely different story.

I would definitely recommend visiting Crail, which has cobbled streets, a miniature harbour surrounded by historic fishing cottages, and a parish church that dates from the 12^th century.

Just 10 miles south of St Andrews is Anstruther, a fishing village that celebrates Fife’s maritime history. There is also the Scottish Fisheries Museum and during the Summer you can take a boat trip into the Firth of Forth from the harbour. Of course, you can’t visit Anstruther without getting some fish and chips from the Anstruther Fish Bar which is just amazing!

Elie Woodhaven (Ruby Bay) is in Elie. This is an alternative to the resort beach in Elie as this sheltered sandy beach with rock pool is a great place to watch birds and wildlife while relaxing.

Elie Ruby Bay, a section of coastline along the East Neuk is home to a building with a very interesting story.  Along the cliffs, you will find the Lady’s Tower, a structure built by Lady Janet Anstruther of Elie House.  It was Lady Anstruther’s summer house as she loved to bathe in the sea but also loved her privacy.  Whenever she went to bathe, she sent a man through the streets of Elie ringing a bell to tell people to stay away!  The views from the remains of this building are just amazing!

Walks around the headland starting at Ruby Bay link into the Fife Coastal Path while Elie is a perfect place for visiting good cafes, restaurants, and bars. We visited Elie which was packed out with visitors especially young families enjoying the beach and harbour.

Another place we visited was Cambo Walled Gardens. The Cambo Estate lies on the east coast of Fife, 7 miles south of St Andrews.  The estate dates from the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries. The buildings there include stables, carriage house, coach house, mausoleum, walled garden, dovecote, lodges, and 2 model farms. The walled garden is definitely worth a visit as it has some beautiful trees, flowers, and plants.

As I think I have mentioned in previous blogs my husband and I enjoy horse racing and often during the summer months visit a couple of racecourses. So when we found out that Perth Races was on during our stay in Scotland we were there like a shot.  It was quite quiet the day we visited and with the Covid Restrictions, the atmosphere was not the same as pre-Covid days however this did not stop us from losing a small fortune ha ha! 

I don’t know whether it was because most of the places we visited were peaceful and tranquil, but my husband was on his best behaviour for much of the week. Although on the journey up to Scotland I did spend most of the journey on the A1 listening to Rab C Nesbitt giving me a run-down of how bad his life was that was until Detective Chief Inspector Jim Taggart turned up saying that there had been a murder.  It was just as well the lovely policeman didn’t arrive on the scene until near the end of our journey otherwise there could well have been a murder committed especially when I was so looking forward to hearing the sultry tones of Sean Connery or even some lighthearted banter from Ali McCoist, but chance would have been a fine thing!

Well folks I had better go as I need to start my next blog of our holiday in Norfolk.

Take care of yourselves and speak soon

Susie x