In between raindrops, high winds, shopping and visiting new towns, we managed to complete The Fife Pilgrim's way this week. Actually, we were pretty lucky with the weather as each week we planned the hikes around the best weather guesses and they mostly were accurate.The primary school behind our house will start up again tomorrow (August 18, 2023) which according to the locals, should signal the summer is about over. Mother Nature must have gotten stuck on April 1 and decided to play April fools jokes on us all here in Scotland because as far as I can tell, it never got started.Our friends have all been making the same comment as how unusual it has been this year. I’m not complaining. I like cooler weather as do the Flowers, trees and weeds. It’s been green, breezy/gusty and Wet. Temperatures have ranged from55 to 72 degrees, and humidity remained between 65 to 99 percent. There have been exciting winds with strong gusts but none of the promised severe thunderstorms. All in all it has been much better than the high temperatures, severe storms and forest fires we have seen in the news from the States. I have always preferred cooler and greener climates, so this is ideal for me.
The Finish line in Saint Andrews 64 miles from Culross
Our wee witness of completion
Susi keeping us on course
As well as those walks, we also did other spur-of-the-moment treks, visits to towns and sites that are on our list. Our most recent local outing included a short boat ride on Loch Leven to the castle where Mary Queen of Scots was held prisoner and forced to abdicate the throne. It’s also the place she gave birth to still born twins.
In addition we exploredDollar and hiked up to the Castle Campbell. The walk was fairly easy and although the castle was closed ￮due to maintenance and safety checks, we were able to walk around it and took a nice hike up the old road that smugglers used to bring untaxed goods into town Dollar as it was a tax free town. The market at Dollar was a busy site because of the cheaper prices.
Leven Castle
Going through one of the many gates on the Way.
Castle Campbell from a distance.
John McNab Established a School
in Dollar.
The Wee Man who guided us on the hike.
Too bad the Poo fairies are extinct
They must have a real problem with dog relics here!
And Tom - your descriptions of your many adventures are very entertaining - riveting, really! What a great way to experience the true essence of Scotland!
Thanks for your feedback. Susi takes most of the photos and is my editor. We have so many adventures, it's hard to pick out what to include in the blogs.
Weather is always a factor Occasionally we have some sun and everyone is outside. It’s great fun to see all the wee ones taking advantage of it playing in the water. Below is an ideal night for a celebration in Stonehaven for New Years. We watched the video in the museum there. As you can see, they had nice weather for the parade. The wands are made of wood. A ball of wax and paper to create the fire. Participants swung them around carefully to avoid igniting themselves and spectators as they marched to the harbor. There they each make a final high arching toss to throw it into the water. It would be great to be there but since that is impossible, we have a plan to watch it on the live link to watch it live on the web. Click on the picture to go to the video. It pretty much rains most days. It just depends on how much. There are dry and sunny days We are getting used to the fact that the weather forecast is not reliable for more than the current day and the accur...
One of my favorite things to do in the morning is to get up and get out for a morning run. Ok, I confess that my heart is in it the night before but at sunrise the enthusiasm is diluted by the desire to linger in bed. This Comorant is ready too! My wonderful wife knows me well enough to remind me that it is to both our benefits for me to get up and out the door. I know she is thinking of my health as well as the need for her to have the two or three hours of peace and quiet once I am out of the house. I guzzle down the rest of my coffee and spring into action. Once I have donned my running uniform and step out the front door, I realize how much I enjoy the time with just myself and the challenge of a long run in whatever atmosphere nature offers me. There is no “running” season here in Scotland as, except for some surprises, the weather is manageable. Fall, however is my absolute favorite in our landscape filled with a variety of deciduous and coniferous tr...
Winter is not really winter to us. No Snow just Blown Rain! I'm not sure if last winter was as impressive as this one has been. The locals say it has been wetter, windier and colder. Since it seems to be unanimous and we have had more named storms than ever in recorded statistics, (the latest one started with the letter J). So there is sufficient evidence to erase any doubt that this is the case. As a result, Susi and I have had fewer outside adventures. That is not to say that we have not had any but certainly there have been fewer outdoor treks. Here is an example of the Blowy! This sycamore is about 40 feet shorter! The wet and windy weather hasn't changed in the three months since I took this photo. Good thing Susi purchased a shoe dryer! It has been used several times for wet boots and running shoes. This is what a stately Sycamore should look like. Susi and I used the top portion as a bench to eat our snack. The trip to Germany i...
Love the Blog, Tom and Susi! Every picture is stunning!
ReplyDeleteAnd Tom - your descriptions of your many adventures are very entertaining - riveting, really! What a great way to experience the true essence of Scotland!
DeleteThanks for your feedback. Susi takes most of the photos and is my editor. We have so many adventures, it's hard to pick out what to include in the blogs.
Delete