Tuesday, 19 August 2025

Woodland Garden Lundin Links July/August 2025



The end of an era, Jan and Craig Young have finally sold their Woodlands Garden Caravan and Camping Site. This year marks the our 6th consecutive year visiting this site, which incidentally we started visiting during covid period, its main attractions, but not the only ones, are peace and quiet and adult only, which we appreciate as we always visit during the summer school holidays. The site has been sold to new owners and should be reopening for next season so we decided to put our name down for our normal pitch for next summer hoping that the site will be as well run as it has been under Jan and Craig.



This years visit was accompanied by some good weather, which as visitors to this part of

the world know makes all the difference to your stay. As this area is now very familiar we tend to cover some of the same ground as previously.







We had two walks to Blacketyside Farm Shop whose speciality is strawberrys. To get to the farm shop, we found it more enjoyable to take the long way round via the beach towards Leven and cut across the golf course to Silverburn Park and up passed the old flax mill which they are still renovating. The second visit was to celebrate our 57th wedding anniversary with a great meal rounded off with delicious strawberry sundaes. 



This year we took our new electric bikes, which for me, at least, was there first real test. Cycling locally is certainly not recommended on the main ‘A’ Roads that criss-cross this area of Fife as they are narrow, bendy and are extremely busy, but there are some  decent  B Roads that you can cycle hopefully without risking life and limb. 



Our first run was the six miles ride to the village of Ceres.

 


Ceres is one of a very few Scottish villages to have a village green. Known locally as the Bow Butts because of the archery practice that took place there in medieval times. 

 


Overlooking the Bow Butts is a monument commemorating the men of Ceres who fought in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 when Robert the Bruce gave an English King, Edward the Second, a sound thrashing on the battle field.



Half a mile from Woodland Gardens entrance is a X58 bus that takes you to St Andrews bus station in 25 minutes. Although the timing of the return bus can not always be relied upon.



St Andrews, always worth a visit for the book shops and to stock up on a years supply Highland Soap, is a beautiful town named after Saint Andrew the Apostle, whose relics are said to have been taken there in 732.   St Andrew has been celebrated in Scotland for over a thousand years, However, it wasn't until 1320, when Scotland's independence was declared with the signing of The Declaration of Arbroath, that he officially became Scotland's patron saint. 

 


The town is famously home to the University of Scotland, Scotland’s oldest university, founded by Bishop Kennedy in 1411, as well as being the seat of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club which was founded in 1754 and  attracts a great many of today’s visitors.



Along the coast line from Lower Largo runs the Fife Coastal Path would bring you to Shell Bay, although we decided to divert to the beach and walk by the sea, always a great pleasure, the sea certainly has a great attraction for me.      





The bay itself includes the very large Elie Holiday Park where we stopped for some refreshment before our return. 





The nearest 'large' town is Leven which boosts a sports/leisure/swimming pool centre. The town itself has a high street that like most towns these days has a run-down feel about it, in fact far worse than the previous times we visited. Sainsburys however has a large store not far from the local bus station. We took the number 95 bus and walked the 4.5 mile back along the beach to Lower Largo. 







Our second bike trip was the 8.5 mile ride into the historic wee town of Cuper a burgh town in northeast of the Kingdom of Fife that lies on the River Eden and 12 miles to the west of St Andrews. As it was on a Sunday we visited, the town was very quite - but Greggs was open for coffee and hot chocolate to wash down our lunch. 


On Monday the 4th August storm Floris threatened to blow us all away so we battened down the hatch and stayed indoors. But fortunately it turned out not s bad as reported. Mine you the following days continued on the same windy vain. 



Our third and longest bike trip to date was an undulating journey via quite country lanes and some beautiful country side that took us to within four miles of St Andrews to the Craigtoun Country Park. The park is an ideal spot for family outings, spacious green areas for a picnic and lots of room for ball games. There is a miniature railway and the ‘Puffin Billy’ vintage tractor rides both of which seem very popular. Forty-seven acres of the grounds were originally purchased by the Fife Council in 1947 for £25k from the Mount Melville Estate which included the Dutch Village built in 1920, and the Cypress Avenue which was designed by the Architect Paul Waterhouse (1861-1924). Part of the original ground’s houses the Scottish Golf Headquarters - The Dukes.



Lower Largo does not change and is as busy as ever with the only shop thankfully open. 



It was sad to say our fare wells to Jan and Craig , wishing them all the best in their well earned retirement. Lets hope the new owners make us as welcome as they have over the last six years.




 



Monday, 21 July 2025

Tantallon - North Berwick Coast.


A decision had to be made, where do we go for this years family holiday? After last years rather wet fiasco at Scarborough somewhere different was the order of the day. Although North Berwick was quite near, the campsite to the south of the town was highly recommended and therefore not far for everyone to travel. It also enabled us to see all our family members during the period we were there. 



The town it self is a rather attractive Victorian seaside resort with long sandy beaches, three golf courses and a small harbour. An easy walk from the camp site across the golf course and along the shore. An opportunity we were happy to take especially on the Saturday to visit the open air market along the harbour side.



Tantallon Caravan Park is situated over looking the Firth of Forth between Craigleith and the majestic Bass Rock and is one of the Meadowhead group of campsites. The facilities and cleanliness of the site is second to none with a great team of staff that are both helpful and friendly. We were so impressed with the site we have already booked a return visit later in the year.


Its always great to spend some time with the family and the highlights of which are as follows: 


Sula Boat Trip.




Our first adventure was a cruise around the island of Craigleith which is home to various breeding pairs of birds including  Puffins, Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes and Shags. We were then taken to circle the magnificent Bass Rock where you get a close up view of the largest colony of Northern Gannets the world. Also you get a close up look at the 66 feet Lighthouse built in 1902 by David Stevenson and unmanned since 1988. 










Originally a fortress, the remnants of the building next to the lighthouse was turned into a prison in the 17th century. In 1691 Jacobite prisoners seized the fortress in the name of the exiled King James while their captors were unloading a delivery of coal. Reinforced and supplied by the French, and provided with a ship with which they plundered passing boats. Finally surrendering in 1664 having secured ‘most honourable terms’. The fort was demolished in 1701.



Commentary is on going through out the 90 minute trip. Our return journey to North Berwick Harbour took us along the coast past Tantallon Castle and Gin Head which has some interesting history of its own. 



“Gin Head Radar Station and Research Establishment was built on the five-acre site in North Berwick in 1943 by the Admiralty who was responsible for the command of the Royal Navy until 1964.The complex was used by scientists to test and develop radar systems for use by the Royal Navy as well as evaluating captured German radar equipment.


The scientists based at this research facility developed innovative and novel technologies that convinced the German High Command that the Allies were going to invade Pas-De-Calais on the strait of Dover on the 6th June 1944 instead of Normandy on D-Day.

The scientists also saved countless Allied lives by a technique devised by them called ‘window’. This technique involved Allied pilots dropping bundles of aluminium to deflect enemy radar signals – effectively jamming their stations.


The radar deployed at Gin Head enabled the Royal Air Force (RAF) to scramble fighter planes to ward of incoming attacks from the Luftwaffe.The complex was built to withstand sustained bombing, but such was the secrecy of the site that the German High Command never even knew it existed and thus it was never attacked.


The site continued to be in use after the war for radar testing until 1948 when the Royal Navy went on to decommission it”


We all enjoyed the trip greatly helped by the fact that the weather was beautiful and the sea very calm.  


Tantallon Castle.





My grandsons love to explore a castle and Tantallon Castle and its grounds are well worth your time. The day we went was again a grand day weather wise, so much so we could sit in the grounds and enjoy our piece along with cliff top views towards the Bass Rock. Which i must admit dominates this part of the Firth of Forth.





Dating back to 12th century and ordinary owed by William Douglas, one of the most powerful men in Scotland the castle has a long history. Following Oliver Cromwells invasion of Scotland in 1650 the castle was attacked on Cromwells orders and its days as a stronghold were then over but not before a visit from the well travelled Mary Queen of Scots in 1566. 



In 1699 the castle was sold to Sir Hew Dalrymple who did nothing to improve it. But it did find a new life as a tourist attraction. Its most famous tourist was Queen Victoria who visited the castle in 1878. It was Sir Walter Dalrymple who carried out repairs and landscaping before placing it in state hands in 1924. 



Seacliff Beach.




Voted the best beach on mainland Scotland, Seacliff is a privately owned. But part with a fiver and you can take your car down to one of its many car parks.



This hidden gem is largely unspoilt and is a great place to take the family on a lovely warm and sunny day. It was much appreciated by our grandchildren who could enjoy the simple pleasures of digging holes, building sand castles and playing in the sea. Again its location offered splendid views of the castle and Bass Rock.