Its a pleasure to go to Woodland Gardens for a relaxing 7 day break after taking our three grandsons away, as enjoyable as that was it can be quite tiring.
Woodland Gardens Caravan Site is a small family campsite excellently run by Jan and Craig Young on the slopes of Largo Law in the East Neuk of Fife. It is a one-acre site with pitches set out in groups of four and five for pods, caravans, and campervans. All caravan/motorhome pitches are hard standing with electric hook up as standard plus two of the pitches are now fully serviced. This is a grand site that we were happy to have visited for the fourth time already reserving a pitch for 2024, and would not hesitate to recommend it to other campers. The site was very busy as usual but without feeling over crowded thanks to decent size pitches.
Our first outing was a walk via the main road, that eventually takes you into Leven, to the Blacketyside Farm Shop for lunch and its speciality - strawberries, in fact it was so good that this was only the first of two visits.
We returned to Lower Largo via Silverburn Park and the old Flax Mill then crossing the golf course and along the beach.
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 without risking life and limb.
Only seven miles from the camp site is 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.
Crossing the Ceres Burn since the 17th century is the old packhorse bridge known as the Bishops Bridge which displays a lovely span of cobbled stone surfacing.
Look closely around the village and you will come across a sculptor of a Toby Jug. This is thought to depict the Rev. Thomas Buchanan who became the last church provost of Ceres in 1578.
Other points of interested to see during your visit to this most interesting wee village is of course the parish church, built in 1806, and its Kirk Yard, and when open the Fife Folk Museum which occupies several old houses that were renovated in 2003-4 following a fundraising campaign.
Half a mile from the campsite you can catch a bus directly into St Andrews, 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 itself grew around its cathedral built in 1158, which was the headquarters of the Scottish church in Medieval times. In 1559, during the Reformation, it was ransacked by supporters of John Knox and left to ruin. The site itself had been used for Christian worship since the 8th century.
The town is home to the University of Scotland is 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. Its golf that attracts many of today’s visitors but we were more interested in exploring the architectural features of this well preserved monied town. It boasts at least three excellent book shops and a great selection of places to eat. Our return was via the coastal route, a longer bus journey, but well worth it.
An enjoyable one-mile walk from the site brings you to the picturesque coastal village of Lower Largo, a conservation area situated on Largo Bay, which was an ancient fishing village and has historic links to the Knights Templar. Its main claim to fame however is as the birthplace of Alexander Selkirk in 1676. It was he who provided the inspiration for Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. Outside 99-105 Main Street there is a life size statue of Selkirk dressed in self made goatskin clothes scanning the horizon for the ship that will rescue him after four years and four months as a castaway on an uninhabited island in the South Pacific 7500 miles from home.
The Largo Arts Week was still on and we made the most of it, but also found time for some refreshments at the Aurrie Cafe before walking back up the hill to Woodlands Gardens to end another enjoyable week at this wonderful relaxing adult only campsite.
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