An East Neuk Easter

My family has always loved Easter - all cute bunnies and chicks, the start of better weather and lighter days, family meals and days out and more chocolate than is really good for you.  When we were little my sisters and I even had our own special Easter roles - I was an Easter Chick, J was an Easter Bunny and C was an Easter Lamb. Easter is a festival of rebirth, new life, whether you're religious or not. It's also a great time to visit the East Neuk. Borrowing J's role for a moment and using my official Easter Bunny name of "Snuggly Socks" (what's yours? http://easterbunnyname.com/) I thought I'd bring you a sweet selection of what to do this Easter in the East Neuk to keep everyone in your family entertained:

Anstruther duck race

1. Race a duck - For great fun with the competitive thrill of a chance of winning a prize check out the annual Anstruther Duck Race on Easter Saturday. The Dreel Burn in Anstruther is the venue and no they are not real ducks but cute rubber ones! Entry is £1 - sponsor your duck in a local shop or on the day, if there are any left. It's organised by the Anstruther Improvements Association (AIA) and the money goes towards improving the village. 

2. Picnic with the King - As well as the Duck Race itself there is a whole music festival in Anstruther over the Easter weekend called "Yellae Deuks". Concerts are on at the Dreel Halls in Anstruther on the Friday and Saturday nights and during the day on Sunday when there will be an indoor picnic. Don't miss King Creosote himself playing at the Sunday event. Family friendly until 9pm. 

Kellie Castle and Gardens

3. Hunt eggs at a castle - National Trust properties around the country are playing host to Cadbury's Egg Trails this Easter. Where better for the little ones to run about in search of eggs than Kellie Castle, near Anstruther, with its gorgeous gardens and estate. Easter egg trails open 12-4pm on Easter Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

Bunny, Isle of May

4. Spot the bunnies - April marks the beginning of the season for boat trips on the May Princess or RIB Osprey to the Isle of May. You're sure to see lots of cute bunnies on the island (though they're a little shy) and lots of seabirds and seals too - I hear that the puffins are there already so it's a great time to visit! Book ahead if you want a seat on the daily boat trips as it's bound to be popular.

5. See some art & crafts - Pittenweem Artists & Galleries weekend 2015 is taking place on 3-6 April in various venues around the village. It's organised by the same people as the village's famous annual arts festival, though the weekend is on a more compact scale with six exhibiting artists. 

There's also a local art and crafts event called "Spring in the Loft" upstairs at the Ardross Farm Shop, near Elie on Easter Saturday (9am-5.30pm) and Sunday (9am-4pm).

6. Find the Gruffalo - I reckon a lot of little ones are going to be very excited about the new Gruffalo Trail which opens on Easter Sunday at St Andrews' Botanic Gardens. 11am-4pm. £5 adults, free for kids. 

7. Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate - Get your Easter chocolate fix at The Cocoa Tree cafe and Pittenweem Chocolate Company shop, Pittenweem, Iain Burnett The Highland Chocolatier, South Street, St Andrews or Fisher and Donaldson, Church Street, St Andrews. Yum!

Leave a comment if you know about something fun that I've missed.

Happy Easter all!

Copyright Snuggly Socks (normally known as Sara Scott) 2015

Christmas shopping in the harbour

Anstruther may not be a sprawling metropolis but in East Neuk terms it's the big place you go to do your shopping, often before enjoying those fish 'n' chips that the village is famous for. There are lots of independent shops that I like in Anstruther which are well established but just in time for Christmas there's a new kid in the harbour called "Harbour Interiors".

Harbour Interiors opened on Saturday 29 November 2014 in a flurry of mince pies and spiced hot drinks. It was Sandy and Lynn Davidson's dream and it has taken them a little over a year, living outside Crail, looking for just the right premises and just the right products to make that dream a reality. A huge amount of hard work has gone into creating the shop so opening day was understandably a real celebration for them:

Sandy and Lynn Davidson

Harbour Interiors prides itself on offering the pick of coastal, country and contemporary soft furnishings, home accessories and gifts, right in heart of the East Neuk. Lynn has been in the soft furnishings (curtains, blinds, cushions etc.) business for over 30 years and both she and Sandy are interiors nuts, as anyone who has seen their showhome-like house will testify.

Harbour Interiors, Anstruther

Harbour Interiors, Anstruther

As a relative of Sandy and Lynn I may be a little biased but I think Harbour Interiors is the perfect place to do your Christmas shopping, East Neuk style. So here are 8 Harbour Interiors goodies that I'm adding to my Christmas wish list (Santa I hope you are reading this!):

1. Reindeer cushion

Isn't this reindeer cushion (£10.99) just the cutest, most Christmassy thing ever? (Santa you don't even need to bring me this one as I couldn't wait so I've already got myself one!)

Reindeer cushions, Harbour Interiors, Anstruther

2. Noel Christmas decoration

This is a classy, quality Christmas decoration (£4.95). The kind you keep for years and which goes with everything. It has a cute bell too. (Plus Noel is my middle name so it's a must buy for me!)

Christmas decoration, Harbour Interiors, Anstruther

3. Willow & Plum soap

These natural soaps look and smell great and are made right here in Fife by the Willow & Plum Soap Co. There are even dog soaps available. Seeing as I don't have a dog (and my cat really does not like baths!) I will stick to the human versions (£3.95) such as "Dark Pomegranate", "Juicy Apple" and "Eucalyptus and Sea Cucumber". 

Willow & Plum Soaps, Harbour Interiors, Anstruther

4. Kitchenware from Garden Trading

Hard to pick from the range of Garden Trading kitchenware which Harbour Interiors offers but I reckon the cookie cutters would fit perfectly in my Christmas stocking. 

Garden Trading cookie cutters, Harbour Interiors, Anstruther

5. Stylish scarves

Scarves are pretty essential at this time of year in Scotland and Harbour Interiors offers some lovely ones, at very reasonable prices too. Any of these beauties (£6.99) would suit me just fine! 

Scarves, Harbour Interiors, Anstruther

6. Tealight holder

Something you can never have too many of, especially at this dark and dismal time of year, is a tealight holder. Lots to choose from:

Tealights, Harbour Interiors, Anstruther

But this reusable brass one (£6.95) stuck out for me with its antique, unusual look: 

Brass tealights, Harbour Interiors, Anstruther

7. Thomas Kent clock

Harbour Interiors has a beautiful range of Thomas Kent mantle and wall clocks in different colours.

Thomas Kent clocks, Harbour Interiors, Anstruther

I may already have lots of clocks but I find there is always space for one more! My favourite is the mantle clock in cream with gold numbers. Classy and petite but with a cheeky wee touch of bling (£21.95).

8. New curtains

Curtains are not only essential but a great way of updating and prettifying a room. A good pair will last you for many years. When it comes to curtains and blinds Lynn really knows her stuff and has made lovely curtains and sourced great blinds for our house in the past. I hadn't appreciated quite how much of a difference a good, well-fitted pair of curtains could make to a room before Lynn showed me the error of my ill-fitting, cheap, ready-made curtain ways. Lynn can bring the fabrics to your home so you can see how they look in the actual room. If you are anything like me and have difficulty visualising what the end result will look like then this helps a lot!

Again there is lots of choice with fabrics from big names Harlequin, Moon and Prestigious Textiles (and more coming soon in the new year) but I thought this painterly fabric from the Prestigious Textiles "Printworks" book was particularly striking and unusual. Perfect for an arty studio! (Santa, did I mention what a good girl I've been?)

A Printworks fabric, Prestigious Textiles, Harbour Interiors, Anstruther

So there you go - 8 things I would love to find at the bottom of my tree this Christmas morning! Merry Christmas everyone!

Harbour Interiors, 3 Shore Street, Anstruther, East Neuk of Fife
www.facebook.com/harbourinteriors

Twitter: @InteriorsAnster

Tel: 01333 278 030

Currently open 7 days

Copyright Sara Scott 2014

Life is sweet at the Biggest ever Crail Food Festival

NEWS from the Crail Food Festival about their 2014 event - spread the word!:

Life is sweet at this year's Crail Food Festival with an expanded programme including a House of Sugar, children's workshops and lots of opportunities to taste more local produce than ever before. This year's event is spread across an even wider range of venues, thanks to support from Event Scotland and Homecoming Scotland 2014.

Taking place on 14 and 15 June, highlights include special Children's Workshops with the opportunity to get hands-on with food: from jam making to moulding your own chocolates. A Food Trail will allow families to explore Crail's food delights while The House of Sugar will play host to a Crail inspired 3D cookie art installation created by local company Sucre Coeur. Visitors will be able to get involved and ice their own cookie to create an edible mosaic across the weekend. 

Over 50 local foodie participants will take part in the two-day festival with a special Tasting Theatre and Food Market with free food sampling all day. Meet the Producer workshops will allow visitors to learn new skills and experience new tastes with activities ranging from whisky and chocolate matching, cheese and wine pairing, to a pie and a pint. Local food and drink on offer will include cheese, venison, smoked fish, gin, craft ales, and of course, the shellfish for which the East Neuk of Fife is famous.

A Cookery Theatre will feature demonstrations by a range of local cooks and chef patrons, from Michelin star fine dining themes to award-winning cookery writers such as Nicola Fletcher. This bespoke country kitchen is kindly sponsored by Ardross Farm Shop, recent winner of the Farm Shop of the Year award and supported by the professional catering team from Elmwood College.

The Crail Museum will use the festival as an opportunity to tell visitors about the historic local delicacy, the Crail Capon. With details taken from an 1812 poem, the Crail Capon (haddock smoked traditionally in a chimney) will relive its glory days over the course of the weekend.

Sunday 15 will include an extra dimension with Sunday Lunch at the Harbour. Using the iconic Crail Harbour as the backdrop, street food vendors and local producers will come together to host a massive picnic for visitors. Shellfish, smokies, ice cream, game and pizza cooked in a converted horsebox while you wait are just some of the goods on offer at the harbour. Local businesses will provide potted shrimp, home baking and more. 

A local seafront guest house will share its stunning seashore location with evening visitors by becoming a Pop-Up Tasting Bistro with local food, music and drinks.

Graeme Anderson, the Event Manager said:

"I'm thrilled at this year's enriched festival programme. The 4th annual Crail Food Festival will certainly put our village on the map for anyone who's a fan of food. We've worked hard to ensure visitors of all ages get a real flavour of Fife. It's going to be great fun and a wonderful way to share Crail with a wider audience."

The full programme can be found at crailfoodfest.co.uk and here's the event flyer:

A very arty little neuk - East Neuk Open Studios 2013

After a visit to the Crail Food Festival on Saturday 15 June (see my blog post on this), we decided to check out the other event happening that weekend: East Neuk Open Studios (ENOS).

The event was happening throughout the East Neuk that weekend and the one before. We decided to head to the East Neuk village of Cellardyke (which adjoins Anstruther) to see some of the artists there who were opening their doors to let visitors see their artistic creations in the studios they were made in. 

I can see why petite Cellardyke has so many artists. Its old, narrow streets surreptitiously wind their way into your heart with their quiet, old-fashioned wind and sea-swept charms. Every so often you get an access point to the shore with its beautiful natural rock features and spectacular views out to the shimmering Isle of May. The communal washing lines at the harbour seem to belong to another age yet are still very much in use today. The pretty, well-tended flowers at the harbour speak of a community that cares about its village. So for me a wander around some of the studios was as much about the real life of the place itself as the art. I have to say I seriously envy many of the artists their studios as well as their artistic talents!

Charming Cellardyke - clockwise from top left: "Cosy Neuk" doorway, harbour x 2, rock formations at the shore

We started off seeing Renate Heath's landscapes and learning about her techniques (she mostly paints landscapes from her car!). We admired her uninterrupted Isle of May view and quirky garden and bought some of her beautiful postcards.

Views of the Isle of May: real life (left) and art by Renate Heath (right)

Then we enjoyed Ken Wilkinson's land and seascapes, in an outbuilding accessed directly from the beach! We left with some more cards, in my case of his Cellardyke paintings which I really liked.

Cellardyke harbour with its washing lines: Real life (left) and art by Ken Wilkinson (right)

After that it was Kate Hajducka's beeswax creations and adorable garden with the blue gate onto the shore. Mum was very struck by her colourful, Impressionistic paintings of wild flowers. More cards were purchased - the subject of mine was her garden.

Kate Hajducka's adorable Cellardyke garden: Real life (left) and art by Kate (right)

Last but definitely not least that day was Kate Laundon's more modern prints, which I had been dying to see after she'd tweeted a photo of them earlier that week. I came away with this über cute, quite Japanese-style chaffinch print, which is now on my wall at home. Mum bought another of Kate's cute bird prints and some cards. I could easily have bought a lot more! 

Chaffinch print by Kate Laundon

By this point the boys were weary from their earlier golf match at Crail Golfing Society and were worrying that this was turning into a shopping trip. They were angling to get back to Rose Cottage for some chill out time. So off we headed with our arty goodies. More Cellardyke artists to visit next time though, not least talented illustrator Jill Calder. Even by the East Neuk's high arty standards Cellardyke really is a very arty little village!

Mum and I found time the next day, Sunday 16 June, to visit one of the Crail artists who was taking part in East Neuk Open Studios. We visited the garden studio of Elizabeth Shepherd, who was displaying a series of etchings of East Neuk buildings which she'd been commissioned to do. I was very tempted to buy a print she'd done of Cellardyke harbour (bit of a theme here, isn't there!) but having only recently bought one of Keith Brockie's Isle of May originals my art budget is currently severely depleted! Having said that, one of the great things about ENOS is that is a very affordable way to buy art.

Unfortunately time didn't allow us to check out the other studios that were open in the other villages. Good news then that ENOS is happening again on the weekends of 23-24 November and 30 November-1 December 2013. I'll definitely be back to see more, hopefully with a bigger budget this time!

Text and photos copyright Sara Scott 2013, excluding photos of art works

Crail Food Festival 2013 part 2: foraging and lunching in the Crail sunshine

Day 2 of the Crail Food Festival (Sunday 16 July) was always going to be an entirely outdoors event so I was delighted to wake up to find that that the weather had dramatically improved overnight, transforming the East Neuk into a sunny, warm, Mediterranean-esque paradise.

As it was also Father's Day for a treat my dad and R spent the morning golfing at Kingsbarns Golf Club - my dad hadn't played before and he loved it. Meanwhile the girls, i.e. mum and I, hightailed it into Crail to join the Crail Food Festival's Foraging Walk. This was a free event which was being run by Mark from Galloway Wild Foods in association with the Fife Diet team. We joined the group heading out from the smoothie bike stall at Crail Harbour and ventured out along Crail beach in the now scorching sunshine to learn all about foraging from Mark and Chef Paul Wedgwood. Foraging is getting quite trendy in the UK these days, inspired in particular by Denmark's famous Noma restaurant. Closer to home Paul uses a lot of foraged ingredients in his Edinburgh restaurant, Wedgwood.

An hour quickly flew by as we went back to our hunter-gatherer roots to learn all about which plants are edible and which aren't, including plants which can kill you (avoid the deadly Hemlock, which looks a bit like a carrot plant and actually grows in our garden at rose cottage) and why dogs and foraging don't mix. Mark was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about foraging, entertaining us with stories and picking lots of things for us all to taste. It was different and fun. There was a slightly surreal moment about half way through when I found myself munching rather appreciatively on some Japanese knotweed, which was trying to take over the bank of wild plants (tastes like rhubarb if you were wondering!). If you want to try foraging for yourself you'll need Mark's foraging tips.

Foraging at the Crail Food Festival including Japanese knotweed (top left), Deadly hemlock (middle left) and Mark from Galloway Wild Foods

The intrepid foragers were then treated to an open-air cookery demo back at the harbour by Paul Wedgwood, using foraged ingredients. From the little morsel I managed to get a taste of (the dish was assaulted by spoons in a matter of seconds once it was ready!), my taste buds quickly decided that foraging and flavour go hand in hand. Mark was also offering a tempting taste of his homemade Elderflower champagne.

Crail Food Festival 2013 - Clockwise from top left - Chef Paul Wedgwood (answers on a postcard about why he has that expression!), Fife Diet's foraging board, Paul's foraged meal

Mum and I then had time for a bit more art - more on this soon in my East Neuk Open Studios blog post. Then it was back to Crail harbour to meet the boys plus L and S for lunch. Wow! I have never seen the harbour so busy - the festival and sunshine had really brought the crowds to little old Crail. It was bustling, the atmosphere was great and the cooking smells were making us desperately hungry. Feed me now! After a bit of queuing between us we sampled:  seriously good venison burgers from Seriously Good Venison, superb smoked mackerel and quiche from the award-winning La Petite Epicerie deli in Anstruther, the ever-amazing Arbroath smokies, juicy, sweet strawberries and cream from Crail in Bloom and indulgent crepes and hot chocolate (yes we'd already had some the day before but we couldn't resist more!) from The Pittenweem Chocolate Company. It was all delicious and brilliant to be able to eat alfresco. Nearby benches and the beach were brimming with people sitting to enjoy their lunch, the sunshine and sea views.

Crail Food Festival 2013 - harbour and stalls

   

 

Arbroath smokies - smokin'!

Despite all that food there was still more we didn't have the space to sample e.g. the smoothies from the smoothie bike I mentioned earlier, the wood-fired pizzas or the stall for Pittenweem's Little Herb Farm, whose flavoured vinegars are already regular inhabitants of the rose cottage kitchen. We would have loved some dressed crab and lobster from the little Crail harbour shack but they'd been so popular that they'd  completely sold out. Though as the shack is there all summer there's plenty of time to go back!

Meanwhile the cookery demos continued , a second foraging walk went out and there were oodles of other activities on the beach e.g. treasure hunts for kids. Inspired by our own foraging walk earlier, mum went back to the beach for a quick forage, mainly to impress the guests at her next dinner party with some unusual, wild ingredients! She bumped into the Californian residents that we met at the Festival the previous night, who were now presumably finding Crail a bit more like home given the significantly improved weather! 

Then it was time to go home and relax after all that food. All in all a brilliant summery day out and a really enjoyable festival that lived up to my expectations!

Crail Food Festival 2013 - sandcastle on the beach, view of the harbour stalls from the beach

The Crail Food Festival blog is well worth a read to find out more about the wonderful local suppliers and distributors we have in the East Neuk and wider Fife locale, who are able to meet your foodie needs throughout the year. The 2014 festival is happening on 14 and 15 June and no doubt will be bigger and better than ever. My stomach is looking forward to it already!

Text and photos Copyright Sara Scott 2013

5 great things to do in the East Neuk right now

Do you think that February/ March is not a good time to holiday in Scotland? Think again - there's lots to do at this time of year in the East Neuk of Fife. Here are 5 ideas:

1. CATCH THE SNOWDROPS IN BLOOM - you may have missed the Snowdrops by Starlight event but the famous snowdrops at the Cambo Estate are still making an appearance by daylight and they are gorgeous! The sheer volume of them creates a lovely effect, especially alongside the Cambo burn. The unusual varieties near the house are also worth a look for their delicate perfection (there are over 350 varieties of snowdrops at Cambo). You can also buy snowdrops from the plant shop in the hope of recreating Cambo at home (I'm not known for my survival rate with plants so let's see how my efforts in the Rose Cottage garden go!).

Kids love to see the Cambo piglets as well and I must admit I did too - they have bags of energy, charging about, play fighting and eating.  (Cambo Estate, Near Kingsbarns; Open daily 10-5)



Piglets at Cambo

2. BUY LOCAL - have yourself a cheese board with the St Andrews Farmhouse Cheddar and Anster Red cheeses from the St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company. The shop there also has quality Scottish produce such as the posh, award-winning Summer Harvest rapeseed oil, which I suppose is Scotland's answer to olive oil (from £4). We took some of this to dinner with friends and it got plaudits for being something different, with a nice smoothness and subtlety, for dipping bread into. There's also a tearoom at the cheese farm where you can enjoy homemade cheese scones, cheese toasties, cakes etc, while enjoying the views over the fields and out to the Isle of May. It's a nice child-friendly place for lunch or a daytime snack in the country, with the chance to learn about how the cheese is made. (St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company, Falside Farm, Near Anstruther & Pittenweem; Tel: 01333-312580)

 



Ratatouille & goats cheese tart Fresh basil & pine nut pesto

3. EAT LOCAL FOOD AT THE PITTENWEEM INN - R and I recently tried this family-run restaurant out for the first time and we were impressed. Chef Brian Murphy does great things with fresh, seasonal local produce, including a weekly market menu. Prices are reasonable, service is friendly, the dining room inviting (with local art on the walls) and the atmosphere nice and informal. My mouth still waters when I look at this picture of the appetising goats' cheese starter from the a la carte menu (OK all this talk of cheese is really making me hungry now!). If you haven't been yet, you definitely owe it to your taste buds to pay a visit ASAP. (Pittenweem Inn, 42 Charles Street, Pittenweem; Tel: 01333 311326, Thu-Sun only)

4. PUT A LITTLE BIRDHOUSE IN YOUR SOUL - Susie Lacombe at the Crail Gallery has made a new batch of birdhouses shaped like historic Crail houses for 2013 (£40 each). I was lucky enough to be in the Gallery when she was painting them (with Farrow and Ball paint no less) so I even got to have a say in the design process of mine! Susie told me that birds look for a mate round about Valentine's day so now is definitely the time to do your bit for birdlife and put a birdhouse in your garden. Speaking of birds, daily boat trips from Anstruther to the Isle of May kick off for 2013 on 29 March, so it will soon be puffin-spotting season. (Crail Gallery, High Street, Crail; Tel: 01333 450316; Open 10-5 Mon-Sat & 12-5 Sun)



5. ENJOY A UNIQUE EVENT - Go to Scotland's only regular poetry festival - StAnza in St Andrews (6-10 March). It's international in outlook and was founded 15 years ago. Then there's the Fife Science Festival, also in St Andrews, at venues including the Castle and University (15-25 March). You could also plan ahead by booking tickets for the ninth East Neuk Festival (3-7 July) now before the events sell out. The Scotsman newspaper said the festival "promises more big names in intimate surroundings...so book ahead". I'm looking forward to experiencing it for the first time this year. For more details on these and other events see the Events page of this blog.

Like I said, lots to do so what are you waiting for?

Text and photos copyright Sara Scott 2013.