The Jewel of the Forth - a nature-lover's day trip to the Isle of May

You can't really miss the Isle of May if you visit the East Neuk of Fife. It dominates the seascapes, enticing the eye and inspiring countless artists. It lights up the sea after dark with its twinkling lighthouse. It is always there, seeming to ask: "Aren't you curious about me?", "Don't you want to find out more about me?". There's something so timless and romantic about an island and visiting them is always a little adventure. All islands have a magical and romantic allure in my book but none more so than an uninhabited one - the Isle of May has no permanent inhabitants. Or at least no human ones. It's a national nature reserve with some serious credentials - it's home to up to a quarter of a million birds and the largest grey seal colony on the east coast of Britain (2,000 seal pups each Autumn). Volunteers work there for part of the year, studying and counting the wildlife. With daily sailings from Anstruther harbour from March to September it's also an accessible adventure for a day out.

My first trip to the May was summer 2011. I loved it but wanted to return in Spring to try and see the puffins, who were absent on that trip. I'd seen puffins on tiny Staffa on the West Coast of Scotland and wanted to see more of these adorably colourful and quirky seabirds. But as we firmed up on a sailing date I started to worry that the puffins would be keeping a low profile. No doubt sick of questions, including from me on Twitter, about whether there were puffins to be seen yet this season, the Isle of May blog published a blogpost called "Yes we do have puffins"! This was heartening, however I was trying not to get my hopes up too much just in case it wasn't to be. 

On the day of sailing the weather couldn't have been better. Defying a forecast of cloudy conditions the sun was unmistakably out and the strong wind that has been a feature of recent months was having a day off. So far so good. The boat, called the May Princess, made its merry way out of Anstruther harbour, full of optimistic nature-spotters, including a school trip plus teachers. The trip takes around 50 minutes to an hour each way, costing £24 adult / £20 student / £12 child (tickets from the ticket office on Anstruther pier). For a faster ride take the RIB Osprey - 25 minutes each way, £25/£20/£12.

Sailing to the Isle of May, including RIB Osprey aka the fast boat (top left) and the larger May Princess

As we neared the island we started to see ever increasing numbers of puffins in the water near the boat and flying in their awkward way over us. I got pretty snap-happy, thinking this could be the best we get. However it quickly became clear that the best was still to come as we spotted lots of puffins on the island. Our skipper declared it to be the best day for weather AND puffins so far this year! Delighted, we skipped off the boat in search of nature's finest...and almost stepped on a poor lady eider duck, sitting on her nest to protect her eggs, right beside the path, very camouflaged. The reasons behind the warden's message to "stick to the paths" became very clear. Mrs Duck and her nest were OK though and the more noticeable Mr Duck was nearby. 



Male and Female Eider Ducks, Isle of May, Firth of Forth, Scotland



 We reached the cliffs and our first group of puffins. Que about 50 million photos by me. After that we felt like we'd stepped into a nature programme due to the sheer volume of wildlife to be seen in quite a small area near the South Horn (where the island's biggest cliffs can be found). It was actually slightly surreal but really stunning. There were puffins left, right and centre plus all the other seabirds the May supports - diving gannets, distinctive cormorants, noisy gulls and kittiwakes, graceful Arctic terns, fulmars, razorbills and guillemots all nesting in different parts of the cliff face. Shy rabbits darted about in and out of burrows and the quietly determined eider ducks were all over the place. Looking down from the top of the cliff (where incidentally there are fabulous views of Bass Rock and Berwick Law on the other side of the water), grey seals and their pups swam playfully below in the glistening, translucent water. Sitting on a rock eating our packed lunches we soaked up some rays and had the chance just to listen to all the noises of nature. When we finally came out of this trance-like state we spoke to the warden, who had some environmental messages to relay, worrying that in 5-10 years time we'll have to travel to Norway to see puffins in the wild as their food sources dry up in this country due to global warming.

Puffins, Isle of May, Firth of Forth, Scotland



With just an hour left until our departure (you get almost 3 hours on the island) it was time for a quick dash round the rest of the island. Luckily, we'd had more time to explore this more fully on our last visit, taking in the various lighthouses and interesting human history of the island (including smugglers and monks). Scotland's oldest lighthouse is here (The Beacon, 1636). The views from the Main Light (built by Stephenson in 1816) towards Fife were sublime that day, visibility being so good that you could make out the row of colourful houses all the way along at Fife Ness, beside the Crail Golfing Society clubhouse (not that R is a golfer or anything!). I have a romantic notion about staying overnight in Low Light some day, listening to the waves... 



Buildings of the Isle of May. From top left: Main Light, Low Light, South Horn, Beacon, Cute sign at the visitor toilets.



...But no time for that sort of day-dreaming - just time for a few more quick puffin pics then back to the boat to sail around the North side of the island, past curious, grey seals and dramatic rock formations before heading off towards the mainland again. We shared a cold beer from the May Princess shop while soaking up some more rays on deck as Anstruther edged nearer and nearer.

Grey seals basking and swimming, Isle of May, Firth of Forth, Scotland



It was a truly amazing experience, a taste of natural paradise right here in Scotland that will stay with us for a long time. My advice? Switch off the TV and see nature in the flesh with a trip out to the Isle of May.

Text and pictures copyright Sara Scott 2012 and 2013

50 scarecrows equals eccentric fun in gentile Elie

Elie and adjoining Earlsferry make up the most gentile and affluent village on Fife's East Neuk coast. They are blessed with a wonderful, sweeping beach, where cricket matches and watersports are a regular fixture. Many houses have their own private access directly onto the beach via little gates and staircases fixed to the sea wall. Those which don't have instead lavishly adapted their balconies, terraces and gardens to maximise that beautiful beach view. This is where Edinburgh Old Money has its spacious seaside holiday homes and everyone else wishes they did. The whole place exudes the confidence of knowing it's good-looking and expensive.

But for one weekend a year things get a bit eccentric, a bit quirky with the annual Elie Scarecrow Festival.

The 2013 event
In 2013 this happened on 3-6 May over a Bank Holiday weekend. This was only the second time the festival has been held. I heard via #ScotlandHour (which is a monthly hour on Twitter where people share what to do and where to go in Scotland) that other places in Scotland also do Scarecrow Festivals but this was the first one I'd been to.

Elie and Earlsferry Residents and business owners compete for the best scarecrow and this seems to encourage lots of creativity and effort. Visitors can purchase a scarecrow map from one of the shops and then tour round the villages to spot them all (around 50 this year), then identify their favourite. The villages are small enough to do this on foot, though if you're short on time / energy you could go for a drive-by approach. The carefully stuffed creations can be found in front gardens, in the street outside houses, shops and pubs, in parks and even hanging from windows and chimneys. This year they included Nixon, Bill Gates, the Statue of Liberty, Prince Charles, Old Tom Morris, a workman, a family on holiday, a pirate, a horse, a nurse and patient, a burglar, Paddington Bear (my favourite) and many more besides. They were very cleverly done with some wonderful details, like Bill Gates holding a paper iPad and iPod and the daddy of the holiday family lying on a lounger, reading "The Scarecrow Times". Many were funny, some cute and others slightly creepy, especially as the daylight faded and they started appearing menacingly out of the shadows.

The winner this year was a scarecrow version of The Flintstones - as announced in the Fife Today newspaper.

I enjoyed walking around spotting them all - it added an extra bit of quirky fun, something a bit different to what was already a great place for a Sunday afternoon stroll. Did you enjoy the festival this year?

Post-event refreshments
Mouth as dry and legs as limp as, well, a scarecrow after all that walking? There are plenty of options in Elie / Earlsferry for a drink and a bite to eat. We had a delicious dinner from the Specials menu at the lively Golf Tavern in Earlsferry. Then we went for a drink in its more famous sister pub, The Ship Inn, back in Elie right by the beach. Elie is also blessed with a Michelin-starred, but reportedly un-stuffy, restaurant called Sangster's.

What's on next?
The next events to look out for in Elie's up-market calendar of local events are The Ship Inn's cricket fixtures (throughout the summer) and the Elie Fayre (13 July 2013, 1pm at the Harbour).

And finally...

If you're desperate to recreate the Scarecrow Festival at home, how about this cute scarecrow kit!

Copyright © Sara Scott 2013

Tulip-tastic - a riot of colour with thousands of bulbs

The Cambo Estate annual Tulip Festival starts today, which they describe as "a riot of colour with thousands of bulbs". It runs 3-13 May in 2013 from 10am to 5pm daily. Cambo Estate is near Kingsbarns in the East Neuk of Fife (Tel - 01333 450054).

I'll be going along this year to see the amazing variety of tulips, carefully planted by droves of volunteers to light up Cambo's elegant walled garden with their vibrant colours. Think you've seen tulips before? These are not your average tulips - there are lots of unusual varieties, with jagged edges or stripes or very full heads. The last time I saw the walled garden it was very muted and wintry so I'm expecting this to be a much more uplifting experience, bringing hope of some Summer sunshine to come (fingers crossed!).

In the meantime I thought I'd share some of my photos of last year's Cambo Tulip Festival with you:

p.s. If you like this you might also be interested in the Cambo Rose Festival on 21 June to 7 July 2013.

Copyright Sara Scott 2012 (photos) and 2013 (text).

Auld Alliance, alive and cooking in the East Neuk!

My guest blog has now been published on the Crail Food Festival website! It's about La Petite Epicerie, a little French deli in Anstruther with an amazing mixture of local and continental products extraordinaire. You'll find it right here: Crail Food Festival Blog.

Don't forget that the festival is taking place 15-16 June 2013 - should be lots of fun for anyone who likes good food and drink!

Meercats, sharks and ice cream - a fun family day out in St Andrews, whatever the weather

You can read my first ever guest blog on the Visit St Andrews site (the official website for visitors to St Andrews, Scotland). It's about two family-friendly things to do whether it's rain or shine, snowy or fine: (1) the delights of the Aquarium (meerkats, sharks, Nemo and much more) and (2) St Andrews' famous ice cream emporium, B. Jannettas. You'll find it right here: Visit St Andrews Blog 

May 2013 update: The St Andrews Aquarium now has some news - it will be getting Humboldt Penguins on 23 May 2013. Lets hope the penguins like their new home in St Andrews and you enjoy seeing them!

Copyright Sara Scott 2013

Easter in the East Neuk



Easter chick



Are you lucky enough to be in or around the East Neuk of Fife this Easter holiday? If so, here's a selection of six local events to keep you and your family busy:

1. AN ENTIRE FESTIVAL DEVOTED TO CHOCOLATE - The Cocoa Tree cafe and shop in Pittenweem is running a Grand Festival of Chocolate, which is inspired by the best selling book Chocolat. This is my kind of festival! It includes a Grand Chocolate Treasure Hunt (throughout the festival - to enter the prize draw the deadline is 6pm on Easter Sunday), a Full Moon "Chocolat" Film Party (Wednesday 27 March 7pm), The Grand Chocolate Fayre and Weem Witch Tours (Thursday 28 March), The Grand Good Friday Dinner (Friday 29 March), Grand Finale of the Treasure Hunt and Raffle (Sunday 31 March 6pm) and finally Chocolate Workshops (Monday 1 April 10-12 children and 1-4 adults). (To reserve a space for any of these events contact sophie@thecocoatreeshop.com.)

2. FIND THE EASTER EGGS - Classic Easter weekend fun for the kids - join the Easter Egg Trail at National Trust Scotland's Kellie Castle (Saturday 30 March and Sunday 31 March 12-4, £2 per child).

3. PACK THE KIDS OFF FOR SOME FUN IN THE WOODS - Cambo Estate, Kingsbarns is running a one week Easter Woodland Club for children aged 6-13 (1-5 April or 8-12 April, 10am-4pm each day, £125 per week). The Club is all about having fun in the woods. It includes activities like building a den, cooking on the fire, making wooden things, playing games and watching wildlife (to book contact Chris Childe 01337 830621, chris.childe_education@yahoo.co.uk).

4. RACE A DUCK - On Easter Saturday (30 March, 10.30am) you can watch or even take part in the A.I.A. (Anstruther Improvements Association) annual duck race at the Dreel Burn in Anstruther. Everyone floats rubber ducks down the stream and the owner of the lucky winning duck wins a prize. Ducks cost £1 and can be bought in advance or on the day. Should be lots of fun!

5. SEE SOME ART - Pittenweem's famous arts festival doesn't kick off until August but Easter marks the annual Pittenweem Artists and Galleries weekend, when many of this very arty village's residents open their studies to show new work. Venues are open Friday 29 - Sunday 31 March (10am-5pm or 11am-4pm for the new ART@47 gallery space). Look out for the poster on the door.


Arty Pittenweem

6. RENACT THE COLD WAR (?) - For a slightly unusual Easter experience, Scotland's Secret Bunker will be having a re-enactment over Easter (Friday 29 - Sunday 31 March) with real Army soldiers at the gate to greet you, vehicle displays around the grounds and patrolling underground in the bunker in their full attire, complete with weapons for authenticity. The Bunker was the secret underground hideaway where Scotland's elite would have gone in the event of a nuclear attack in the Cold War era. It was kept secret, hiding below a farmhouse for 40 years. Today it's a unique tourist attraction.



Whatever you're doing this Easter I hope you have a great time! If you know of any other great East Neuk Easter events please share them by leaving a comment. Right, I'm off to get stuck into some Easter eggs now...



First signs of Spring at Rose Cottage!



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.