Day 24 - Aberdeen - Crail

10 August 2014

Accommodation – Hazelton Guest House, Crail

Weather – dreadful – rain and wind.

Temperature – mid teens

As soon as we left Aberdeen the weather turned nasty with the remnants of Cyclone Bertha making it a windy and wet day.

We followed the Coastal Tourist Route to Dundee and listened to Aled Jones and his music program which we both enjoyed. 

Over the Tay Bridge at Dundee, we arrived in the Kingdom of Fife and had a stopover in St Andrews, the home of golf.  The weather then decided to go for broke and it bucketed down.  There was a fair and market in the central street but after one trip up and back we retreated to a café for coffee and cake.

Smoking fish at the St Andrews market and fair.

Crail, a very old fishing village, is only a short distance from St Andrews.  Once, Crail was the largest market town in Britain and traded with Europe.  The area had close connections with the Netherlands who brought their ships over with pan tiles (orange roof tiles) which was used as ballast.  They would leave the ballast and load their ships with cargo.  The  oldest homes have stepped bricks along each end of the house which is a direct copy from homes in the Netherlands.

Crail Harbour is very tiny and so are the boats but has a thriving lobster, crab and fishing industry.

The wee coffee shop and art gallery we passed on the way down to the harbour.  We've promised ourselves a visit there.

We were a little early to book into the accommodation so we familiarised ourselves with the museum and the dear little harbour.  It was a wet and windy walk and we had all our wet gear on and hoods over our heads.

At the museum the volunteer was particularly helpful and was able to assist us with a cemetery guide for any of my ancestors at the local kirk.  She was also able to direct us to where my great great grandfather ran his blacksmith shop.  Unfortunately, this is now a local garage and bears no resemblance to its former existence.

We finally waved the white flag, and wet and bedraggled we retreated to our lovely accommodation which is situated directly across from the museum, the old toll house with the town bell and former market place.  The suite is on the third floor so from our bedroom window we can see over the rooftops to the Isle of May – a misty outline in the current conditions.

The Golf Hotel Inn was only a mere 50 metres away for dinner.  It was very busy as there are not too many dining places in Crail and we waited for a table to be available in the bar area.  The hotel is old with with a low ceiling and a dark black beams.  A bevy of Scottish golfers manned the bar and they were definitely a lot braver than me who looked like I was ready for the snow to fall – they all sat in short sleeved shirts!

Tomorrow, hopefully, we will be able to explore the East Neuk coastline and the delightful little fishing villages we have read about.  The weather is looking grim so my fingers are crossed!