Well, I took a wee trip that involved a plane.
I had a lovely vacation and although I enjoyed myself there is something about returning to the Bonnie Capital.
Upon this return, I had the added bonus of seeing the sun go down. I had to whip out my phone to take a few pics.
Now that was some view. The bridges and sunset as the backdrop! It was wonderful. Now that’s a welcome home!
© The Scottish Pearl 2024
First of all, I picked a great day to visit Luss. The weather was perfect! And the ride over was lovely. I was particularly enchanted by the view of the ride to Glasgow.
On the way to Glasgow, passing Burnside
A year ago I made a short stop at Luss, It was a little peek into the village. This day trip was to spend some quality time by the water. This pretty village is located within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park in the Argyll and Bute region. Specifically on the western shore of Loch Lomond.
As I hopped off the bus and passed the Loch Lomond Arms hotel, I could see the village.
Loch Lomond Arms Hotel
The main street to the village is adorned with quaint pretty cottages and shops. I could not help but think that there must be a code in the village. All the cottages had well maintained flower pots and gardens. It was all picture-perfect. Not a rebel between them and hence my thought.
Luss Village Homes and Shops
I walked through the homes and shops, with one thought in mind. The water. The road led me to the primary pier, the Luss Pier. I was surprised at how busy it was. I don’t know why I was surprised as it is a popular spot but as I decided to visit on a weekday, I had assumed there would be fewer people present. I was wrong. I guess a lot of people were on holiday.
Loch Lomond at Luss Village
Loch Lomond is beautiful. I have visited the loch a few times but at different access points and each time the loch has been stunning. Today it felt like the playground for children and adults alike. I think many visitors were relatively local, mainly from Glasgow. It makes sense that this would be their summer playground. Having said that many visitors were also present from beyond that geographical scope.
Loch Lomond at Luss Village
In between short spurts of reading, I did a lot of water-watching, hill-watching and people-watching . I wondered about the history of the place which led me to look it up. I found the following:
Around 1,500 years ago, an Irish missionary, St Kessog, arrived at Loch Lomond, bringing Christianity to the area. At the time Luss was called Clachan Dhu (the dark village) because it lay in the shadow of the surrounding hills. St Kessog was martyred and his body embalmed with sweet herbs. Legend has it that the herbs grew and covered his grave, providing a new name for the village – lus is Gaelic for herb. The present church was built in 1875 but the graveyard is much older. The earliest stones date from the 7th or 8th century and includes an 11th century Viking hogback grave. Inside there’s a lovely ceiling made from Scots pine rafters and some beautiful Victorian stained-glass windows.
[From Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Website]
I found the history intriguing. I love names that have meaning. “Lus” means herb; this was my learning point of the day.
After spending time on the water, it was time to walk the woods. I wanted to learn more about the church and adjacent footpaths.
Luss Parish Church Grounds
The grounds from the water to the woods of the church grounds were lovely. A lush setting and a tranquil trail. Perfect. The burial grounds had a premium location, overlooking the loch. The church was built in 1875 and is dedicated to Saint Kessog.
It was all delightful.
Woods near Luss Village Parish Church
After a good walk, I decided that a reward was in order. Refreshments. Wine at the Loch Lomond Arms hotel on their patio. A fitting punctuation to the day.
© The Scottish Pearl 2023
The Fife coast is truly breathtaking. After exploring Anstruther, I decided to continue my walk to Pittenweem.
After all, it was only one mile east.
So off I trotted. It was a beautiful walk until the path suddenly ended and it was not Pittenweem.
It was a golf course.
I had to walk across the golf course to continue the walk to the neighbouring village. It was not what I had expected but I was lucky. It was a beautiful day and once I crossed the course without incident, the rest of the walk was stress-free. After a short stroll on the major road, I made my way to the footpaths of Pittenweem village.
As I arrived at Pittenweem harbour I could not help but notice the difference to Anstruther. It was certainly smaller and it felt more like a commercial working harbour. It was also significantly calmer. Of course, I had to walk on the pier.
Standing on the pier gave a lovely view of the village with its predominantly white wash storefronts on the harbour perimeter.
As I stood on the pier, I did not get the panoramic views of Anstruther, [at least not with my height] however, I did have a pleasing viewpoint of the harbour and village.
Pittenweem is a colourful village of winding, narrow streets. It has a wonderful residential waterfront. I walked the entire length of the village’s coastal path.
It was a short visit but certainly worth the walk and stop.
© The Scottish Pearl 2023
It’s been just over a year since I visited Anstruther and so I thought a trip to that village was overdue. In fact, I want to do a few more trips to the East Neuk coast but that will be for another time and post.
With that thought, I made the trip to Anstruther in June. As I hopped off the bus at Dreel Bridge, I decided to explore a bit of the town before heading to the harbour.
What a beautifully kept and colourful town. As I explored the streets, I wondered why I hadn’t done it before. It seems as if I was welcomed by a rainbow of buildings. It was nice. I walked the High Street and the Esplanade.
Then I took the opportunity to walk the grounds of the community halls, Dreel Halls.
Dreel Halls are also known as Anstruther Wester Parish Church. In 1243, a church on this site was dedicated to St. Nicholas. The current structure consists of a sixteenth-century tower and steeple and a mid-nineteenth-century main room, which probably incorporates material from the original medieval church. Today, the church is used as a public hall as part of Dreel Halls.
Near the church are a protected medieval coffin and an early 17th-century grave slab. With the light bulbs framing it, I assumed that it is illuminated at night. I think that that would be a little spooky to see.
As I walked around south of the building, I entered the graveyard and a lookout point.
This was Anstruther Wester Churchyard which is also known as the Commonwealth War burial grounds.
The graveyard contained several 17th-century memorials. (Reference)
What a serene location. I sat there for a while, taking in the stream, beach and surrounding structures.
Upon leaving the yard I noticed the design on the side of a house on Elizabeth Place. It was a shell mural. I admired the creativity. It was well done.
I continued to walk along the High street as I made my way towards the harbour.
I finally made it to the water. What a vibrant harbour. Although I understood that there were a few commercial boats docked at the harbour, I sensed that it was more of a recreational harbour.
I was drawn to walk the piers. It offered lovely views of the village.
The day was picture-perfect.
I continued walking towards the lighthouse which offered amazing views of the boats.
Given the size of the village, I thought it was a large harbour. There was a whole social vibe here.
I stopped at one of the harbour bistros for a drink and to take in the scene that seemed to be unfolding before my eyes. I also did a quick search to see what Visit Scotland had to say about the village.
Anstruther is a charming fishing village in the East Neuk of Fife, popular with day-trippers and holidaymakers. Located south of St Andrews, Anstruther is the largest in a string of pretty, old-fashioned fishing villages along the stretch of Fife coast known as the East Neuk.
Visit Scotland
“Daytrippers and Holidaymakers”. Yes, that is what I had sensed. The social vibe was evident.
After gazing at both my drink and those passing by, I took one more final stroll along the pier. I looked out to the horizon beyond, east towards Pittenweem which would be my next stop.
Anstruther is a lovely village
© The Scottish Pearl 2023
It had been a while since I walked the Granton-Cramond trail. So it was time for a visit. I know I have said this before in a recent post but I have this need to say it again. Granton’s waterfront looks great!
This walk started at Granton Harbour and then west along the water’s edge towards Silverknowes.
Although the day started off overcast, as it progressed the sun came out and there were blue skies all around. Lucky! On this walk, I decided to change it up a little and follow part of the trail through the woods
There is something calming about being among trees and especially those that line a waterfront. Curiosity got the better of me as I climbed a steep set of stairs that seemed to beckon me.
To my delight, it led me to an elevated view of the coast.
I slowly retraced my footsteps back through the woods. This small detour gave a whole new perspective of the landscape.
It is truly a wonder that all this is part of Edinburgh. We are lucky to have such varied scenes that we can enjoy.
Breathtaking. A lovely walk. As I approached Cramond Beach, I could see clear across the water to Fife.
As always, after I completed the walk, I wondered what took me so long to return.
© The Scottish Pearl 2023
I have often puttered around Musselburgh Beach and Fisherrow Harbour but then stop. I don’t know why.
As I pondered the map, I noticed that there are lagoons behind Musselburgh’s race track.
We are such creatures of habit. I have no idea why I had not ventured further than Fisherrow Harbour especially since I consider myself an explorer! How did I miss that? So this walk had a mission to visit the lagoons.
As I ventured east, I smiled at the statues that recognised the fishermen of days gone by. The Fisherrow fishermen.
The views were amazing. I could see Arthur’s seat and the shores of Portobello in the distance.
To continue east, I had to walk along the River Esk. What a lovely walk! It was a great day for it.
While crossing the bridge I stopped to scan the lovers’ locks.
The wildflowers along the river bank were in full bloom and looked marvellous. It was evident that a lot of effort has gone into this path.
I loved that there were maps posted regularly and in my case specifically, the maps highlighted the location of the lagoons.
I continued the walk east until I reached the Nature reserve where the lagoons were located
I found them! My photos do not give the lagoons justice. What a tranquil beautiful site. A nature reserve with birds as its primary focus.
Well, that was definitely worth it. These short walks are definitely helping me get my “mojo” back 🙂
© The Scottish Pearl 2023
