Grey seals at Pittenweem

Another extremely restorative day on the Fife Coastal Path between Elie and Anstruther. A curate’s egg journey from Edinburgh, exciting over the new Forth bridge, rather less so through inland Fife until we reached the coastal trail road near Elie which was our first stop.

Lunch was top priority, buying some Scotch rolls at the local bakery and eating them overlooking the very picturesque Elie Harbour, the setting for many of Jennifer Thompson’s paintings. She’s a great favourite of Susan’s. We had a pleasant coffee, bought a spelt and honey loaf and some sourdough bread from the bakery and set off along the Fife Coast path to St. Monan’s to the east of Elie.

We didn’t make St Monan’s on foot having meandered around headlands and beaches admiring the wonderful views of Edinburgh and the Pentlands across the Forth (extras). The first extra is of Lady Tower, built in 1760 for Lady Anstruther to change in when she went bathing. Apparently, a bell was rung when she entered the water. As she allegedly went skinny dipping the bell might have alerted a collection of lusty males lining up on the headland to watch the show.

We did get to St Monan’s by car, parking on the seafront to amble around the harbour front. From there it was on to Pittenweem for more seafront and harbour views and a very special viewing of half a dozen grey seals cavorting around a fishing boat from which fish guts were regularly being thrown overboard. What a privilege it was so see these animals so close. There are more in extras.

Our final destination was Anstruther for their famous fish and chips. They lived up to their reputation as being one of the best in the UK. We ate them in a carpark overlooking the harbour into a spectacular sunset. A fitting end to a day which was just as memorable as yesterday but was so different.