One Hundred Years On

One hundred years on from the Armistice that marked the end of the First World War, the War Memorial in Largo after the wreaths had been laid at mid-day.

The Largo Parish War Memorial stands at the crossroads that links Upper Largo to the east, Lower Largo to the south and Lundin Links to the west, thus representing all parts of the Parish. It is in the form of a Celtic cross and was designed by Sir Robert Lorimer who was also the architect of the mightily impressive Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle. There are 53 names inscribed from the First and 16 from the Second World War. Amongst those from the First World War there are four brothers. As with so many at that time one family's future generations lost.

The information about  the memorial was obtained from the book of photographs of the Sea Toun of Largo compiled by Ivy Jardine. It is out of print but I was able to borrow a copy from the library.

At the shore, it seemed in keeping with the day that there was a peaceful end to the afternoon. The rain had stopped and the light was shining through the clouds.

Foxgloves and Lupins on display.

 Foxgloves at the top of the Massney Braes.

 Lupins just to the south of the wooded area between the two paths in the Serpentine Walk. I always associate lupins with railway banks and these were not far from the old railway track that ran through Largo.

A Walk in the Snow

Snow in the small wooded area between the two paths in the Serpentine Walk. Snow and woods always reminds me of Robert Frost's lovely poem - one of my favourites.

 The Largo burn in full spate at the junction of the two paths.

The snow on the path up to the main road was around a foot deep in places and we were glad that other people had been there before us and we were able to step into their footprints. The exit at the top was blocked by snow, that had been cleared from the road, but we managed to find a way up the side of the field and then down the bank onto the road.

Natural Ice Sculpture

 Very cold and frosty weather lead to these ice formations on the Largo Burn in the Serpentine Walk.

There were also icy patches on the Keil Burn

Icy Small Waterfall

Although most of the frost had gone by yesterday afternoon, there was still some sculptural ice at the side of the little waterfall in the middle of the Serpentine Walk.

A Tiger Moth Caterpillar

Spotted this caterpillar on the underside of a butterbur leaf in the Serpentine Walk. I think that it is the caterpillar of the ruby tiger moth - Phragmatobia fuliginosa. I'm more familiar with the much darker garden tiger moth caterpillar commonly called 'woolly bear', although its numbers seemed to have declined over recent years.

Pheasant at the Largo Burn

Often hear the unmistakeable squawk of a pheasant and see them in the fields on each side of the Serpentine Walk but rarely close enough to get a reasonable photo. However, today one flew on to the bank of the Largo Burn which runs at the side of the path. It was going backwards and forwards and seemed to be trying to figure out a way to get through the wire fence into the field.

At this time of year male pheasants are at their most colourful.

Daffodils in the Serpentine Walk 2015

The daffodils in the Serpentine Walk are just coming to their best. They line one side of the path.

There are several different varieties, some all yellow and some yellow and white.

My favourite is the delicate wild daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) also known as the lent lily. Unlike the usual familiar all-yellow, the trumpet is as long as the pale outer petals but is of a darker yellow. These are the native daffodils 'fluttering and dancing in the breeze' that inspired Wordworth's famous poem.

Early Spring Bulbs 2015

A bank of snowdrops and aconites near the Largo Parish War Memorial.

Some sunny days and suddenly snowdrops are springing up everywhere,

 Aconites and some snowdrops at the back of the Temple car park

A bank of snowdrops at the side of the path leading up to the Serpentine Walk.

Some tiny purple crocuses at the side of the old railway track path.

A Snow-Covered Footpath

There was a light fall of snow overnight but the sun came out and by midday most of the snow had melted. However, in the shade of the trees in the Serpentine Walk, snow still covered the footpath.

The snow has completely disappeared from Largo Law which can be glimpsed in the background.

With the promise of spring, snowdrops were beginning to appear at the side of the footpath.

Trees Felled

A few days ago I noticed red crosses on two of the large beech trees in the Serpentine Walk in Largo and yesterday saw that they had indeed been felled. This one was probably the largest tree in the walk but it had looked diseased for some time.

 Another tree gone close to the northern end of the path.

Fly Agaric

Fly agaric toadstool  (Amanita muscaria) in Keil's Den at the weekend. This is an older specimen specimen which has flattened out and has lost its bright red colour from the margin. Although unlikely to be fatal fly agaric is highly poisonous.

 These next two photos were taken some years ago in the Black Wood of Rannoch.

I think this photo was taken in the Lake District near Aire Force. Again it was some years ago. It shows the more typical bright red colour. The younger specimens have a domed shape.

A New Bridge in Keil's Den

The first glimpse of the new bridge through the trees.

A splendid new wooden footbridge has been built at the southern end of Keil's Den. There was a crossing here on stepping stones at this point but latterly they had become very uneven and slippery and virtually impossible if the burn was in spate..

The bridge from the eastern side.

The view upstream from the middle of the bridge.

The bridge from the western side.

A picturesque view looking back at the bridge.

Using the bridge in the middle, the road bridge at the top of the den and this new bridge several different circular walks can now be enjoyed. The den is managed by the Woodland Trust Scotland but the bridge was funded with a generous donation from a frequent visitor to the den.