A Sparkling Christmas Day at Shell Bay

Looking across Largo Bay to Largo Law from the approach to Ruddons Point.

Although frosty it was a beautiful morning yesterday so we drove to Elie and parked at the Coastal Path car park just behind the caravan park at Shell Bay. Took the marked path through the woods, then skirted the trees past some spectacular sand dunes overlooking the salt marshes which surround the Cocklemill Burn and then on down the grassy slopes to Ruddons Point. Having explored the point walked across the sands of Shell Bay and then up the tarmacked road of the caravan park back to the car park. It makes a good round walk.

East and West Lomond in the distance.

The large wind turbine at Methil stands out.

Lower largo and Lundin Links across the bay.

A cairn made up of the rubbish that collects on the shore.

One of several huge mounds of scallop shells at the campsite.

New Year's Day at Dumbarnie Links.

World War II tank traps at the eastern edge of Dumbarnie Links surrounded by a winter lochan.

The New Year ushered in a beautiful day, cold and frosty to start with but warming up by midday. After lunch parked in the old station car park at Lower Largo and set off along the railway track. The good weather had brought out many other like-minded walkers - the Temple Car Park was full and the beach was busy. The track was very muddy in places from all the recent rain and the winter lochans at Dumbarnie Links were as extensive as I have ever seen them.
Dumbarnie Links Wildlife Reserve is a small area of calcareous dune grassland in the centre of Largo Bay managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. In Winter, hollows with short, rabbit-grazed turf and moss, become flooded to form 'winter lochans' as the underground water-table rises.

Large winter lochan at the centre of Dumbarnie Wild Life Reserve.

Largo Law in the background.

The coastal path goes through the reserve but today the sign was marooned.

Normally take the path through the reserve, but today (not being prepared to wade!!), had to make for the beach.

Looking back to Lower Largo from the beach with the Lomond Hills beyond.

Looking east to Ruddon's point.

Gaddon Loch Views

Clouds reflected in the water at Gaddon Loch, which lies adjacent to Birnie Loch and both lochs form a nature reserve in North East Fife. The reserve was created from old quarry workings.

There are good views of the Lomond Hills from the far bank of Gaddon Loch.

Swans at the little island in Gaddon Loch.

Shell Bay and Ruddons Point

Ruddons Point. At the Eastern end of Largo Bay lies Ruddons Point and beyond that Shell Bay, which is much smaller than Largo Bay, almost a cove.

Beautiful day last Sunday so we drove to Elie and parked at the Coastal Path car park just behind the caravan park at Shell Bay. Took the marked path through the woods, then skirted the trees past some spectacular sand dunes overlooking the salt marshes which surround the Cocklemill Burn and then on down the grassy slopes to Ruddons Point. Having explored the point walked across the sands of Shell Bay and then up the tarmacked road of the caravan park back to the car park. It makes a good round walk.

Looking back to Largo Law from Ruddons Point.

Looking across to the Lomond Hills.

Across Shell Bay to Kincraig Point at the Eastern end of Shell Bay.

Kincraig Point and the Bass Rock On the other side of the Forth.

The sands of Shell Bay and Kincraig Point

Birnie and Gaddon Loch

Heron standing stock-still on a small island in Birnie Loch. I love the colours in the reflections in this photo. Birnie and Gaddon Lochs form a nature reserve in North East Fife. The reserve was created from old quarry workings.

 Looking over Gaddon Loch to the Lomond Hills

Nice Autumn colour in a young viburnum tree.

Blebo Craigs Village Gardens

Ten village gardens in Blebo Craigs, North East Fife were open this weekend under Scotland's Garden Scheme. Above is the view from one of the gardens to the Lomond Hills.

Another garden includes this water-filled disused quarry, with yellow flags at the edge.

A lovely bank of wild flowers - fox-gloves, sweet rocket, poppies and lambs-lugs.

Icy Weather

Icy patch within the rocks.

Very cold and icy morning. It's not often that there's ice lying on the beach here but today a lot of the rock pools were frozen.

Frozen winter lochan Dumbarnie Links.

In the Dumbarnie Links Wildlife Reserve, hollows with short, rabbit-grazed turf and moss, become flooded in winter to form 'winter lochans' as the underground water-table rises. Today these were frozen.

Snow on the Lomond Hills, seen from the disused railway line in Lower Largo.

The Lomond hills look quite close in this picture but they are several miles inland to the North-West. The two hills East and West Lomond also look very close together but the ridge between the two is actually 4 miles in length. East Lomond at 434 metres (1471 feet) overlooks the village of Falkland at its foot. West Lomond is the highest point in Fife at 522 metres (1713 feet). It is the more exposed and looks to have more snow on it.

Lomond Hills Landmark

Standing among trees on the edge of a hillside on the North side of the Lomond Hills in Fife is a landmark which can be seen for many miles. Yesterday we walked through the Fallkland Estate and then through the forest up to this monument. It is a 60 foot high stone-built tower, erected in memory of Onesiphorus Tyndall-Bruce of Falkland who died 19th March 1855. He was the instigator of the tree planting on the Lomonds and the surrounding area. The view from the statue over the Howe of Fife is magnificent.

A mile and a half East of the monument, in the village of Falkland and near the entrance door to the Church of Scotland is a statue to the same Onesiphorus Tyndall-Bruce. The statue was paid for by public subscription. He built the Church in 1849. He was an Englishman who married a Miss Bruce of Falkland. His Christian name is unusual, but it can be found in the Bible at 2 Timothy, chapter 1 verse 16.