Picture
Caption: Elie A coastal walk
Picture
Picture
Caption: It was the last Saturday in September and a bright and sunny day, so we headed to Elie in Fife. We planned to take the coastal walk that leads from Elie in the direction of St Monans - which is one of our favourite walks now, and one I’ve shared here a few times. On this day, the sky was incredible, with the sunlight enhancing the drama of the clouds.
Picture of Elie
Picture of Elie
Caption: I was mesmerised by the sky. When I was taking the next photo looking towards Elie Ness Lighthouse a woman approached me and asked what I was photographing. She’d noticed me walking over to the edge of the rocks, quickly, and thought perhaps I’d spotted a seal. But no, I explained, it was this light, which was shifting constantly with the clouds. It was this view.
Picture of Elie
Picture of Elie
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Caption: Some family members found this walk more challenging than others. It was a surprisingly humid day, with barely a breeze, and Bracken is not a fan of humidity.
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Caption: As we continued along this path - further than we have on previous walks - we came to these ruins in the distance. So, of course, we had to keep walking to see what they were.
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Video of Lady’s Tower
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Caption: The distant ruin
was Newark Castle.
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Video of Lady’s Tower
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Caption: ‘The impressive, crumbling, ruins of Newark Castle (sometimes also known as the "Castle of St Monans") occupy a magnificent clifftop location half a mile south west of the attractive village of St Monans and only a third of a mile from St Monans Church. The ruins are in a perilous state, and so are the cliffs they stand on. Photographs taken in relatively modern times show that parts of both the castle and the cliffs are continuing to collapse. If you do visit, take great care.’ UNDISCOVERED SCOTLAND
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Caption: In reading about Newark Castle after our visit, I learned that most of the castle that remained here by the late 19th century has since been lost to coastal erosion.
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Caption: This 16th century circular stone doocot sits to the east of the castle ruins. Details via Canmore refer to the building’s walls measuring 3ft 8 inches thick. Incredible for such a small building.
Picture of Lady’s Tower
Picture of Saint Monans
Caption: LOOKING TOWARDS ST MONANS Tempting as it was to walk on to St Monans, we were aware that we still had a long walk to get back to Elie - and one very tired Bracken! So we turned back at this point. And the light changed again, becoming brighter as we retraced our journey along the coastal path, the sky shifting to blue. The tide had also turned by this stage, revealing the rock and pebble-strewn sections of beach.
Picture of Saint Monans
Picture of Saint Monans
Picture of Saint Monans
Picture of Saint Monans
Picture of Saint Monans
Picture of Saint Monans
Picture of Saint Monans
Picture of Saint Monans
Picture of Saint Monans
Picture of Saint Monans
Picture of Saint Monans
Picture of Saint Monans
Picture of Saint Monans
Picture of Saint Monans
Picture of Saint Monans
Picture of Saint Monans
Picture of Saint Monans
Picture of Saint Monans
Caption: This light!
Picture of Saint Monans
Saint Monans
Caption: SATURDAY 28 September
Elie, Fife
