With May well underway, we headed North East (fewer midgies!) to a community campsite in the village of Tayport, where we had booked a pitch for three nights.
We arrived at about 17:30, and the evening was aglow with late afternoon sunshine - the campsite attendant, Gordon, booked us in and showed us to our spot. Iona was soon set up, and we headed into Tayport to discover its delights! As we walked the narrow, quaint and quiet streets, we phoned a local pub to reserve a table; unfortunately, they could not accommodate us. Undaunted, we carried on to Cobbies Inn to check the place out and quench a brewing thirst.
As is often the case in small towns and villages, the area adjacent to the bar was occupied by locals; however, we were welcomed and took a seat on the periphery of the bar, from where we enjoyed some local chit-chat and a couple of pints. Afterwards, we walked around some more of the village and came across the chip shop, serendipity! The two 'fish suppers' were freshly cooked, the chips were a pleasant shade of golden yellow, and the omens were good!
Back at camp, we settled down to our dinner and thoroughly enjoyed the traditional meal before relaxing with a glass of red and turning in for the night.
On our first full day had been set aside for a cycle to Leuchars and back via the Fife Coastal Path, a distance of about 17 miles. Unfortunately, despite the sunny start to the day, the heavens opened as we set off, and we were pretty wet before long. Ah, the joys of a Scottish summer! However, the weather improved, and soon we were drying out in the dappled sunlight as we cycled through the Tentsmuir Forest. As an aside, the forest had been ravaged by a recent storm, and most of the trees had been removed during the initial part of our cycle, which sadly spoilt the woodland feel, the power of nature! Once we reached Leuchars, we turned back and returned to the campsite for a shower and a freshen-up before heading into the village again in search of a libation.
The following day, we took the bus into nearby Dundee, where we wandered around the Discovery and the V & A Museum on the shores of the river Tay. We then ambled into town, where we found the Contemporary Arts Centre and then settled into a cosy nook in the Phoenix pub, where we relaxed in the pleasant surroundings and enjoyed a draught of Blue Moon! The return bus trip dropped us at the local shop, allowing us to stock up on provisions for dinner, and we headed back to Iona for a lazy night in.
Our final day started with whispy cloud cover but plenty of sunshine, this enabled us to sit outside and enjoy our morning cup o' Java whilst topping up our vitamin D levels! And so ended a lovely trip to another new part of our wonderful country, we may well be back....!
Here is a link to our journey:
Remember "Mennies" (The Speedwell) on the Perth Road, Dundee