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The Fife Pilgrims Way

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Well I have now begun, and completed, the Fife Pilgrims Way.   This, in Medieval times, was a route that departed from either Culcross or North Queensferry and ended in St. Andrews, but I was doing it in reverse, deciding at the end where my destination would be.  It is a route which is genrally well signposted in both directions.  The signs Map of the route Due to the exorbitant cost of accomodation anywhere in the vicinity of St Andrews I opted for a base in Dundee, and a commute to and from each stage.   This, even with the added fares, still meant I was paying around half price, and it also meant I could walk pack free,  therefore I could walk faster and further.  Day 1 from St Andrews to the village of Ceres was cold, but dry.  I was struck by the St Andrews population and their youthfulness, due no doubt to it being a university town, though following the path out of town the older population emerged as they exercised their dogs.  It is surprising how "rural" the path w
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St Duthac's way continued

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I have now completed St Duthac's Way.  This has been a delightful path with lots of coast views, along with some wet, windy and cold weather thrown in. One of the treats on this path has been the wild geese flying overhead.  Their noisy chatter as they pass, often in formation, invariably stops me in my tracks.  Chatting with a local I learnt that, at this time of the year, many migrate to the Montrose basin, the area I was passing through.  Leaving Montrose I crossed the South Esk River, with its wide estuary.  The path meandered along the coast to the town Arbroath, where I planned to stay for 2 nights.  Arbroath Abbey is an important landmark in the town.  It was founded in 1178 by William 1, intended as a memorial to William's friend Thomas Becket.  Parts of the abbey were dismantled in 1580 to build a new church, and in March 1951 the Stone of Destiny, removed (from memory, without permission) from Westminster Abbey 3 months earlier was found near the high altar. The remai
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St Duthac's Way

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I departed Aberdeen "pack free", having left it at the hotel, intending on training it back to at the end of the day.  I have decided that if the distances are too great to walk comfortably for the day that the best bet is to stay several nights in one place, but move forward during the day and either catch a train or bus back at the end of the day.  I can walk further,  and generally faster, with only a small day pack. It has been very interesting looking at the colour and architecture of buildings in the towns and villages I walk through.  The fishing villages on the Moray Coast were brownish, with lots of added colour, generally blue, red,or green, on the windows and doors, and on occasions even the pointing around the stonework.   Then there are towns like Turriff which were reddish, but Aberdeen is grey.  Grey granite, with white trim on windows and an occasional red or dark blue door.  Later I passed through towns like Montrose which were a definite dark brown - not jus
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