The Night Market

We left our flat for The Night Market this evening and headed down North Street. Along the way, we picked up our friends Spencer, Alden, Jordan, and Krisi. Small town living at its finest.

The Balgove is a lovely farm shop and cafe a few minutes outside of town. The walk is pleasant, taking you past the Old Course and many University buildings. My friend, Liana, works at Balgove and coordinates The Night Market. They are on Wednesdays throughout the summer. Local vendors sell produce, jams, beer, wine, sweets, seafood, and hand-made items. There is also hot food served, and we are partial to the chips with aioli sauce and Scotch Eggs. We perused the stalls, laughed with friends, and enjoyed live blue grass music. Take a look!

Fife Coastal Path: Earlsferry to Anstruther

We hiked another section of the Fife Coastal Path yesterday: 10 miles from Earlsferry to Anstruther. Although we hiked almost 20 miles last time, we covered less ground on this outing because we conquered the Elie Chain Walk.

Adam and Lindsay met us at the St Andrews bus station at 9am, and we had coffee waiting. They made us eggs muffins for breakfast, and we packed snacks for the day. We got off in Elie and walked to Earlsferry to find the entrance to the Chain Walk. I was especially thankful to have Eagle Scout Harger along for this part of the journey. Basically, we used chains to navigate up and down rocky cliffs along the coast. There were well-used footholds and overall we felt very safe.

Once we completed the Chain Walk, the rest of our hike was fairly easy. Even though the clouds came in, the rain held off and it was quite warm. Lindsay and I were usually behind Adam and Garrick, who we overheard discussing the ins and outs of their projects. They love what they do! We came upon several ruins including castles, saltpans, and doocots. We also saw some cows who seemed unimpressed by our attempts to make friends. Eventually, we arrived in lovely St Monans and met an artist who had planted flowers in over a hundred pairs of wellies.

Our food destination of this trip? The Cocoa Tree! We consumed several pitchers of water before our lunch even arrived. We all ordered soup and devoured hot cocoa for dessert. As we were leaving, we got to sample chocolates filled with whisky. The final mile to Anstruther flew by, and we sat eating chips at the harbour while waiting for the bus back to St Andrews.

We plan to do another section of the coastal path in August! Stay tuned.

The Scottish Game Fair

Garrick left for Vienna yesterday afternoon, and I'm staying with Rachel while our husbands are away. I'm thankful for time with her and the boys!

Yesterday I was immersed in Scottish culture at the Scottish Game Fair held at the grounds of Scone (pronounced 'scoon') Palace. I was invited by friends I've met at work, and they made me an honorary Scot for the day. The sun was out, along with Harris Tweed blazers, Cocker Spaniels, and pipers. It reminded me of a classy state fair without the rides.

 

Take a look at this menu. I ordered the Highland Estate Venison Burger and it did not disappoint. I was laughed at by a woman in front of me in line when I asked, "What's a bap?" Thanks to Ken, I learned that it's a round bread roll.

There were many activities including air rifle shooting, dog races, ball tosses, fishing demonstrations, and saw competitions.

Vendors lined the grounds and set up tents selling Scottish-made items. I bought a Harris Tweed dog key chain and an apron printed with Edinburgh landmarks. There was also a food tent selling top-quality meats, cheeses, whisky, and preserves.

We took a break for some Pimm's on the lawn about halfway through the day, and then we stopped again for ice cream a few hours later. I ordered two scoops: coffee and chocolate, of course!

The longer I live in Scotland, the more I grow to love the people and the culture. It's a beautiful and unique part of the world. A special thanks to my wonderful friends for letting me tag along! Garrick, you were missed.