Sunday Drive Sessions - East Neuk
A few weekends ago Billy sent me a link to a property saying “we should visit here”, little did he know the post he had sent me was the property looking for a spontaneous couple to book a 2 night stay (starting that night) due to a cancellation.
Deciding to throw caution to the wind and say “fuck it”, we packed up our bags and decided to spend 2 spontaneous nights in Pittenweem, and spoiler alert, it was fabulous.
Billy isn’t one to enjoy a last minute decision, it stresses him out not having every inch of a trip planned, but his new years resolution is to start leaning into spontaneity a little bit more (I’m saying that’s his NY resolution 😂) and I’m very proud of him for also deciding to throw caution to the wind and go on this wee adventure with me.
We checked into the tiny but beautifully designed Old Stable, with many of the original features including the stone walls, still intact and thriving. A bag of local chocolates and a roaring fire greeted us on a windy and wet eve in Pittenweem and we were delighted to bunker in for the night and enjoy the sound of the classic Scottish weather pelting against the windows.
The next morning I was begrudgingly dragged out of bed by Billy (probably repayment for the unplanned adventure stress) to see the sunrise over Pittenweem harbour, which truth be told, was actually delightful. The sky was painted a beautiful shade of orange and pink and we had the whole beach to ourselves. Starting the morning with a Scottish sunrise, we’ve decided, is the only way to start the day.
After a home cooked breakfast and a coffee from Bread & Butter in the neighbouring town, we set off to explore what East Neuk had to offer and were continuously surprised and delighted by what was only 5 minutes down the road.
Our first stop was to Newark Castle, a seaside ruin with plenty to explore. From the ruin itself to the Doocot next door, we spent a good 45 minutes here enjoying the scenery and befriending local dogs on their walks along the coast.
We had a brief stop at Bærn, a cafe in a larger complex called The Bowhouse which had shops, a pub, the cafe itself and more. At Bærn they also host delicious tasting menu dinners which we cannot wait to book into (they currently have a cosy winter dinner menu on which looks flippin’ delightful!)
Not one to stay for long, we devoured our savoury scones and refreshing cordial and travelled another arduous 8 minutes down the road to Elie, where we were greeted by a heavy fog and light misting (classic Scotland) which hugged the coastline and Lady’s Tower. Built on the headland of Ruby Bay in 1170, the tower was constructed for Lady Janet Anstruther, a regular swimmer in the waters around Elie Ness (and the beautiful daughter of a wealthy Elie merchant), Lady Janet would retire to her tower after a swim in a small cave on the beach below and often be found to be sunbathing (rich in Scotland, I know) nude!
A quick walk up from Lady’s Tower lands you at Elie Lighthouse, another delightful structure remnant of something straight out of a Wes Anderson film! Our last little stop in Elie was to Ardross Farm which we’re absolutely gutted we didn’t need to buy any groceries, because we simply wanted EVERYTHING! From the fruit and vege to incredible freezer meals, this inviting and abundant farm shop is the best we’ve been to yet!
By this time the fog has lifted around the Coast and we made our way approx 20 minutes back past Pittenweem to Dunino Church where once again, the fog had settled in and gave a eerie yet soothing feeling as we photographed the autumn leaves dropping from the trees around us.
At the back of the church is also a hidden surprise that I don’t want to share here, but if you make your way there yourself one day, you’ll be sure to find out!
We finished off our jam packed day of adventures at St Fillans Cave, back in PIttenweem. The key for the cave must be procured from the local chocolate shop on the high street for £1 (obviously?) and upon entering the cave we greeted someone who thought being inside a cave on a rainy day with all the lights off was not at all terrifying and proceeded to tell us it looked better in the dark.
Strange woman aside, this intriguing wee cave was said to have been a refuge for a saint with a glowing arm, he acquired this arm from God after complaining for not being able to read his scriptures - seems legit! Over the years this cave has also been home to smugglers, a prison during the witch trials and nowadays has the occasional church service!
Our weekend in Pittenweem finished off with dinner at the Ship Inn in Elie, a delicious roast was on offer after our Sunday full of activity and was the perfect way to end a venturesome day. Of course, we retreated back to our nook in Pittenweem with the fire burning, and a wee dram of GlennAchie to toast to a days hard graft.
