Never believe the weather report ~ The sun shines in Scotland too, you know!

Friends from down south come to visit us in Fife, or travel with us further north or west, but we often hear the phrase ‘We don’t come to Scotland for the weather.’ We get phone calls invariably asking, ‘what’s the weather like?’ We can almost hear the disappointment or lack of belief when we say ‘Oh, it’s a lovely afternoon,’ or ‘it’s sunny here today,’ or ‘it’s a beautiful evening.’

I cannot quote a poem by Pauline Prior-Pitt for copyright reasons but I’ve written one of my own, inspired by reading her lovely book of poems ‘be an angel.’

 

Do You Remember the sun my friend

White sandy beaches stretching far, as froth tipped rollers race.

Layers of blue, purple, green ~

sea, cliffs,

lochs, headlands,

inlets, islands,

out to the misty beyond.

Sun kissed onyx rocks, blackness gleaming after rain.

Blue sky

piercing greyness, 

 framing mountain peaks,

dispersing wisps of cloud.

The stillness in that sheltered place where all our being glows with warmth.

 

Do you remember the wind and rain my friend

or do you remember the sun.

 

Kinghorn ~ Diana’s Virtual Tour of the Kingdom of Fife

My first memories of Kinghorn were looking over the Braes down to Kinghorn Harbour.

 

The Village Show in August 2013, admiring the lengthy carrots and mouth watering scones and sponges, not to mention the vibrant village atmosphere, coincided with our second visit.

We also enjoyed a warm welcome at The Wee Shoppe, a place we still frequent for a cuppa, blether and an occasional toastie. Mind you, these resilient folks can sometimes be out in inclement weather and they’re still smiling 🙂

I have such happy memories of New Year’s Day when the hardy folks of Kinghorn go in for a dip at The Loony Dook in aid of The Lifeboats.

When the sun is shining down on this sheltered bay it is possible to bask in its warmth twelve months of the year, and we do!

Kinghorn became our temporary home for a year but we did not notice the gradual capturing of our hearts, even when there’s an icing sugar coating of snow which happens very rarely.

It took a wee while to realise that one day we would call Kinghorn our home.

As in many parts of Fife, the industries of Kinghorn are long gone ~ a tannery, linoleum manufacturer and boat builders to name but three. Today small businesses thrive and the High Street has a variety of busy shops including arts and crafts at The Sea Witch and The Dragon’s Den, a dressmakers and many cafes and pubs, including the recently reopened Harbour View. (Known locally as the Carousel due to connections with the fair ground trade I believe.) The Station Gallery is well worth a visit on a Saturday morning too. In fact, we are a creative lot here in Kinghorn. Look out for the ever popular Round the Horn where people open up their houses to show off their work.

(Author Diana Jackson enjoys researching social history and this inspires her writing. Her latest release ‘The Healing Paths of Fife’, a fantasy / memoir, reflects her growing love for the Kingdom of Fife.)