Return to Fife

There's been another lull in posts as I'd been away for a pre-xmas catch up with family, as well as a chance for a bit of a break ahead of the festivities.  We headed back to Fife to a house we'd rented back in the summer.  We'd realised it was as cheap to do this as staying in a hotel for a few nights (especially if, as planned, our son was going to come and join us), it's only an hour or so to Glasgow, and it's a lovely place to recharge batteries.  Sadly my son went down with the lurgy that seems to be doing the rounds at the minute so decided not to come up.

Despite it being Scotland in mid-winter, we have brilliant weather and lots of lovely beach and coastal walks, met up with friends and family, and saw lots of wildlife... rabbits, gannets diving (which I could watch all day), a Minke Whale (or possibly just a large splash in the Forth but I'm telling everyone it was a whale!), and a worryingly close encounter with a seal which had wandered up onto the coastal path at dawn and which one of my dogs thought would make a very tasty breakfast!  Luckily all was well and the seal slithered over the rocks and safely back to sea.

Cisco remembers he was a hunting dog...

Last time we'd been to a few historical sites... not so many this time but a couple of interesting places both quite unexpected.  

First up is this statue of Admiral Cochrane who was born not far from my home town in Lanarkshire but spent a lot of his early life in Culross in Fife.  Culross may be familiar if you're a fan of Outlander as apparently it doubles as the fictional village of Cranesmuir in the series.  Incidentally in true Scottish style Culross is pronounced completely differently to it's spelling and is Coo-ross.

Cochrane is one of those larger than life, heroic characters who fought the French during yhe Napoleonic Wars, but was also a key figure in the South American Wars of Liberation and is a big inspiration for Hornblower and Aubrey.  It's reminded me I have a biography somewhere upstairs which I must get round to reading

Culross Palace

Next up was a very unexpected find, based on a small plaque we found on a house while walking with a friend and our dogs in Aberdour.  The plaque commemorate Captain Cyril Percy Ryan, credited as the inventory of the Hydrophone, used in submarine detection.  It turns out the house is is Hawkcraig House, also known as HMS Tarlair.  

Hawkcraig House 

During WWI this was an experimental station for the development of hydrophones, as well as mining and the development of a mine sweeping launch, controlled by seaplane.