Walking with Wemyss Windmills - 17th November 2019

Today's walk location was determined by the need to be elsewhere later in the day; I can't now remember where, but it must have been Falkland because I remember choosing somewhere between my home and Falkland and that 'somewhere' was Milton of Balgonie, a place for which I passed the turn off every time I drove to Glenrothes along the A911 and always wondered where that road led (other than Milton of Balgonie of course). Today I was to find out.

I parked in the small village of Milton of Balgonie and immediately took a photograph of the school for that gridsquare, always a sure subject for a Geograph.

Milton of Balgonie School. NO3200

I walked eastwards and turned right onto a small lane which led to the River Leven.

Lane to River Leven. NO3200

The sun was shining gloriously and it felt like a truly autumnal day. Imagine my joy as I approached the river and caught a fleeting glimpse of the Kingfisher. My first one for Fife. I was beside myself with excitement. It flew upstream so I knew there was little chance of seeing it again.

River Leven near Milton of Balgonie. NO3200

At  bifurcation I turned left, knowing I'd be returning via the path to the right. I passed an ivy-covered ruin in the woods, about which I have been able to find not a jot of information, although Balfour Mill is listed on the 1856 6" map, so this could be a building associated with that mill.

Ivy-clad ruin near Milton of Balgonie. NO3200

On the southern side, about quarter of a mile away lay the remains of Balfour House. This erstwhile mansion was developed in the 17th century from a late 16th century house. It is all now a roofless ruin.

Ruins of Balfour House. NO3200

It seemed to be taking a while to get into a new gridsquare; there had been so much to see in NT3200. Seeing the Kingfisher in that square will do a lot towards pushing it up in my favourite gridsquare charts!

I was now in NT land and seeing lots of Yellowhammers. I don't think I've yet been a walk in Fife without seeing a Yellowhammer and it is so encouraging to see this farmland bird maintaining its status here. I rarely saw them on either Islay or in Dorset.

Balfour Mains. NT3299

Balfour Mains (left) and cottage (right). NT3299

At Balfour Main's Cottage I turned sharply right to continue along a lovely, grass-centre farm track (there really ought to be an name for these).

Green Lane near Balfour Mains. NT3299

I turned sharply right and then sharply left twice to join Cardowrie Loan. If I'd turned right instead of left here I could have curtailed my walk hugely, but where's the fun in that?

Byresloan Farm made a good subject for square NT3199.

Byresloan. NT3199

There was another option for a shorter walk just beyond Byresloan, but I turned left towards Tullybreck where I crossed a former railway line (they seem to crop up wherever I go in Fife). This one was another part of the former Wemyss and Buckhaven Railway that I have walked along before.

Former railway line near Tullybreck. NT3198

I passed another walker here who was walking along the railway line. It would be interesting to try that sometime. I wonder if you can walk along it from here right to Methil which was where I had joined it on a previous walk. Today, I was crossing both the railway line and the River Ore. As far as I'm aware this was my first visit to the River Ore.

Footbridge across the River Ore at Tullybreck. NT3198

I passed an old brick building on my right opposite Tullybreck Farm, about which I haven ot been able to find any information.

Old building at Tullybreck. NT3198

Then I was into sun-drenched woodland.

Autumn at Tullybreck. NT3198

I was also entering Wemyss Wood and the Earl's Seat Wind Farm. From now on the landscape was dominated by regularly turning, rhythmical wind turbines. I feel a certain ambivalence about wind turbines. Part of me thinks they are an eyesore, marring an otherwise beautiful landscape, but part of me finds something soothing in their regular, constant turning, as if they are bringing my thoughts into some sort of order instead of the chaotic mass in which they normally swirl.

Earl's Seat Wind Farm. NT3298

Somehow, and it's a mystery exactly how, I managed to omit gridsquare NT3297. I have since returned and almost forgot to photograph it again. It's as if there's a sort of black hole there. Admittedly the landscape looks exactly the same with only the odd sign numbering each wind turbine to distinguish one from another. It's quite a monotonous landscape, but one in which I expect landscape could thrive in this semi greenfield land.

I saw on the steps of one of the turbines, munching my lunch and watching a fox in the distance. There is little in the way of disturbance for wildlife here and the turbines are doing little harm, so I can live with the fact they they constantly slice the wind in thirds.

After lunch I went off in search of  the standing stone which gives the Standing Stane road its name. I have to admit I was a little disappointed.

Standing Stone at Earl's Seat.NT3197.

The stone is only 4.5 feet high. I think I'd expected to see something at least twice that height considering it had given its name to a whole A road.

I continued my walk with the windmills. 

Walking with windmills. NT3197

I had not seen a soul all day until I bumped into a man walking from the opposite direction who looked like he was working somewhere. I asked him if it were possible to exit the wind farm from the direction in which he had come and he confirmed it was so I walked onto New Bridge Strip and back into autumn. How delightful to be surrounded, immersed in copper, amber and gold.

Copper, amber and gold in New Bridge Plantation. NT3197

I was revelling autumn whilst keeping my eye on my phone map ready for my emergence into NT3097. It would be a brief sojourn in that gridsquare.

New Bridge Plantation. NT3097

I was about to cross the River Ore again and headed northwards through yet more autumn regality.

New Bridge Strip. NT3098

How dare you return?

Autumn, the time of falling

You stole her away.

And so, with mixed thoughts, I approached New Bridge, the new bridge which had obviously given its name to the woodland through which I had just walked. The bridge was apparently used by pack animals in transporting coal from the Balgonie mines to the coast for shipping.

New Bridge over River Ore. NT3098

Immediately over the bridge I spotted some wavy-edged fungi.

Fungi near New Bridge. NT3098

I crossed what used to be a level crossing and passed another walker.

Former level crossing near Thornton. NT3098

I was now on Doubledikes Road and walked through a tunnel underneath the present railway line near Coaltown of Balgonie.

Railway tunnel near Thornton. NT3099

Just before reaching Coaltown of Balgonie, I turned right to cross the railway again as it headed north-west. In order to gain NO3000 I continued on the footpath until it joined the B9130 at Coaltown of Balgonie. I would turn right again at Westgate and walk past Balgonie Castle.

Westgate and the road to Balgonie Castle. NO3000

This was my least favourite part of the walk and the only bit I would miss out on a future occasion. Though it was gratuitous, it served its purpose and I did get to see Balgonie Castle again, a place I had visited several years before with funny memories.

Balgonie Castle. NO3100

The Castle was built in the 15th Century. Covenanter, General Sir Alexander Leslie returned to Scotland from Sweden to live here in 1654. He died in 1661 and is buried within Markinch Church.

Having walked along the road for a mile, I was glad to once more feel a softer surface underfoot and be back by the River Leven. I sat with my last cup of tea of the day and took a photograph of the square with which I had begun my walk with the windmills.

A seat by the Leven. NO3200

Number of new gridsquares: 11
Number of miles walked: 8.8
Walk worth repeating: yes, several different/shorter versions are available, but would definitely not walk along road again.
Highlights: autumn colours, River Leven, Kingfisher, Fox, Yellowhammers, old railway line

Former things have come to pass - River Leven Trail - 5th November 2019

A Bonfire Day walk and this was one of those walks that turned out a lot better than I expected it to. I'd always wondered why people parked at the car park at the roundabout where I turn left to Glenrothes, right to Leven and straight onto Cupar. This was where I was going to park today, but I had never been able to see why several other cars were parked there today or why the car park was nearly always full whenever I passed. I still couldn't.

I walked towards Leven until I saw a footpath sign to the left. I'd only been by the busy A915 for a hundred yards, but I was very relieved to be away from it and onto a leaf-strewn path.

Former railway line, Balcurvie. NO3500

Did you notice? The caption? The significance? The switch from NT to NO. I've not decided how or what, but feel whenever this happens, I should mark the occasion somehow; perhaps invent a rule whereby I have to photograph the exact centre of the gridsquare?

Anyway, I was now walking along part of the former East Fife Central Branch line, which was built in the 1890s  to serve coalfields inland from the coast, but never proved economically successful. It was closed in the 1960s. As well as a plethora of doocots in Fife, I was also discovering a plethora of former railway lines, which make brilliant footpaths generally, albeit often muddy.

I turned briefly into NO3400, a square I would be revisiting later in my walk, and greeted several dog walkers (perhaps the owners of some of the cars parked in aforementioned carpark?)

Former railway line. NO3400

Square NO3400 was followed swiftly by NO3401, much of a muchness, but delightful autumnal. Between photographing gridsquares and greeting dog walkers, I was creating my alphabetised list of birds and composing  a haiku about the recently positioned oil rig in the Forth which looked rather like a garish Christmas tree. I hadn't been able to make my mind up whether I liked it or not.

Oil rig Christmas tree -

Light pollution at its worst,

Scarring Firth of Forth.

or

Oil rig Christmas tree,

A friendly glow in the storm,

Warming Firth of Forth.

Former railway line. NO3401

I failed to mention at the outset that, although my walk would predominantly be along the aforementioned railway line, I was also going to take in a trig. They make such useful focal points for a walk. The one in question today was Duniface trig which looked deceptively easy to get to on the map. For future reference- always check the contour lines surrounding a trigpoint, as well as the distance from the footpath to the trig. I'm ashamed I haven't learnt this lesson yet. A steep bank stood between me and my trig as I walked northwards, looking for an opening in the ancient hedge thsat didn't involve slipping and sliding your way to the bottom.

I had to walk quite a way beyond the trig before finding such an opening and ran successfully down the muddy bank to the bottom where I followed my nose (and map) to the trig.

Duniface trigpoint. NO3501

This trigpoint actually doesn't know which gridsquare it is in. Those responsible for building it should have checked their maps first and plonked it unambiguously in one square or the other. As it is it sits astride NO3401 and NO3501, but trigpointing UK places it in NO3501 so that's good enough for me and makes it a good subject for that gridsquare.

Having bagged the trigpoint, and not being sure of a safe way of getting to Duniface farm to make this part of the walk circular, I retraced my steps to the A915, where this time I crossed by means of a tunnel.

Tunnel under A915. NO3500

I was adding to my birdlist all the time, seeing Bullfinches, Yellowhammer, Buzzard and Sparrowhawk. I continued along the redundant railway line, which follows the River Leven to its mouth, although I'm not sure the path goes that far.

Redundant rail tracks near River Leven. NO3500

River Leven near Kirkland. NO3500

 The birch trees looked resplendent in their autumn dress.

Birch woodland and former railway line. NO3500

I was loving walking through autumn like this. I love it when past and present walk hand in hand, a living reminder of the circle of life; the disused, redundant former glory joined by the continuing cycle of life, the present glory, changing throughout the seasons yet constant in that very change.

The former things have passed away. NO3500

Past and present. NO3500

I wish I could always see the colour and perspective in life as I saw today. Life in its variety, the full spectrum, its richness, its rainbow, its fading, its lying down, its giving way to new things.

Life's richness.

Life's rainbow

Life's giving way. NO3600

Life's lying down.

All too soon I was at Aberhill and away from all those rich regal colours of autumn into a world which was constantly aseasonal if there be such a word. Perhaps there is a season in industry, in fact I'm sure there is, but it is reliant on finance, a word I rarely wish to use in these blogs.

Aberhill Industrial Works.NO3700

I came to Sawmill Bridge which crosses the River Leven at the point which marks theboundary between the parishes of Scoonie and Wemyss.

Sawmill Bridge,Aberhill. NO3700

River Leven at Aberhill. NO3700

I was pleasantly surprised to see a sign for Dam Wood, a millenium forest for Scotland, and entered another autumnal wonderland.

Dam Wood. NO3700

I had only one more square to gain today as I was walking back through the same squares, but on the southern side of the river, so was seeing things from a different perspective - always a good idea literally and metaphorically.

I passed Burn Mill Dam and paused to hear the great rush of water here.

Burn Mill Dam, Kirkland. NO3600

The river was quite flooded due to recent heavy rainfall.

River Leven in full flow. NO3500

It was so flooded in fact that  I could not follow my intended course which was as close as possible to the river. I had to be content walking quite a distance from it in parts.

Soon I was within sight and sound of the A915, a road I was very familiar with and a bridge I'd driven over many times, earlier today in fact on my way here.

Road bridge over River Leven. NO3500

I'd hoped to be able to walk underneath the road bridge to the other side, but that didn't seem possible. This was the bit of the walk I was unsure about. From my old map it looks possible to walk to the distillery and hospital from here, but in reality it is not as simple. I crossed the busy road and walked down to Cameron Bridge, from where I photographed the distillery and the bridge.

Cameron Distillery.  NO3400

Cameron Bridge. NO3400

I then walked back to the entrance of the distillery and contented myself with a photograph thereof for my final gridsquare, the only NT one of the day.

Entrance to Cameron Distillery. NT3499

It had been a walk with many links - the visible links of bridges, railway lines, tunnels and the river the invisible link between NO and NT, and the more ethereal link between the past and the present, between the seasons, between the natural and the manmade world and between redundant and useful. All these connections are important and are what make this world such an interesting place. Who would have thought a few gridsquares could contain so much!

Number of new gridsquares: 7
Number of miles walked: 6
Number of trigpoints bagged: 1
Walk worth repeating: Yes, would also like to explore the continuation north of the railway line.
Highlights: all the connections, River Leven, autumn glory