Introduction
I was fortunate enough to be discovered, (0n Twitter I believe) by one of the East Neuk Writers and invited to join them. This was early in lock down, when all the meetings were on Zoom and it has been great fun to be part of a group, discussing all things writing and supporting each other in our endeavours. I have met them all in person, although less often than I would have liked since I live in Kinghorn, but we have enjoyed two meals together at the Anstruther Golf Club.
East Neuk, however, is no stranger to me because my husband and I have walked along the coastal paths from North Queensferry to St Andrews, out of which I wrote a fantasy memoir The Healing Paths of Fife. This book has raised over £700 in profits for local charities and is currently raising funds for the Kirkcaldy Foodbank.
Here is a blog post written as part of a virtual tour of Fife, which shows my fondness for Fife, and especially for East Neuk:
Fondness for Fife
The folks of Edinburgh all know the secret of East Neuk, a coastal region in Fife where the estuary of The River Forth merges with The North Sea. Each village has its own character and features; St Monan’s being just one of those places.
‘Neuk is the Scots word for nook or corner,’ Wikipedia informs us, and the ‘corner of Fife’ aptly describes East Neuk, although omitting any reference to its natural charm and beauty.
East Neuk stretches from Earlsferry and Elie (my last post) to Kingsbarns, and each wee place has a unique character. Incidentally, Mac Duff is said to have fled from Mac Beth via the ferry to the southern coast of the estuary. Hence the name Earlsferry!
From Lady Tower in Elie, and passing the ruins of Newark Castle along Rose Bay, you have a fairly gentle walk to St Monan’s. At low tide the path follows the rocks below a tiny kirk, but there is a detour behind the village to avoid getting your feet wet when the tide is high.
The colourfully painted cottages along the harbour frontage, lead you towards The Smokehouse; a restaurant where you can eat out of cardboard boxes, whilst overlooking both harbour and the view towards The Isle of May. Alternatively, there’s the cosier option of The Giddy Gannet (once The Diving Gannet), a wee cafe just off the harbour. Both places are well worth visiting for much needed refreshments, but maybe on different visits!
Following the Coastal Path signs out of the village, you pass the salt pans from days gone by, when Fife exported salt overseas. Then there’s the windmill, which has appropriately been turned into a lifeguard station, from which there are clear views in all directions, if the weather is fair.
It is good to pause and reflect a wee while in each of the fishing harbours of East Neuk; think on their similarities and differences, the ambiance and their sense of community; before continuing your journey along the Fife Coastal Path, which was the inspiration for my book.
Find out more about author Diana Jackson on her website, on her blog or meet her on Twitter.
Writers’ Neuk 