Tentsmuir.
Start. Kindshaldy car park and picnic area.
Route. Kindshaldy car park and picnic area - Tentsmuir Sands - Tentsmuir Point - Tentsmuir Forest - Ice House - Observation Point - Kindshaldy car park and picnic area.
Notes. A walk in two definite halves, starting with a wander along a beautiful windswept coast on dune backed beaches kissed by the whispering tides of the Firth of Tay. We hunted for seals known to bask on the many sandbars created by swirling currents and turning tides, alas we saw not one. Part two saw us wandering through the Tentsmuir Forest, way-marked paths guided us between mature Scots and Corsican Pines, a small slice of history greeted us before reaching the Kinshaldy car park and picnic area, an excellent facility the Forestry Commission has a right to be proud of.
We left the car park following a well used trod across the vast dune system, our little guide book suggested following the path running parallel to the beach, of course we ignored this, on a day like today there was only one place to be, on the beach. We casually wandered north keeping the dunes to our left, heavy showers swept across the the skyline to the north and south allowing us to wander in a little bubble of sunshine for most of our way. After what seemed ages we reached Tentsmuir Point where we sat down to assess our route, we'd already wandered off the pages of the guide book.
After a casual brew and look at the map, we made for the corner of the forest, joining the Fife Coastal Path for the walk back. The path guided us south along the forest edge before turning inland, still heading south way-marked paths now conveyed us passed a 17th century ice house, we made a short diversion to a wartime observation tower before finally reaching the parking area.
From Tentsmuir Sands views across St Andrews Bay....
....and in the other direction, the Angus coast over the Firth of Tay.
The Tentsmuir Forest.
Looking to Tentsmuir Point, the rain may of cleared by the time we reach it.
Views over the Tay Estuary.
What can I say about this, it looks like a giant's left a trail of shells along the beach, it stretches for miles.
Big skies and wide vistas, views to the Angus coast.
Tentsmuir Forest seen from the approach to Tentsmuir Point.
Big skies over Tentsmuir Sands.
Our brew stop at Tentsmuir Point, we're about to head for the edge of the forest.
Tank trap blocks, there's also a number of "pillboxes" scattered around the dune system all reminders of the second world war.
Our guide back to the car, but first a number of stops....
....The March Stone, erected as a boundary marker for fishing rights in 1794. The term "march stone" comes from the 16th century meaning of "march" as a boundary, the inscription reads "The march between the Shanwell and Old Muirs salmon fishing is a straight line from the top of Normans Law to the low water....
....then we have this fine building, an Ice House built around 1852 to store ice gathered from local ponds, the ice was used to preserve fish before transporting them south. Layers of heather and straw packed around the ice provided adequate insulation, a primitive but affective deep freeze.
The barrel shaped building is surprisingly still in use today, home to a large colony of Natterer bats....
....back to the second world war, this rather small railway carriage was discovered in 2010, once used to transport ammunition and supplies, it was also used as a moving target for gunnery practice, obviously not when it was conveying the former, then we have this....
....another relic from the war years, an observation post.
The observation post as seen from the edge of Tentsmuir Forest.
Almost back at the car park, the woodland has been thinned allowing young birch to thrive, I don't normally enjoy wandering through woodland but Temtsmuir gets a big thumbs up.