Crail
Due to taking a break from writing at the end of the year I didn’t finish up my posts about the East Neuk, so I’m now playing catch-up. The next stop on the journey down the East Coast of Scotland from St Andrews was Crail, a small, historic fishing village, with a population of around 1600 folk. I stayed over so got the experience of waking up in a sleepy village, being able to view the sea to the sound of the gulls as they started their day.
I lucked out on the weather. Scotland is not always dreich and some of the photographs I took feature a bright blue sky, littered with white clouds. The pace of life here is a great deal slower than what I’m used to, so it was good to be able to take time out and have a coffee and a scone at the Crail Harbour Gallery and Tearoom, while sitting outside, taking in the view across the Firth of Forth to the Isle of May. No surprise to hear this is a very popular venue. It’s a seventeenth century fisherman’s cottage, with exposed stone walls, oak beams and an uneven flagstone floor. You really feel you are stepping back in time when you enter. I have various fridge magnets from the places I visit and I opted to buy one which features the harbour painted by a local artist.
There is a small museum located in the Marketgate. It’s a very old building and gives the impression of slouching a bit. At the time of writing I don’t have any information on the building itself, so can say no more on that. I got a good photo of it, and it does look like it is keeling over a bit. Note that entry is free. The museum shuts during the winter and will not be open again until Easter.
The harbour is the main attraction. The waves were coming right up and breaking off the shore when I was there and it made for some spectacular photographs. Crail has been an important trading and fishing port since the twelfth century, and there is still commercial fishing from the harbour for crab and lobster today.
Crail is very small, very picturesque and a photographers dream and I thoroughly recommend a visit.
The Fiction Factory 