Return to Norfolk

Last year, we spent an enjoyable week in Norfolk. The largely rural county is a haven for birdlife and there are nature reserves dotted around the coastline. There are also several heritage railways to explore and the pace of life is generally slower than is the case in urban southern areas. Indeed, there isn't a single motorway in the region and the only city is Norwich. Norfolk is perfect for a quiet getaway. We decided to repeat the experience during my Easter holidays and booked six nights in Reepham, a small market town in the middle of the county.

We had a 390-mile drive ahead of us and elected to take the M6 before cutting across the Pennines on the A66 to meet the A1 at Scotch Corner - a historic point of divergence for routes into eastern and western Scotland. The A66 partly follows the course of an old Roman road, which explains the long straight undulating sections. A major project to dual the remaining stretches of single carriageway began last year. Let's hope it doesn't run into the same difficulties as the A9 upgrade in the Highlands. We pulled into the historic market town of Brough (bypassed since 1977) to eat our packed lunch by the river. Afterwards it was full steam ahead to Scotch Corner and down the A1 to Newark Junction in Nottinghamshire. We drove across the fens of Lincolnshire and into Norfolk, stopping in the large retail park outside King's Lynn for a bite to eat. From there, we merely had to follow a B-road all the way to Reepham. That was the theory. Scheduled roadworks enforced a detour but we arrived at our cottage around 8pm. The owners lived next door, making check-in an easy process. It was clean and comfortable, perfect for a week's stay.

Old Kirk Tower

Sometimes the most memorable experiences are unplanned. A recent example occurred when we stopped in Kirkcaldy for breakfast and by chance ended up climbing the tower of a historic town-centre church.

We were on our way to the Fife Coast to watch birds and decided to fill up for the day at Wetherspoons. Just off the High Street, the pub chain opens early each day for food, coffee and soft drinks. There are bargain breakfast deals on offer. A large Scottish with unlimited tea/coffee costs just £7.19 and smaller options are also available, along with vegetarian and vegan platters. I've long been a fan of 'Spoons. Supremo Tim Martin may not be everyone's cup of tea (especially politically speaking) but he is a passionate advocate of real ale and all Wetherspoons branches offer a good selection of cask beer at attractive prices. There is ample seating often on different levels) as the pubs are usually the result of converting former banks, cinemas or public buildings. Venues that became unviable in their original guise as we moved into the internet era. It helps breathe some life into our ailing town centres and everyone is welcome, regardless of whether it's a party of ten having a meal or someone seeking a quiet corner to savour a pint. I believe Wetherspoons also fulfils a vital social role, providing a place that doesn't price out people on low incomes. Refillable hot beverages can be obtained for next to nothing. We finished our food and walked back up to the car, passing the Old Kirk which has an attached graveyard. On impulse, we climbed the steps for a look around and a sign informed us the church was open and an exhibition was on offer inside. The display was a digital recreation of Kirkcaldy over the ages and seemed an interesting prospect. I wasn't destined to find out however, as it was announced a tower tour was about to commence. I had been up there before on a Doors Open Day but was quite happy to go for a second look. Off I trotted, to join another three visitors. The spiral staircase led to the bell room where the guide invited us to have a tug on the thick rope. I duly obliged and took my first tentative step into campanology. The tower parapet was narrow and offered a stunning 3D panorama of the Lang Toun.

The weather was perfect for seaward photography and the blue colour tones were spectacular. The harbour originally closed to commercial shipping in 1992 but is now up and running again, taking grain deliveries for the adjacent flour mill. The Kirkcaldy seafront has a mixed heritage of industry and leisure. The mile-long promenade has recently been given a facelift and is a popular spot for local walkers. It's fair to say the expansive beach isn't covered by golden sands but it's a nice place to stretch the legs. As is the case with many medium sized places, Kirkcaldy High Street has struggled economically in the age of online shopping. Reconnecting the people with the waterfront is one way of regenerating the town centre. Looking inland, I picked out the red-brick Forbo Nairn linoleum factory - the last vestige of an industry that once dominated the entire town. Also notable was the white art-deco fire station, built in 1938. I returned downstairs to the spacious interior, now extensively utilised as a community space. The Church of Scotland closed the building as a place of worship in 2010 and it is now managed by a community trust. The tower dates from the 15th century and the first written record of Christian services upon the site was recorded in 1244. The Lang Toun's most famous son - the pioneering economist Adam Smith - was christened here as an infant. Over the past 15 years, the kirk has grown into a busy centre for musical events, drama, business meetings and conferences, while retaining worship by local groups on Sundays. The Langtoun Jazz organisation is staging two concerts in the church soon, as part of the annual music festival. After leaving the building, we wandered around the graveyard before continuing on our merry way.

Nairn and the Black Isle

We travelled up north as part of Nicole's graduation weekend. After several years of hard work, she is now a fully qualified counsellor. Driving a fair whack of the A9 in darkness was a new experience for me but the lack of light didn't disguise the fact that dual-carriageway construction is well behind schedule. The project was supposed to be complete by now but the latest estimate for completion is 2035. Our accommodation was in Nairn and we arrived around 8pm. We had reserved a room in a large townhouse where Nicole had stayed on a previous trip. Hosts Corrinne and Jimmy were most welcoming and we had access to our own fridge, kettle and microwave. The room was spacious and comfortable.

It was a drab day as we set out early next morning for the Black Isle - peninsula north of Inverness. The name comes from its dark appearance during the winter months, contrasting with the surrounding snow-covered hills. Our first stop was the Storehouse of Foulis, a restaurant and farm shop just off the A9 on the Cromarty Firth. We had stopped here many times before on journeys up to the family static caravan at Embo on the Sutherland coast. An outlying craft shop furnished us with some ideas for Christmas presents and we bought sausage rolls (veggie option for Nicole) at the deli counter to eat at the bird hide at RSPB Udale Bay, a few miles further upstream on the tidal estuary. The peaceful location is home to thousands of waders, ducks and geese. Regular visitors are redshank, lapwing and snipe. We ate lunch on a bench overlooking the water. The tide was mostly in but there was a flurry of activity in the wetland pools and small areas of exposed mudflats. I then took my leave to go and investigate Kirkmichael - a restored church and mausoleum for local land-owning families, dating back to the 1400s. A short drive brought me to the project site and I explored the graveyard. The elevated position allowed me to look down upon the bird hide in the middle distance. Many of the fallen gravestones have been repaired and righted. Some bear trade symbols or the skull & crossbones - a reference to human mortality, not the plague as is often assumed. They actually represent the brevity of earthly life, no doubt an even more pressing matter in those times. The church was in operation until 1769 and the oldest parts date from the 1400s. Thankfully, the whole complex has been rescued from dereliction by a local trust. The site was unmanned today but the doors were unlocked. Access is available during daylight hours. The transformation from Catholic chapel to Protestant Kirk occurred after the 1560 Reformation and the redundant chancel was converted in 1708 to house grave slabs and memorial stones. Written records of the church date back to 1429. It's certainly worth poking around here if you happen to be passing.

We hugged the coast on a B-road that led to Cromarty on the tip of the Black Isle. We drove round to the ferry port, where a seasonal service shuttles across the firth to Nigg from June until September. The journey takes 10 minutes and two cars can be accommodated. All was quiet today but we enjoyed the stunning outlook from the A-listed deep-water natural harbour. We wandered into Slaughterhouse Coffee and ordered hot refreshments. Payment was by card only and a couple of tables were squeezed into the tiny premises. It was however pleasant enough to sit outside and a tannoy announcement alerted us when our drinks were ready for collection. Apparently dolphins can sometimes be spotted in the bay. The harbour as it is today dates from the 1780s. Many people boarded ships to North America during the infamous Highland Clearances. The once vibrant fishing industry declined in the early 20th century but the port was of great strategical importance during both world wars as it provided safe anchorage for the battle fleet. The sea connection was also an important delivery artery for the townsfolk. Household goods, food and fuel continued to arrive by boat until the 1960s. The opening of the oil-rig construction yard at Nigg in the 1970s ensured a steady flow of customers for the ferry and this crossing continues to provide the main harbour traffic, along with pleasure craft and a handful of small fishing boats. A major maritime disaster occurred near Cromarty in 1915. The armoured cruiser HMS Natal was floating in the firth when a series of massive explosions occurred. It is likely that the blast was caused by fire in one of the magazines, although this was never officially confirmed. Enemy action was swiftly ruled out. Many of the crew were on shore leave and some were competing in a local football match. The death toll onboard was 412, including guests of the Captain, who was hosting a private party. Only a small number of bodies were recovered. Numerous salvage efforts were undertaken over the years. The protruding remains were finally blown up in the 1970s to level the wreck so that it would not be a hazard to navigation. We proceeded to have a look around the small town and a couple of friendly cats made our acquaintance. We explored a couple of gift shops and browsed a pottery and art gallery. Further Christmas gifts were acquired. Dusk was approaching and I wanted to pop into the Cromarty Brewery shop a couple of miles outside town on the A832. On the way, we pulled over at an automatic egg dispenser. The elaborate contraption was housed within a large wooden hat and basically resembled a giant vending machine, with little doors that opened once you had made your selection and paid. You simply have to see this machine in action if you are ever in the vicinity. The brewery doesn't offer tours but the shelves are well stocked with bottles and cans.

With Christmas just a few weeks away, I decided to buy my stash for the entire festive period. I filled a cardboard box, sticking mainly to traditional styles but also throwing in a couple of left-field choices. I had been aware of the brewery's existence for a few years, having seen their produce in shops around the Black Isle on previous trips to the area. Craig Middleton founded the operation in 2011. After gaining a first class degree in Brewing Science at Heriot Watt University, he worked in Scotland and the USA before setting up his own business, based at the family farm. The additional workforce of five are all from the local area and the brewery supplies pubs, shops and restaurants around the Highlands. A conscious decision was taken to avoid chasing growth at any cost, and the outfit is not beholden to large supermarket chains. Please stop by if you are ever heading to Cromarty. Back in Nairn, we went into town for a meal to celebrate Nicole's graduation. The Christmas lights were all in position but weren't due to be switched on until the following evening. We found a table at Ozzy's restaurant on the High Street. It was our first experience of Kurdish cuisine and the food was certainly impressive. Ozzy's backstory was printed on the menus. A native of Kurdistan (northern Iraq), he had worked as a chef in Baghdad, Lebanon and Paris, before moving to the the Scottish Highlands in 2000. The agenda for the next day centred around the Findhorn area, just a few miles along the road from Nairn. The River Findhorn forms a large enclosed estuary, which provides a feeding ground for large numbers of visiting wading birds. Redshank and dunlin are often joined by knot and sanderling. The local breeding population includes curlew and oystercatcher. Various ducks, divers and geese can be spotted on the reserve. Unfortunately we were unable to gain access to the hide as the door handle had snapped off. We had more luck at the beach and had a wander along the shoreline, noting the extant concrete defences from WW2. Findhorn is also famous for its eco-village. Lying just south of the historic coastal settlement, the Findhorn Foundation is a spiritual community of around 400 people, formally founded in 1972. The project had begun with a single caravan a decade previously. Over time, the organisation grew and the residential "Experience Week" drew paying visitors from around the world (Nicole among them). The wheels came off during the Covid lockdown when funds dried up and a disgruntled member of staff burned the community centre to the ground after learning he was to be let go as part of a restructuring programme. The educational workshops have now been moved offshore and the eco-village now has a quieter air. Anyone is welcome to visit and we popped into the café for a vegetarian lunch.

We viewed the original garden and perused the on-site shop. It's a unique place in Scotland and well worth checking out if you happen to be passing by. The long-term prospects for the Foundation must be uncertain as many inhabitants are now elderly. Culbin Forest stands on the other side of the bay and we drove round to the main car-park within the woodland. The shortest walking trail was a circular route around a couple of gravel-pit ponds which lay within an area of marshy land. Most of Culbin’s shoreline, from the tree boundary to the low tide mark, is an RSPB reserve. This mix of saltmarsh, mudflats, sand and shingle is a vital feeding ground for wading birds throughout the year. The shelter of the firth provides ideal conditions for wintering sea ducks and geese. At low tide, godwits, oystercatchers and knots feed on the sands. The reserve is dynamic and ever-changing, shifting with the winds and the tides. In 1694, several houses were completely engulfed by the moving sands. The local people had inadvertently sealed their own fate by removing the binding marram grass for thatching purposes. The Forestry Commission purchased the estate in the 1920s and 400 lorry-loads of timber are produced every year. The wartime anti-glider poles on the beach have been left in situ. Back at our accommodation, we decided to enjoy pizza in front of the TV. I ran round to the takeaway premises, which had touch screen terminals for ordering your food. Par for the course in fast-food restaurants these days, but this was the first time I'd seen the technology in such a small shop. The next day we were homeward bound. Rather than head along to Inverness, we took the scenic route down the A940 to join the A9 further south. We traversed open moorland and descended to the touristy Grantown-on-Spey, with its long High Street. We bashed onwards, stopping to pick up some food at the fabled House of Bruar. A nice little weekend away.