New Leven Railway

Fife received a major public transport boost this summer with the restoration of rail services on the branch line to Leven. Originally closed to passengers in 1969, the five and a half mile link to the seaside town carried coal traffic until the mothballing of Methil Power Station in 2001. Although the railway never officially ceased to be operational, the tracks were no longer maintained and quietly rusted away, becoming a popular place for local dog walkers and urban explorers. A reopening campaign was launched in 2008 and the Scottish Government gave the go-ahead 11 years later, with a price tag of £70 million put on the the project. Although the route already existed, new track and signalling was required.

After a Covid-enforced delay, work began in March 2022 and the costs for the double-track railway had now risen to £116 million. Some of the increase was due to the installation of piles along the entire length for possible future electrification. The scope of the development had also widened to include integration with active travel plans. In just over two years, the line was ready and First Minister John Swinney performed the official opening ceremony. Hourly trains connect Leven to Edinburgh (via Kirkcaldy) and there are plans to double the frequency by running services around the other side of the Fife Circle through Dunfermline. I decided to make my maiden trip on the line during the first week of my summer holidays. I drove to Kirkcaldy and bought a return ticket at the platform machine. The cost was £4.90 which my sister Linda informed me is cheaper than the bus. Quicker too, with the train journey being just 20 minutes each way. This tariff is available all day as the Scottish Government has suspended peak-time fares in an effort to encourage more people to use the rail network. Around a dozen people boarded the train and it was easy to find a window seat. After four and a half miles on the East Coast Main Line, we reached the triangular junction for the Fife Circle. In reality, this system is a frying pan shape with the handle extending across the River Forth to Edinburgh. Trains do not run continuously around Fife and I'm led to believe they no longer set out from the capital city and complete the return loop. Services have reverted to using one side of the "circle" only, which means a journey from Dunfermline to Kirkcaldy now requires an awkward dog-leg change at Inverkeithing. In any case, my train branched off the main line on the opposite side, slightly further along. A one-mile section of the Leven branch was reopened in 2012 for open-cast coal movements. This arrangement lasted three years and required a track upgrade, which made it easier to commence work on the full restoration as the relevant machinery could be easily brought into position. Around ten years ago, I walked the decaying railway from Leven town centre up to the refurbished freight spur. I'm glad I did that before the site became strictly off-limits, although I heard a soft approach was taken to interlopers during the early reconstruction phase. Technically a person on the old trackbed was trespassing but the public had adopted the route as an unofficial walkway over the years. Now of course everything is fenced off to the max and here I was, bowling along a passenger line that was back in business after more than half a century. It had originally opened in 1854 and was extended all the way around the Fife coast to St Andrews, re-joining the trunk corridor at Leuchars. The seaboard section - which would surely be an attractive proposition today - was closed in 1965, leaving stubs in place to serve Leven and St Andrews, both of which bit the dust four years later. A parallel campaign to restore the St Andrews link is ongoing but there is no realistic prospect of trains ever running around the East Neuk again. Large chunks of trackbed have been lost to housebuilding and agriculture. But it's a huge step forward to have one piece of the jigsaw glued back into place.

The St Andrews business case is based upon tourism, golf, university access and the alleviation of congestion. Property prices are so high that many people who work in the town cannot afford to live there. Leven is a different kettle of fish entirely. Methil Docks at one time exported vast quantities of coal and other goods across the world and the entire Levenmouth area was dominated by mining and heavy industry. These days are gone and the contiguous coastal towns of Leven, Methil and Buckhaven have been an unemployment blackspot since the 1980s. Some shipping activity remains (pulp and timber), while green jobs have been created at the off-shore wind farm. It's a long way short of the halcyon days and the return of the railway is aimed primarily at economic regeneration. The conurbation has suffered from poor (and slow) bus connections over the decades and the capital city can now be reached in little more than an hour, with services available from dawn to dusk. The return fare is £11.90 - around the same price as a day ticket for Stagecoach buses in the east of Scotland. Throw in the speedy service to Kirkcaldy and Levenmouth residents now have far better access to work and educational opportunities. Declining economic circumstances often blunt civic engagement and the successful rail campaign has been a fantastic achievement by the local community. The train picked up speed and I passed by a field containing three black Highland cows. The line basically follows the River Ore, crossing it once before the the watercourse joins the River Leven (which flows out of the loch of the same name) just before the Cameron Bridge distillery complex and adjacent bio-energy plant. Owned by global drinks giant Diageo, the distillery produces base spirit for famous alcohol brands such as Smirnoff, Gordon's Gin, Johnny Walker and Bells. A single-grain whisky was marketed under the name Cameron Brig but has now been discontinued. The energy plant uses waste products to generate 80% of the distillery's electricity needs. The railway passes directly alongside these operations and the original Cameron Bridge Station was situated here. The island platform remained in situ after the withdrawal of passenger services and could readily be explored until demolition during the reopening works. The new station was built on the other side of the A915 and is the only intermediate stop on the line. The facility has 125 car-parking spaces with passive provision for more than double this total. Only a small number of vehicles were present today and a solitary passenger disembarked, with nobody waiting. The station has been designed as a park-and-ride scheme for surrounding communities and will take a while to become established. It also offers access to Cameron Hospital, which specialises in stroke rehabilitation and addiction services.

A great opportunity was missed to convey freight to and from Diageo, who also run a huge bottling plant just along the road from the distillery. Carbon dioxide tanks were delivered by rail until the mid-90s but the company declined to take advantage of the new transport link on their doorstep. A pity, as the the only alternative is to send lorries along the A915 which is already creaking at the seams. Approaching Leven, we passed the Fife Heritage Railway which operates within an old shunting yard. Formerly known as the unwieldy Kingdom of Fife Railway Preservation Society (KFRPS), the volunteer group acquired Kirkland Yard in 2001, just as the goods service to Methil Power Station ceased (it was finally pulled down in 2011). The site was opened to the public in 2008 and rides are available along half a mile of track. Events are staged on the last Sunday of the month during the warmer periods of the year. Unfortunately no provision was made for a junction with the new main line, despite trains passing almost within touching distance of the heritage rolling stock behind a security fence. One benefit the group received was an upgraded car-park, as payment for Network Rail using the heritage compound to stable equipment. Finally we coasted into the terminus and the island platform is over 200 metres in length, meaning it can accommodate far more coaches than the three-car unit I travelled in today. I wandered along to the far end and snapped a photo of the tracks running alongside the river (second picture in post). The station has step-free access to the small car-park and a walkway connects to the promenade. There is no dedicated ticket office but machines are located under the covered entrance. Beyond the buffers you can still see the bridge (pictured above) that formerly carried the tracks over the river mouth towards the power station. A whole network of tracks once existed at Methil Docks and freight trains ran right down to the shore until the 1980s.

The current station site occupies a different location to the original, as the Fife coastal line ran to the north of the town centre. Much of this formation in Leven has been obliterated over the years. Today's terminus sits on the dock branch that came off the old route. It's actually far more convenient as the High Street and bus station are a mere stone's throw away. The leisure centre and swimming pool are adjacent to the platforms and Bayview Stadium - home of East Fife FC - is nearby. The railway tale ends here but the people of Levenmouth (population around 35,000) are back on the national network.

I walked around the town centre, checking out my sister's new optician premises which are almost ready to start trading. There's no getting away from the fact that the High Street has seen better days but it's an issue affecting many towns across the country. I picked up lunch from the bakers and patronised the fruit shop. Always nice to give local vendors some support. Leven was once a seaside resort and visitors flocked from as far afield as Glasgow. People do still come from outside the local area as the 117-mile Fife Coastal Path runs right along the shoreline. Needless to say, I have completed the entire trek. Nicole and I often come down to walk along the wide beach and observe the birdlife. There will always be armchair naysayers and even locals who insist that nobody will ever want to visit their patch (nothing here, apparently) but Leven has a lot to offer and makes a nice wee day trip on the train. What are you waiting for?

Historic Transport Festival

The Scottish Vintage Bus Museum hosts a handful of special events each year. The one that always appeals to me is the Festival of Historic Transport - featuring a range of conveyances (mainly cars) from days gone by. The gathering is organised by the Fife Historic Vehicle Club and today was the 43rd staging. I have attended a few times over the years and this time I took my dad along. Entry is £5 and we landed lucky when a member handed us a spare complimentary pass for two as we queued at the car-park entrance.

Since 1995, the Bus Museum has been based at the M90 Commerce Park between Kelty and Dunfermline, occupying half of the 90-acre site. The land was formerly utilised as a Royal Navy supply depot (Lathalmond) for the nearby Rosyth Dockyard and a rail connection existed until 1971. As the Cold War subsided, the MOD sold off the complex. The facilities were tailor-made for a large-scale transport museum, with wide tarmac internal roads and spacious sheds. Ample room is available for visitor parking and outdoor vehicle display. A free heritage bus service was operating to and from Dunfermline today and a horse-drawn tram offered trips around the museum compound. The weather was drizzly but bearable and a healthy crowd was present. Classic cars flanked both sides of the main access road and I noted a Ford Model T from 1925, one of the oldest motorised vehicles in the show. It was the first car to be truly mass produced, eventually selling over 15 million units. Most of the owners were sheltering inside their vehicles. On a nice day, they often set up camping chairs and enjoy a picnic in the sun. Along with the 150 entrants to the official categories, several car/transport clubs were in attendance from around the country and these vehicles could also be inspected by the public. The rally gives vintage motoring enthusiasts a chance to mix with like-minded people and display their pride and joy. Additionally, the bus museum halls were fully open and there was something for everyone on the sprawling site. We'll get to the two working railway lines in due course. Vehicles in line for judging were grouped by historic period. As a child, I loved the "I spy" pocket books that allowed you to tick off the various makes and models of cars whenever you spotted them. I also had an older copy of the Ladybird book of motor cars. The listings in these volumes were extensive and even included the exotic Volga and Trabant from the Soviet-controlled zones. Of course, quite a few motors from the late 60s and early 70s were still on the road when I car-spotted around 1980 to 1982. It does hammer home the passage of time to see them now regarded as rare exhibits. Surprisingly, the scope of the classic period extends all the way forward to the year 2000. Initially jolting, but the millennium is now a quarter century in the past and the lifespan of the average family car probably doesn't exceed 15 years in most cases. I remember Dad owning a Rover 2000, Triumph 2000 and Rover 80, all three of which were represented on the grass today. His Rover 80 (built 1961) was already nudging into vintage territory when he bought it in 1983. Finding spare parts proved increasingly problematic in the pre-internet age and he sold the elegant lady on after a few years.

The Rover 80 (pictured behind Dad) weighed almost two tons and was powered by a 2.3 litre engine. I loved riding in this car and the upholstery was genuine leather. There was one continuous bench seat in the front and two kids could easily squeeze in beside the driver. Seatbelts were not yet a legal requirement. Changing from first to second gear involved a double clutching technique with neutral being the intermediate step. The (huge) battery was located under the back seat and the windscreen washers were operated with a hand pump. I will remember the registration plate - 2320 SR - until my dying day. We walked all the way up and down the line and also checked out the motorcycles, commercial vehicles, fire engines and tractors. The longest car on display was undoubtedly the 1977 Chrysler New Yorker. It was an American monster with a seven-litre engine under the hood. A true gas guzzler that I wouldn't fancy trying to park at Tesco. We paused by the Fife Munitions Railway where "Big Dave" (pictured below) was preparing for departure. The steam loco was built in 2021 (Scotland's newest) and runs along a narrow gauge to the site boundary. Passengers also have the option of travelling on standard tracks behind a diesel shunter, the two lines being roughly parallel. The operation trades as the Lathalmond Railway Museum and began life in 1997 when a group of volunteers took over Shed 47 - the former rail workshop within the naval depot. A substantial internal network once existed and the enthusiasts have recreated a small section. The project has certainly come a long way since the days when it really was just a shed with a dilapidated locomotive inside and a tiny protrusion of track. Nowadays both railways offer trips of a quarter mile each way. The regular line features a platform, ticket office and souvenir shop. An exhibition can also be viewed. More power to them! The rain began to fall and we sought refuge inside the main museum building, which has a couple of dozen polished buses on permanent display. The café in the corner was doing a brisk trade and I opted instead to run out to a burger van, returning with quarter pounder and chips for two. We ate our lunch at one of the extra tables that had been set up in the middle of the hall and pondered our next move.

Meanwhile the downpour had become heavier and many people were scurrying back to their parked cars. At least the event had managed to get past the halfway stage before the bad weather kicked in. It was the first time the show had taken place since the pandemic and hopefully it will run again next year. You certainly don't have to be a petrol head to enjoy yourself here. Lathalmond is the perfect permanent home for the bus museum and hopefully the railway will continue to expand. We decided it was time to head and an announcement came over the tannoy to inform the owner of a Trabant that he had left his lights on. I've never seen a Trabi in Scotland and on a dryer day might have gone looking for it. A belated tick for the I-spy book.

Bruce Festival

King Robert the Bruce was born 750 years ago and reigned from 1306 to 1329. He is best known for leading the Scots to victory against England at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 - a triumph that effectively restored the nation's independence. He was buried at Dunfermline Abbey and many tourists come today to view the elaborate tomb within the church. A city charter was awarded to Dunfermline last year and this elevated status, combined with the significant anniversary of Bruce's birth ensured the time was ripe to revive the two-day event bearing the great man's name.

The first Bruce Festival was staged in 2008 and ran a for a few years before disappearing from the calendar. The venue was always Pittencrieff Park, universally known to locals as Dunfermline Glen, or simply the Glen. This year's programme was organised along similar lines, featuring battle re-enactments, horsemanship & medieval jousting, falconry displays, demonstrations of traditional crafts, food stalls and artisan traders. There was also a bouncy castle and other amusements for the kids. A shuttle bus service (using vintage vehicles) ran from a large peripheral car-park to the Glen in order to alleviate congestion issues. Admission was free and the action took place from 10am to 5pm. The single most important factor determining crowd size at these types of gathering is the good old Scottish weather. Thankfully it was a blazing hot day as we strolled through the entrance gates. I was quite taken aback by the hordes of people in attendance. Obviously many families took advantage of a cheap day out in the sunshine but all demographics were well represented. We had a look around the tented craft village which featured demonstrations of ancient trades such as wood turning, fletchery and metalworking. We then found a nice shaded spot beneath a tree to use as a base camp. The queue at the beer tent was lengthy and instead I fetched chips and refreshments from the food trucks. The vendors were doing a brisk trade. Pittencrieff Park adjoins the town centre and covers 76 acres of mixed terrain. The festival activities took place on the vast expanses of open grass. Formerly a private estate, it was purchased and gifted to the town in 1902 by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, a local boy who had left for America as a young lad and made an enormous fortune in the steel industry. According to legend, Carnegie remembered the days from his childhood when ordinary folk were barred from entering Pittencrieff Estate and he wanted to change that situation. Carnegie funded many local projects and his DNA is all over the heart of Dunfermline. Back at the festival, the tannoy informed us the knights were about to enter the arena. I headed over to witness the mounted spectacle.

The display drew a large group of onlookers and the commentator introduced the riders one by one. As you might expect, there was a strong showbiz element to the proceedings and Sir Galahad of Dumfries & Galloway was clearly earmarked as the baddie, a role he revelled in as he rode around gesticulating at the crowd. A few warm-up routines were performed, with the knights slicing cucumbers as they sped by. They also aimed their lances at a rotating helmeted mannequin. The jousting bouts reminded me of the professional wrestling scene, where everything is well choreographed and nobody really gets hurt. But it was good fun to watch and there were a couple of comedy gold moments. On one occasion, both riders fell off their horses and resumed the scrap on the turf. The spirit of Monty Python was channelled when Sir Anton opted to continue, despite having a broken-off prop lance "embedded in his chest" - dismissing it as a trivial scratch while the commentator, naturally, hammed things up to the max. Surprisingly enough, the nasty Galahad didn't win the heart of the mounted ladies and the victorious rival knight rode around the arena while standing on two horses, a foot on each saddle, to rapturous applause. A great entertainment session and, for me, the highlight of the festival. There must have been a good few thousand people on site and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. I made a mental note to bring a camping chair next time, as dozens of others had done. The sunny weather continued the following day and the organisers have already confirmed the event will return next year. I presume this means the financial model is sustainable. Apparently the council chipped in ten grand to the funding pot but the local economy would certainly have received a boost over the weekend. Dunfermline has a rich cultural heritage and has often been accused in the past of not promoting the historical angle enough. Staging the Bruce Festival on a regular basis will help redress the balance. As the on-field activities began to wind down, we wandered across to the aviary to visit the peacocks. The exotic birds have inhabited Pittencrieff Park since 1905 and were originally brought over from India.

Enjoying the "freedom of the city", the peacocks have been a common sight for decades in the Glen and the streets beyond. A list pinned to the enclosure wall informed us there are currently nine cocks and six hens living within the park. This is a marked increase since the days of Clive roaming the town centre as the solitary remaining peafowl resident. He became a local legend and could sometimes be seen strutting up the High Street as if he owned the joint! Clive lived to the ripe old age of 20 but didn't produce any offspring and he passed away in 2017. By this time, new birds had been introduced and the breeding programme appears to have been a success. A terrible incident occurred in the summer of 2022 when two boys - aged 13 and 11 - broke into the aviary and beheaded an 11-year-old bird known as Malcolm. Another male, Louis, suffered serious injuries and still hasn't ventured outside since the sickening attack. The culprits were identified and charged but at that age there's probably very little the law can do. I would assume they are being closely watched by the authorities as you're looking at sadistic thugs of the future. The local population was utterly appalled at the crime and rallied to raise over £15000 to repair the damage caused by the break-in and to further improve facilities for the birds. A memorial garden has been created for Malcolm and planted with fruit the peacocks can eat. A wall plaque and small statue commemorate Malcolm's life. The aviary today was buzzing with visitors and four peachicks were running around the indoor area. It seems the population will continue to grow. The sanctuary relies completely upon donations. Make sure you pop in to see these colourful birds when exploring the captivating Pittencrieff Park.