Aberdour

The small town of Aberdour sits on a stretch of Fife coastline once known to Edinburgh Victorians as the Fife Riviera. Together with the neighbouring settlements of Burntisland and Kinghorn, the area features award-winning beaches and a host of leisure facilities. The Fife Coastal Path passes through all three towns and brings many visitors to the respective High Streets. The East Coast Main Line hugs the "Riviera" and no doubt many day walkers are tempted to these parts due the ease of taking a train back to the starting point. I've been to Aberdour many times in my life and will weave a few old stories into my account of last weekend's trip to the town, ostensibly on a Christmas shopping expedition.

This aerial view of Aberdour covers an entire wall in the town heritage centre. The small exhibition space is contained within the railway station and staffed by volunteers. The station itself has won numerous awards over the years on both Scottish and British levels. The immaculate Victorian buildings and perfectly manicured gardens provide a lovely setting to wait for a train. We actually encountered the little museum by chance, having parked at the station and seen the signage. The current special exhibition is about local churches but ecclesiastical matters don't really float my boat, although I certainly enjoy admiring grand architecture in the flesh. There was plenty other material to peruse and a large tablet screen allowed you to browse documents and objects not actually on display. It's certainly worth popping in if you happen to be passing by. The guide in attendance took the time to chat and answer our queries. The Christmas market we had vaguely heard about and hoped to attend turned out to be more of a community gathering for festive songs and mince pies. Nevertheless, there are several quaint gift shops on the High Street and we bought a few family presents. I fully endorse the "get in and then get out" approach to Christmas shopping!

The castle is an impressive sight and it is pleasant to stroll through the grounds on a sunny day. We once took Nicole's aunt and uncle for a look around. By sheer chance there was a German craft fair in attendance. No visit to the town would be complete without a wander down to the harbour. Pleasure craft come and go and a walk around the headland is recommended. We once sat at the water's edge watching the Edinburgh Festival fireworks display from afar. As we all learn in high school science, light travels infinitely faster than sound therefore there was a gap of a few seconds between seeing and hearing the explosions in the sky. A fine family-owned fish restaurant - Room with a View - is perched below the cliffs. A steep access track leads down and you basically dine in the front room of a large house. The sea views are superb and the service excellent. However, the real fun starts when you have to drive back up and the restaurant's website advises you to consider leaving your car in the large public car park at the top. Basically it's first gear all the way and pray you don't meet a descending vehicle. The waitress said it's not uncommon for restaurant staff to personally jump into guests' cars and drive them up the slope. It is a lovely walk around Hawkcraig Point (used as a hydrophone research station during WW1) towards the Silver Sands beach. This seaside location throngs with sunbathers during the summer and is an extremely pleasant part of the coastal Path.

The main alehouse in Aberdour is the Foresters Arms. It has previously won the Fife CAMRA pub of the year award and attracts a mixed clientele. The first time I entered happened to be shortly before a CAMRA social was due to start - the barman assuming I was the first arrival upon my request for a pint of Cameron's bitter. I hadn't actually attended any CAMRA meetings at that point, being content to sup in the background. I didn't join the crowd on that day as I only had time for one beer. I have since become more active in the organisation by working behind the bar at the annual Fife ale festival. It was nice to be back in the Foresters and it appears to have changed management. A warm welcome was given but only two cask ales were available. Normally that wouldn't be worthy of comment but the pub did used to have a reputation for providing a wide selection. Perhaps real ale isn't so vigorously promoted in the Foresters these days or it could simply have been a case of stocks running low. You should never judge a bar after one visit and I was happy enough to drink a seasonal bitter in fine condition. Halfway between the High Street and the shore is a derelict pub that previously traded as the Cedar Inn. It was full of nooks and crannies and had a little snug with board games and newspapers. Unfortunately the place closed a few years back but reopened after extensive refurbishment. I dropped in prior to watching Flying Scotsman make its annual run through Fife. The public bar was open but the lounges were still undergoing renovation.

The new owners were full of enthusiasm and the ale founts stood proudly. It seemed a highly promising venture but one that lasted a few months at most. A reminder that the licensed trade is unforgiving and re-establishing a watering hole with a positive past reputation is absolutely no guarantee of future success. After all, there must be a reason why a pub closes in the first place. A lesser known walk in Aberdour is the Heughs trail. This curves high above the town through dense trees. Suddenly a gap opens and provides a fantastic view down upon the Silver Sands. You then descend and hook up with the Fife Coastal Path, paralleling the railway. The train journey between Kirkcaldy and Edinburgh must be one of the best in Scotland. You stick to the coast for long stretches before crossing the iconic Forth Bridge. Of course, if you grow up in the area and have made the trip hundreds of times, you don't appreciate the sheen. People have always been attracted to islands and Fife is mostly surrounded by water. We should never talk the place down - although that's something Scots in general like to do.