Craigtoun Country Park

Met up with friend L. in Dundee this morning fully intending to go for a walk at Tentsmuir Beach in Fife.  However, we decided it was a bit cold and bleak for a stroll on such an open area, so Plan B came into operation.

This was to visit Craigtoun Country Park, near St Andrews, a favourite venue of L. and her family when they were younger and somewhere I'd not even heard of, far less visited:-)  

Somehow we managed to miss the turning (there is also a Golf Course at the same location which takes prominence on the notice board!) and ended up at the Botanic Gardens instead.  Neither of us had been there before, so we spent a very pleasant couple of hours enjoying the trees and plants and the excellent coffee in the small café.  

Then, satnav to the rescue, we eventually found the park we were looking for and enjoyed a stroll round the extensive grounds.  One of the main attractions used to be a little island, known as the Dutch Village (for no obvious reason!) and in the summer you can hire a boat which takes you out to it.  It looked idyllic as we approached, but on closer inspection it is obviously in serious need of remedial work (see extras).  Hope it can be saved, as it must be quite unique.  

A most enjoyable day in chilly, but calm weather, even if it wasn't what we had originally intended:-)