Ancestral Voices

I was surprised to find a message from Ancestry this morning. Another distant relative has been in touch. A fourth, fifth or sixth cousin in Australia, probably. I will have to do some research - I love it! 

The connection is rooted in the village of Dysart, in Fife - by some quirk of fate we were staying on a farm just a few miles to the north. So, instead of coming home via the picture-postcard villages of the East Neuk, we stopped off in Dysart. 

I've been there before, but never had a good look around till today. Some old buildings survive, some have been beautifully restored, but there are stretches of dreadfulness, filling in where presumably the old buildings were too far gone to be habitable and there was no will to preserve them. Fortunately, the Pan Ha', in the picture was rescued in time. 

The harbour survives too, and is well-used by small sailing boats. A group of artists were there today, ranged around and working away in spite of a chilly wind. The extra is one of the sheds in this area.

We are home now, to a warm welcome from the cats.