Limekilns and Charleston

 What a wonderful day this has been. 14 walkers arrived at Limekilns parking up just beyond the marina. Right away I heard comments about Goliath, the mammoth crane which is sited at Rosyth Dockyard and which dominates the skyline. It was unusual seeing the bridges from the other side too; we nearly always view them from the east side with the Forth Bridge in the foreground. The Forth was like a reservoir today with hardly a ripple between us and Blackness Castle on the other side.

The walk along the promenade was just glorious and there was a real good feeling of wellbeing as we chatted, laughed, caught up with friends. We noted this treehouse and thought what a great ganghut it would be for the children of that family. There was a wee quiet buzz around the Ship Inn, painted black and white with typical maritime décor, which had folk sitting outside with their beers enjoying the sunshine and the peaceful views of the Pentlands. Other than that, there was silence.

                                                                             

Charleston is really just an extension of Limekilns, but has its own harbour with wee boats basking in the sunshine today. We passed the old limekilns which are derelict now and from there also saw Ironmill Bay and Crombie Pier where the Royal Navy stores it’s armaments. We found a short cut taking us from the shore up to a higher level where we landed on the Craw Road. I’ve always done my best to avoid going down the Craw Road but here is proof we were all there today. From there we emerged onto West Road which had a fair amount of traffic for a country road. Along this stretch, conversations overheard ranged from the hedgerows heavy with wild berries, hips and haws and their health properties, to when would be a good time to change wardrobes from summer to winter clothing. We turned off the road at a farm which signalled that we were on the second half of our walk already. This road brought us out at the old granary at Charleston and we commented on the wee Post Office which served as a Johnny a’thing in the village. Nearby is The Scottish Lime Centre which promotes and educates in the traditional skills required for the conservation, repair and maintenance of historic buildings. We were enthralled at the long rows of wee cottages and the peace and quiet and cleanliness of this village. We nipped down a passageway between houses and  came out at the village green where children were having fun at the swingpark in safety. From there we could see the venue for our refreshments, The Elgin Hotel. On approaching the hotel, whilst appreciating the design and architecture of the building above her, poor Mary had a tumble. Thankfully, not badly injured, but she’ll have to lay off the modelling for a while till these skint knees heal over. The hotel was ready for us with 14 places set with lovely scones and a good cup of tea. Great service from the young waitress with free top up of tea and coffee. Full marks Elgin Hotel. 

 We will share the good service with others and patronise ourselves in future. Once refreshed, we were off at the toot as I had misjudged the time.  I had hoped to be able to pop into The Kilns, a wee gift shop in Limekilns before they closed at 4.00pm, and we just made it with minutes to spare. It was welcomed by the owners I think, and appreciated by our ladies who are somehow drawn to shops like these. A good few purchases were made. We took time to admire the pretty brightly painted little houses with cyclamen in hanging baskets, the sundial on the wall of the newly opened sundial café and ongoing renovation of old property. These little villages which seem to be tucked away from civilisation are very much alive. The summer Gala website demonstrates their community spirit.

We wandered back to our cars in a most contented manner having had the best of the day and the best of company.