The Hermit's Cave & the Artist's Castle

On the following Saturday [Edit: That is, the one after 'Muchty and the Fife Show. I just realized that my posts aren't all in the correct order...], Marissa and I went to the absolutely delightful village of Pittenweem. 

It's kind of like the Granville Island of the Fife Coast - 

very arty and full of galleries and things - except that it's less concentrated.
There's more room for the artists to spread out.

However, one thing that Pittenweem has that Granville Island is lacking is a hermit's cave! 

We went to The Cocoa Tree Shop to get the key.

A most delightful place! 

Cool mosaic on the side of the door way.

St. Fillan's Cave.
Obviously this little doorway/lean-to was added later.
Probably to keep people out.

Marissa opening the door! 

In and around Pittenweem:

We decided that we would like to live here. 

We'd open a tearoom and spend our free in the little pub in which "swearing will NOT be tolerated" and in other tearooms, learning their trade secrets.

A nice older couple took our picture for us.

A little while later, we were waiting for our shuttle thingummy to take us to Kellie Castle, as it is about a forty-five minute walk from Pittenweem.

We waited for quite a while, but it never came.

Actually, we think we saw it hurtling around the corner, but we weren't sure.

Just then, the man who took our picture for us hollered to us from his vehicle, asking if we needed a ride to St. Andrews.

When they heard that we wanted to go to Kellie Castle, he and his wife very kindly offered to take us there, even though it was out of their way. 

They lived in Pittenweem, but were only actually there for a few months of the year.

The rest of the time, they had interesting jobs at a university in Vietman or some place like that.

They dropped us right at the front gate. 

Here we are!
At the gate to the estate.

So excited! :D

Ladies and Gentlemen, Kellie Castle!

The only picture of the interior that I got.
The 'no photography' sign was on that table there.
*sigh*
I had been so excited not to have seen any signs up to that point.

At one point, Kellie Castle was the manor of some Oliphants and Erskines, but gradually fell into disrepair until it was used as a barn.
Eventually, the Lorimer family began to restore it, using it as a holiday home.
The whole family was artistically gifted,
but Robert Lorimer in particular was a well known architect in the area.
He was best known for his plaster ceilings, and many of the rooms in the castle had pretty elaborate ones.

Marissa by the really cool old stove in the tea room/former kitchen.

The gardens at Kellie Castle were beautiful.

The brilliant sunshine certainly didn't hurt either!

The Door in the Wall.

I wonder what this was supposed to be...

The door of the secret garden within the garden.

The Castle from the garden.

Outside the garden walls, there's kind of a "woodland walk" that follows a little stream.

In the field just outside of the estate.

:D

We asked at the reception desk for directions to get back to Pittenweem and got some.

But then:

"Psst!"

A little old lady in a black cardigan and a shirt with a white lacy collar leant over the counter, beckoning to us.

She looked surreptitiously around for eavesdroppers. 

"Don't tell anyone, but..."

And she gave us directions through a shortcut that involved opening gates and cutting through someone's country estate.

It was a lovely walk.

The House

The dovecote.

We named the horses:
Curly, Koo and Herman.

Yay! We made it back to Pittenweem.
There was a point where we were beginning to wonder if we had misunderstood part of the directions, or taken a wrong turn.