Eastfield Farm, Saline, Kingdom of Fife

We woke to the sound of rain on the caravan roof, not a good start for avid tourists, however our day’s plans were modest. Quite frankly I was glad to have the opportunity to have a few hours to spend studying our maps and itinerary; we needed to plan ahead right through to our departure from the United Kingdom three months hence, albeit in a very rudimentary fashion. The main obstacle was fast approaching; how and if we were to explore the very north and west of Scotland. The more we consulted our guide books and the maps, the more we became confused.

We lunched early and headed into Dunfermline, a town with a population of over 50,000, which we should have applied our attention to before now. In theory it should warrant more than a few hours given that it was once the de factor capital of Scotland and royal seat of power established in the mid-11^th century by Malcolm III. It continued to make a significant contribution to medieval Scots politics until it was abandoned by James VI after the Union of the Crowns.

Queen Margaret was responsible for the beginnings of Benedictine priory here in 1072 and her son raised its status to a priory in the middle of the next century. Edward I had a go at the lead on the roof here too; he really was a destroyer of well-built structures, for more reasons than one. Robert the Bruce helped rebuild the abbey and when he died of leprosy, he was buried here minus his heart that did its rounds, but that is another story. 

His is one of many royal corpses who ended up in the yard; King Malcolm III and his Queen Margaret until they were dug up and shifted elsewhere, Alexander III and his Queen Margaret, Robert Bruce’s Queen Elizabeth, Robert III’s Annabella, Princes David, Alexander and Robert along with princesses Christina de Bruce and Matilda Bruce.  

The guesthouse of the abbey was extended to become a palace, and was gifted to Anne of Denmark by James IV, Anne raising most of her children here. Alas the parliamentarians wrecked the place and the Reformation put paid to the Abbey. Although this is all a ruin, I was surprised how much there was left to see, although if I had to pay to visit rather than use our Heritage membership, I may well have been disappointed.

We also visited the parish church which sits at one end of the much grander and older structure. The empty shell that was the abbey nave is considered Scotland’s most outstanding example of Norman architecture, standing alongside Durham Cathedral as a monument of medieval design.

Apart from checking out the tourist destinations of Dunfermline this afternoon, we called into the Information Centre and spent some time chatting with the most wonderful Scots lady, so helpful and informative, and we came away with pamphlets, maps and a headful of options. We moved to the Tesco superstore, filled with diesel and groceries yet again, before heading the short distance, about eight miles, home, by which time the rain had mostly cleared away and we were buoyed by the patches of blue sky.

Over several cups of coffee, followed by a few glasses of wine, we made a decision about the Orkney Islands; we would visit them after all, but rather than take the caravan over, or take the car over on the ferry and stay in B&Bs, we have settled for a day trip from John O’Groats. 

We have now booked this and our accommodation on the mainland to work around this. Our son-in-law, who had encouraged us to include the Orkney Islands in our travels, having taken my step daughter there seventeen years or so ago, will be disappointed that we are not allowing longer, but satisfied that we have heeded his advice in part.