Loch Leven Castle and the Coastal Trail

Saturday was my friend Amie's birthday, so to celebrate, Laurie, Amie and I took a road trip to Loch Leven Castle, about two hours south of Aberdeen. Amie and I met Laurie in Banchory, and off we went over Cairn o' Mount, where we had a lovely view of the valley below, even though the sky was quite overcast. The scenery was beautiful as we drove through the hills - the oilseed rape covered huge areas with its yellow blossoms, and we saw tons of little lambies playing in the fields.

Loch Leven Castle, a 14th-15th century tower, sits on an island in the middle of Loch Leven. This is where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned for nearly a year before escaping in 1568, supposedly because someone left a key for her. Visitors take a 10-minute boat ride to get to the island. We had a great time exploring the castle ruins and the small island, enjoying a birthday snack (including a dram of whiskey for the two non-Baptists in the group), and just relaxing in the warm sunshine and cool breeze.
(Yes, those are my feet on the other side of the "No visitors beyond this point" sign! We climbed over the rail and walked along the castle wall - it was quite fun and a little rebellious!)

After leaving the castle, we decided to take the coastal route back to Aberdeen. This allowed us to see several little fishing villages and harbours along the way, including Elie, St. Monans, Pittenweem, Anstruther, and Crail, before finally stopping in St. Andrews for dinner at a local pub.

It was a great day, and I was thrilled to get to visit another castle and explore a new area of Scotland.