Mike Brown's Scotland - Tayside, Fife and Perthshire

The Kingdom of Fife The Kingdom of Fife occupies the northern shore of the Firth of Forth, across from Edinburgh and East Lothian. This picture shows the beach at Crail, a fishing village south of St. Andrews/
The tiny and picturesque harbour in Crail still houses working fishing boats, along with some pleasure craft.	Crail high street is lined with houses, many dating to the 17th century or earlier.

Crail is still a working fishing port - here, a lobsterman empties his pots just off the harbour.	The Crail Rowing Club heads out of the harbour past the lobsterman
Sawfly and Bee	King Street at Shoregate
Shoregate leads down to the harbor	The Priory Dovecote (pronounced "doocot") at Crail dates to the 16th Century
Crail Pottery offers many forms of locally-made pottery.
St. Andrews St. Andrews is home to Scotland's first University and, of course, the Royal and Ancient Golf Course. It also boasts a scenic ruined castle and cathedral.
St. Andrews High Street	The East Sands - the beach-running scene in Chariots of Fire was filmed here.

St. Andrews Castle gatehouse St. Andrews Castle was built by and used by Bishops of the Church, not nobles or kings. Bishop Roger of St. Andrews built the original castle here in 1189, and it was rebuilt several times by his successors.	the Bottle Dungeon - miscreants were lowered by rope, to live out their lives in this hole.
	When the castle was under seige in 1546 by the Earl of Arran, a tunnel was dug by the besieging forces. A countermine was dug by the Protestant forces inside, breaking into the tunnel and ending the attempt. The tunnel and countermine can be explored today - as Warren here proves.
The ruins of St. Andrews Cathedral are not far from the Castle.
The Golf Museum is situated across the road from the Royal and Ancient Golf Course. It's a small but interesting museum, even if you're not particularly into golf.	Interactive exhibits include this display of clubs, demonstrated by a professional on video.
St. Andrews Aquarium is on the waterfront, not far from the Golf Museum.	Seal-feeding time at the Aquarium
	Not every animal at the aquarium is related to the sea.
Scotland's Secret Bunker
Built originally as an RAF observer's post, it was expanded into an underground complex where Scotland's government could survive and monitor conditions during a nuclear attack. You enter through an unassuming-looking farmhouse, and descend a long concrete tunnel into the Bunker.	This was the nuclear operations room, where fallout patterns would have been plotted.
Royal Air Force aircraft would have been dispatched from this room
Blair Atholl and vicinity, Perthshire The Blair Atholl International Patrol Jamborette - a gathering of Scouts from around the world, held on the grounds of Blair Castle every even-numbered year since 1946.


Blair Castle forecourt - Blair Castle was the last castle in the UK to be brought under siege, in 1746 during the Jacobite rising. The home of the Dukes of Atholl from the 13th centure, today Blair Castle is one of Scotland's foremost tourist attractions, with 32 rooms to tour. My job at the Jamborette is to lead Scouts around the castle - over 100 tours, to date, but who's counting?	Blair Castle drive leads from the village to the castle through a tunnel of linden trees.
A swan and the reflecting pool at the Hercules Garden.	Banvie Burn runs beside Blair Castle
Blair Atholl Watermill stands in Blair Atholl village, a short walk from camp.	Restored in the 1980's, the Mill still grinds flour by water power. The bakery in the Mill provides delicious baked goods for the Mill coffee shop. Try the fresh-baked scones, they're great.
Just a short walk from the Castle, and you're in spectacular countryside on the edge of the Highlands.
The China Room	The Castle Ballroom
Blair Castle, behind the scenes - the normal tour never goes into the attics	Having a castle means never having to throw anything away
This room once housed a family relative - now it's just furniture storage	An entire room in the tower, just for canes and other oddments
Tower room with flags	The Castle Archives
	View from the top of the Castle, overlooking the Jamborette
Hercules Garden at Blair Castle	The Hercules Garden is a walled garden above the Castle


Blair Atholl Train Station
The Castle boasts a herd of Red Deer
The Castle Gates
The Whim - a Victorian folly overlooking the Castle	Inside the Atholl Arms
Stream in Blair Atholl Village	The Queen's View is between Pitlochry and Blair Atholl, and well worth the short side trip.
Panoramic view from the top of the Castle Tower
Pitlochry

The Black Castle at Pitlochry
The Fish Ladder allows salmon to migrate past the dam at Loch Tummel
Loch Tummel, above the dam	The River Tummel below the dam - the powerhouse at the dam is in the distance
	The tourist main street of Pitlochry
View down the River Tummel from the dam

Tayside, Fife and Perthshire

Eastern central Scotland - Perth, Blair Atholl, Dundee, St. Andrews, Kingdom of Fife, the Grampians

The Kingdom of Fife

St. Andrews

Scotland's Secret Bunker

Blair Atholl and vicinity, Perthshire

Pitlochry