A bouquet of distinctions set the Fife village of Aberdour apart.

As well as the headline attractions of clean beaches and one of Scotland's oldest castles, it is home to a thriving shinty club (the Highland sport is an unexpected force here on the east coast) and is a deserved finalist in this year's Britain in Bloom competition.

Horticultural recognition clearly means a lot to locals, who have worked hard to ensure that their streets are vibrant with flowers. Almost every business on the High Street boasts either colourful pots or a bright window box (there may be more begonias here than people) and the ornate Victorian station, which even has its own greenhouse, is a gardener's delight, with the steam train-shaped feature in the car park enough to elicit a smile from even the grumpiest commuter.  

Judges from Britain in Bloom visited the village, nominated for "Best Small Coastal" in the Royal Horticultural Society competition, earlier this month, and although the winners won't be announced until October, now is a good time to visit and enjoy the displays while they are still fresh.

Nothing complements a beautiful garden like a good cup of tea, and the cosy little tea room at Aberdour's castle (parts of which date back to the 13th century) provides it. Overlooking the beehive-shaped dovecot in the walled garden, its heavy wood furnishings and quaint touches like floral milk jugs give visitors a sense of stepping into one of the calmer scenes from a period drama.

A few minutes north east of the village, the blue flag Silver Sands beach is a popular destination, and its cafe, Sands - a place by the sea opened in 2011, six years after its predecessor was destroyed by fire - is a contemporary contrast with the castle, with huge glass windows providing panoramic views across the Firth of Forth towards Edinburgh.

On first impressions, Sands seems to have something of a mixed identity. On warm days it does a roaring trade in ice cream, and the happy queue of soggy, sandy families collecting their cones appear slightly at odds with the upmarket bistro atmosphere suggested by the smart decor, Herald-browsing latte drinkers, and the "no beachwear and no bare feet," sign.

Owner Nova Gamble, whose family previously ran a takeaway kiosk on the beach, explains that there is good reason for this diversity. "When we first took on the cafe last year, we were busy on sunny days, but when the weather was terrible it was very hard, because people weren't coming to the beach," she said. "We realised that we had to make Sands somewhere that people came to because of the food, not just because of where it is."

The decision to take on chef Mark Greve proved the right one, and his menu now includes signature dishes such as the filling Beach Burger (with onion rings, bacon and cheese) and a changing selection of homemade soups, including seafood chowder and Caribbean chicken.

Sands' home baking is a particular source of pride, with the highlight a tantalisingly rich (gluten free) chocolate brownie that is the perfect combination of chewy and crunchy, and seems to be about the size of a football (or maybe that should be shinty) pitch - just the boost any chocoholic craves after a bracing seaside stroll.

 Sands, a place by the sea, Hawkcraig Road, Aberdour: 10am to 5pm daily (but closed Mondays and Tuesdays in December, January and February) @SandsAberdour http://on.fb.me/14E008N.  

Info: Aberdour Castle Tea Room, open 10.30am to 4.30pm, April to September with reduced hours at other times www.historic-scotland.gov.uk

Getting there: Aberdour is on the Fife coast, on the A921 between Burntisland and Dalgety Bay. It is about a 30 minute train journey from Edinburgh.

Mini menu: Sands:  tea £1.40, coffee £1.90, seafood chowder £4.95

Aberdour Castle: cake £2.20, pot of tea £2.00.

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