IT is many years since I last visited, so I was looking forward to our trip to the East Neuk of Fife. And then the Forth Road Bridge broke. Fife was suddenly a Lost Kingdom, I fretted, no longer the easily accessible staycation destination popular with generations of families. This would be an adventure. A trip into the unknown.
In the end I needn't have worried, though most people I chatted to during our two-night stay near Kingsbarns had tales of bridge-related travel misery to share.
We simply headed from Glasgow to Perth and turned right before picking our way along back roads that even managed to look picturesque in the drizzly December afternoon gloom. We were there in two-and-a-half hours, 40 minutes longer than the AA's estimate for the most direct route but hardly an epic journey. Fife was still open for business, in other words.
We were staying at Morton of Pitmilly, which describes itself as a "luxury countryside resort", though that doesn't really explain the set-up. It is an upmarket self-catering complex on what used to be a farm, with 10 properties built around a pleasant, leafy courtyard and a further six in a nearby steading.
The courtyard was built 25 years ago using stone from the farm's outbuildings. The steading was added three years ago and from our single bedroom apartment there, called The Lookout, we had a fine view of the countryside with the sea in the distance.
Inside, the style was tastefully simple, including a well-appointed kitchen and an open-plan living space equipped with TV and DVD player. Next door was the most comfortable bed I've had the pleasure of sleeping in for a long time, and I awoke feeling pretty happy with Fife in general.
We went for an early morning swim in a great little pool just off the courtyard and had a blisteringly hot sauna and steam. The complex also boasts an indoor tennis court, a gym and snooker table. Outdoors, there's another tennis court, a putting green and a children's play area that would test the most adventurous junior action hero.
After a game of table tennis, exhausted and slightly embarrassed by our ineptitude, we decided to explore the area.
Morton of Pitmilly, a mile from Kingsbarns, is the best place to access the beach, so we took a bracing walk along the reddish sands to the ruins of an old harbour, collapsed and reclaimed by the sea. Eventually beaten back by the drizzle, we headed first for Crail, four miles to the south, then on to Anstruther, two of the most popular fishing villages that dot the Fife coast.
Anyone who has spent more than an hour in the East Neuk will probably have eaten fish and chips at the famous Anstruther fish bar. That's exactly what we did and it was as good as I remember from my last visit. Incredibly on a sub-zero day, the place was doing a roaring trade in ice cream. After a quick stroll around the harbour we returned to Kingsbarns, where we enjoyed a drink in the local pub, an old coaching inn that reopened recently after lying empty for a year or so. The cosy bar and small restaurant are exactly a mile from where we were staying, making it a walk-able option if you are not planning to cook. If you are, you'll need to stock up in Crail or St Andrews, which lies six miles to the north. Fancy packs of produce can be ordered in advance but you'll pay farmers' market prices for the convenience.
Morton of Pitmilly is a well-established summer holiday spot, especially with families. For us, it proved an ideal base for a relaxing winter weekend away.
Magnus and Julie Gardham were guests of Morton of Pitmilly. Web: www.pitmilly.co.uk. Telephone: 01334 880466.
Five things to do in the East Neuk
Walk on the beach at Kingsbarns. Red sands and a ruined harbour - and there are plently of parking spaces too.
Explore Crail. The fishing village is built around one of Scotland's most picturesque harbours.
East fish and chips in Anstruther. The famous Anstruther fish bar is a firm favourite – and deservedly so.
Ramble along the Fife Coastal Path. The way-marked 117-mile route from the Forth to the Tay runs close to the beach at Kingsbarns
Visit Buddo Rock. The striking sandstone stack, all that remains of an ancient sea cliff, is a short walk along the coastal path at Boarhills.
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