The rich rural scenery of North Fife, Scotland, provides variety from the historic city of St Andrews and the quaint harbours of the East Neuk of Fife. A Royal Palace in Falkland, a Folk Museum in Ceres, a National Trust Mansion House near Cupar, Balmerino Abbey, Lindores Abbey, Newburgh, Dunbog, Glenduckie, Creich, Birkhill, Ballinbreich, Abdie, Upper Flisk and more in beautiful North East Fife. Also the occasional wander.
Birkhill is the family home of the Earl Alexander Henry Scrymgeour, 12th Earl of Dundee and Siobhan Mary Llewellyn Countess of Dundee and their family, as well as their two friendly dogs! They say that guests will very quickly feel at home in the friendly atmosphere. Located on the shores of the River Tay, a short distance from St Andrews, the castle offers a wide range of facilities for corporate and private groups alike. The castle is also a most romantic venue for weddings.Set in glorious countryside, right on the coast in North East Fife, Birkhill was built in 1780. The house is surrounded by beautiful gardens and guests can wander through these and see a number of rare trees and plants. Birkhill is primarily a family home and offers a warm welcome to all that cross its front door.
Although the castle focuses on private and corporate groups, accommodation is also available on a bed and breakfast basis and private dining can also be provided for non-resident groups (both strictly by prior arrangement).
The Countess of Dundee Birkhill Cupar Fife KY15 4QP
National Cycle Route 777 North Fife heading for the Gauldry from Hazelton cross roads on the Barony Road. Cyclists are warned of leaping deer.
Birkhill Woods just West of Hazelton walls.
Autumnal colours on Birkhill Estate. The Earl and Countess of Dundee invite you to share their house...Just a short cycle ride down the drive. Birkhill is the family home of the Earl and Countess of Dundee and their family. Lord Dundee is the Hereditary Royal Standard Bearer for Scotland, his ancestors carried the Scottish Banner for William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Bruce later appointed the Standard Bearer and his successors as custodians of the City of Dundee which lies just across the Tay.
These giant redwoods are an example of some of the magnificent trees on Birkhill estate. The clement climate and varied soil types in North Fife gives rise to abundant growth.
On Sunday, The Vernal Equinox, a tree planting ceremony took place in the grounds of Birkhill, North Fife in memory of Harvey Holton, poet in Scots, a fitting memorial given the Celtic significance of The Hazel Tree, as described below.
A demonstration of what to do.
Work in progress.
Anne and Brian holton planting one of the Hazel trees.
One look at the hazel tree and it's easy to see why the Celtic meaning of the hazel tree deals with creativity, and why the druids held it in such high regard amongst the Ogham ranks.
The hazel's unusual branch formations make it a delight to ponder, and was often used for inspiration in art, as well as poetry.
The bards, ovates and druids of the Celtic day would intently observe its crazy curly-Q branches. Doing this would lead them into other worlds of delightful fantasy. Much the same way our modern imaginations can be captured by a good movie, the creative Celts were artistically motivated by the seemingly random and wild contortions of the hazel.
A more commonly known fact is that the hazel is considered a container of ancient knowledge. Ingestion of the hazel nuts is proposed to induce visions, heightened awareness and lead to epiphanies. Indeed, the legend of Fionn Mac Cumhail tells of his gaining the wisdom of the universe by simply coming in contact with the essence of the hazel nut.
He did this through the salmon, which was known to eat the hazel nuts that dropped around a sacred pond encircled by nine hazel trees. It was fabled that from their diet of the nuts, the salmon too were keys to infinite knowledge. Fionn burned his finger while preparing a soup of these very salmon. Instinctively, Fionn thrust is finger in his mouth to soothe the burn and by this slight contact he became enlightened.
Interestingly, in modern times the hazel nut has proven itself to be a brain food. Pound for pound the hazel nut have double the protein, and good fats than eggs, making them natural nourishment for brain function.
When you are creatively stuck, or your intellectual growth seems stagnate, call upon the energy of the hazel tree. Better yet, eat a few hazelnuts, or make a necklace from the nuts. Often such necklaces were worn for protection as well as to illicit visions. Likewise, hazelnuts were (still are) eaten just before engaging in divinatory, foretelling or meditative practices.
Post script: Pick your hazelnuts after they have fallen from the tree. It is considered bad form to pick them unripe off the branches.
In Memory of Harvey Holton Scots Poet. Harvey's view from Corbbie Hill.
The right is bounded by Birkhill Estate until East Flisk farm then Flisk Parish Church, (ruin) at Flisk Point on to Balhelvie farm followed by Flisk Old Schoolhouse. Big skys and views of the River Tay
The Gauldry North Fife, from Wormit entails a right turn to pass Peacehill farm and the right junction to Balmarino. This back road that follows the North Fife Ridge and the River Tay is called the boundry road, a corruption of Barony from the times when nobility were more prevalent in the area though the road passes the estate of Earl and Countess of Dundee, Birkhill. A pleasant but overcast day, a drive avoiding the closed and flooded roads being experienced in this part of North Fife, Scotland.
