Things to Do Near St Andrews

March 25, 2015

 

Scotland’s popular east coast is a regular destination for tourists and they don’t just come for the golf. If you’re planning a caravan holiday in Scotland but don’t fancy spending it on the greens, take a look at our suggestions for some of the top things to do near St Andrews.

 

Scotland’s Secret Bunker

While it might not be much of a secret now, Scotland’s Secret Bunker was kept well-hidden throughout the cold war days. Today, though, it’s a popular visitor attraction, with tours of the rooms still laid out much as they would have looked when in use during the war. Up top, decommissioned military vehicles take up parking space on the property, an unassuming farmhouse that hides the entrance to the 450 tunnel entrance to the bunker below.

 

Eden Mill Distillery and Brewery

Strictly for adults, a visit to the Eden Mill Distillery and Brewery is a great way to spend a few leisurely hours. Enjoy an informative visit, learning about the different ingredients used in the process, before heading to the tasting room to sample a variety of gins, whiskys and beer.

 

Visit St Andrews Castle

There’s not much left of this medieval fortress, prison and former palatial residence, but that just adds to its charm. The modern visitor centre on site gives details of life in the castle’s heyday, and you can get a glimpse of the ancient mine and dungeon cell that both retain their original character and charm.

 

The Hill of Tarvit Mansionhouse

Just outside St Andrews, the National Trust Centre Hill of Tarvit Mansionhouse is a unique 17th Century property that acts today as a museum. Complete with a tearoom and gift shop, you can explore its many rooms which are now home to a marvellous collection of antiquities. If you decide you really can’t do without golf in St Andrews, you’ll find a nine-hole course on the grounds. Kingarrock Hickory Golf Course had been closed for a number of years but was recently reopened and is a popular choice.

 

Caravan Holidays near St Andrews

Silverdyke’s Caravan Park is a short drive from the popular coastal town of St Andrews. Catering for tourers with pitches that overlook the beach, we also have static caravans for sale for holiday makers looking for a permanent base near St Andrews. Book your holiday with us today and visit one of Scotland’s best-loved areas for yourself.

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Benefits to buying a Holiday Home in Scotland

March 19, 2015
Holiday Home at Silverdyke

With its fabulous scenery, outstanding golf and unique cuisine, there are too many benefits to buying a holiday home in Scotland to mention. Sometimes the hardest part of settling on your new home-from-home is choosing your favourite location before you buy, and let’s face it, location is key. We recommend the east coast of Scotland because this is one area where you can have it all. Great views, beautiful beaches and the benefit of St Andrews and its golf just a stone’s throw away.

 

Reasons for Buying a Static Caravan in Scotland

 

While there really are lots of reasons for buying a static caravan in Scotland, we might be a little biased towards our own Silverdyke Park. So when we’re encouraging you to buy north of the border, we’re really meaning…buy here, at Silverdyke.

 

Fabulous Scottish Scenery

 

Set on the coastline of Scotland’s eastern seaboard, our caravan park is perfectly located with fabulous sea views. Right on the beach, you’ll have easy access to hiking trails and sandy walks, great for wearing out children or dogs and perfect for romantic sunset scenes. You don’t have to travel far to enjoy woodland walks either.

 

Great Food and Fabulous Drink

 

The Scots are becoming increasingly renowned for the quality of their food, and we’ve always been known for our national drink. One of the best benefits of owning a static caravan is having the option of dining out or staying in and cooking for yourself. Here at Silverdyke Caravan Park, we benefit from having a great choice of local butchers and fishmongers a short drive away, and a pet-friendly restaurant within walking distance.

 

Hassle-free Travelling

 

Going on holiday has one major drawback, and that’s all the packing and unpacking you have to do. When you own a static caravan, you don’t have to worry about that endless round of chores because you can leave everything in your caravan when you go away.

Easy Holiday Driving Time

Whether you love or hate long travelling times to get to your holiday destination, there’s one great benefit to having a holiday home in Scotland. You’re never likely to be more than a couple of hours away from it. A short travelling time means you don’t have to wait for your annual leave to come around before you can enjoy a break away. You’ll be close enough to travel up on weekends, enjoying a stay from the Friday through to the Sunday without wasting most of that time on the road.

 

Yes, we’re biased. We love Silverdyke Caravan Park for its great location and easy commute. If you’re considering buying a holiday home in Scotland, why not come and visit our lovely park soon.

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Anstruther Harbour Festival

October 21, 2014

Anstruther Harbour Festival


 harbour night

Set up in 2013, the Ansturhter Harbour Festival organisation (AHF) is a celebratory festival to show support to and promote the maritime, harbour and land based traditions, culture, activities and interests of the local community through an annual event. The festival aims to bring the harbour and town to life as well as reviving the community spirit which was brought about by the old Anstruther Lifeboat Gala. It builds on the success of the Anstruther Muster with its annual gathering of visiting boats, originally an initiative by Anstruther Community Council to regenerate the harbour, and which is now in its 18th year.

Key areas of the festival are as follows;

Anstruther Muster, together with the East of Scotland Boat Jumble and Classic Boat Rally, organised by Anstruther Sailing Club

Coastal Rowing Regatta, organised by St Ayles Rowing Club

Anstruther Lifeboat and inshore rescue boat on display, with rescue demonstrations

Scottish Fisheries Museum events and Model Boat Club Exhibition

Other entertainment for local residents, holidaymakers and visiting boat crew alike include ceilidhs, music events,  dancing displays, pipe bands, childrens shows and food and craft stalls

This year (2014) the classic boat rally was a fabulous success, attracting more entries than the previous year, all of which were to a very high standard. However the strong winds on the Saturday afternoon limited the number of boats attending the Anster Muster, which only saw 24 entries rather than the usual 50-100 entries.

Anstruther Harbour Festival 2014

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New developments at Silverdyke Holiday Park

October 16, 2014

New developments at Silverdyke Holiday Park

What a year we have had. The weather has been very kind to us and to get two fabulous summers in a row has been a great start to our new business. The touring part of Silverdyke Park will close on Sunday 2 November so we only have just over two weeks to go. However we won’t be resting on our laurels as there are lots of jobs planned over the winter period.
On Tuesday we are starting to develop another 5 lodge pitches situated at the east side of the park. We have to get a digger in to take some of the hill and do some leveling. Then we will mark out the pitches- it is so important to get this correct as we want to have good spacing between each lodge thus creating a luxury area to attract lodge owners. The lodges will have stunning sea views and will also be able to receive the sun most of the day and into the evening.
Also we will be developing another 3 holiday home pitches at the same time.
Careful planning is required to ensure the sewage pipes run properly into the main sewers we put in at the start of the caravan park development. Also electric, water and gas pipes have to be put into and connected up safely.
In November we have over 1000 hedge plants and trees arriving so we have to also prepare the ground in order to achieve good ground conditions for the plants to go into and grow to their maximum potential. We have struggled in areas to get trees and shrubs to grow but much of this has been because when we did the first development it had been a very wet summer and winter and the ground was waterlogged. Thus as a result of running on it and digging it up the soil has been damaged which is not conducive to healthy fast plant growth,
Here is a picture of the area before the diggers come in. It’s going to look a whole lot worse before it gets better!

New lodge area soon to be developed

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East Neuk Of Fife Open studios

September 28, 2014

East Neuk of  Fife Open Studios

East Neuk Open Studios is a twice-yearly Art Trail taking in over 35 artist and designer studios and workshops throughout the East Neuk.

Come and spend a day or a weekend in the scenic East Neuk and follow our Red Balloon trail to discover our gifted artists and  designers from East Neuk Open Studios (ENOS). Twice a year, in Summer and Autumn, our artists throw open their studio doors to welcome visitors and to exhibit and talk about their work. There’s always a fantastic range of paintings, textiles, prints, jewellery, illustrations, photographs, ceramics and furniture for sale .

The next dates are October 11-12th and 18 -19th, 10.30am to 4.30pm

Summer  2015 dates   23-24 May 10.30am – 6.00pm

Red balloons and ENOS signs point to each artists’ Open Studio – (from Upper Largo to Boarhills via St Monans and Cellardyke.)  Get further details about who’s exhibiting, download a brochure and check out our maps here on the new ENOS website to plan your visit to our corner of Fife.

If you are a practising artist, designer or maker with a working studio based in the East Neuk and are interested in participating in ENOS please get in touch with us on jill@eastneukopenstudios.org

East Neuk Open Studios is a free event – just find the red balloons and pop in to visit any of the  participating artists. Many of the artists are within easy walking distance of Silverdyke Caravan Park. See map

However, some East Neuk studios are often in old, traditional and quirky buildings and therefore not always suited for access by the less able, wheelchairs, buggies and prams. It’s always best to contact the artist in advance to enquire about access to their studio space.

See below for participating artists

Abercrombie

Patricia Tribble

Boarhills

Helen Firth

Cambo Estate

Susan Forsyth

Judith Heald

Cellardyke

Jake Brown

Jill Calder

Sydney Clare Checkland

Sean Dooley

Robin Forsyth

Kate Hajducka

Stephen Howard Harrison

Renate Heath

John Kelly

Yolandé Kenny

Kate Laundon

Suzie McIvor

Ann Smith

Ken Wilkinson

Crail

Keny Drew

Frazer Reid

Elizabeth Shepherd

Mary S. Webster

Pittenweem

Kirstie Behrens

Reinhard Behrens

Morrison Brown

Sheila Caldwell

Heather Cunningham

Jean Dakin

David Mackin

Marlene Patrick

Florence Royer

Margaret L. Smyth

Maureen Traquair

St. Monans

Duncan Macleod

Carol Paterson

Martin F Salvage

Ann Watson

Upper Largo

Jeremy Baldwin Eccles

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Where did the name Silverdyke come from?

September 18, 2014

Where did the name Silverdyke come from?

The town name of Cellerdyke  in Fife transformed from Silverdyke over many years. The first mention of Cellerdyke is from the Parish records of Kilrenny Church in 1579 This, as far as can be determined, is the first recorded reference of Cellerdyke: the earliest surviving evidence of the fishing community which, in accordance with the wishes of priest and laird, had grown up around the old inlet of Skinfasthaven in Nether Kilrenny. It was long thought that Cellardyke derived its name from a range of cellars along the shore, built for preparing fish for exportation. In 1585, the council and community of East Anstruther referred to the formation of Kilrenny and “porte of Skynfischtoun.” This can also be seen when Cellardyke was once known as Nether Kilrenny (Scots for Lower Kilrenny) or Sillerdyke, and the harbour as Skinfast Haven, a name which can still be found on maps today. Despite modern theories about cellars and dykes, the first part of the name is clearly ‘silver’ – in Scots ‘siller’—which in turn is modified by the Fife dialect into ‘sellar’, the Fife pronunciation of – I – tending to be an open – e – sound. The ‘Silver’ is thought to be a reference to the sun glinting off fish scales encrusted on fishing nets left to dry in the sun on the dykes around the harbour. At some later stage, either through genuine ignorance of the older Scots tongue or out of desire to anglicise what had begun to sound too rudely ‘Scotch’, the ‘seller’ was officially converted into the neater, if historically less accurate, ‘cellar’. Hence the transition from ‘Skinfasthaven’ to ‘Silverdyke’ to ‘Cellardyke’. old cellardyke pool A charming picture of how busy the Cellardyke bathing pool used to be. This pool is just down from Silverdyke Holiday park. You can learn to canoe here with East Neuk outdoors.

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Silverdyke Park’s trip to the Hull caravan show

September 15, 2014

 

The Hull Caravan Show

The Lawns Trade Show – The 39th HERCMA Caravan Trade Show

9th – 11th September

The Hull caravan show at The Lawns in Cottingham, not far from Hull, is Europe’s biggest caravan show and usually features more than 130 new touring caravans and about 150 caravan holiday-homes and park homes from most of the main British manufacturers. All the caravan manufacturers have all their models there  so it is really daunting trying to remember the ones you like and what would be good to buy for selling on the park

Kirsty and I have had a trip away form Silverdyke Holiday park to choose holiday homes to buy for the park next year. It’s the first time Kirsty will have been so it will be interesting to see what she thinks. We travelled down on Monday 8th Sep with a cheeky stop off at Carlisle to do some shopping.

We stayed at a lovely hotel called Wolds Village near Driffield where we had a restful sleep and a hearty breakfast.

We set off early the next morning and arrived at the show at 9am and visited our usual supplies ABI, Victory, Swift and Willerby holiday homes and after much deliberation we have ordered the following models.

ABI’s new model The Elan–  we expect delivery of this lovely holiday home in November and it will be sited on a pitch with lovely sea views.  This luxury caravan has been designed with a rustic country cottage feel and is a spacious, elegant home with country style furnishings. The caravan has beautiful fixtures and fittings and a key feature is the en-suite bathroom in the master bedroom.

Our top of the range holiday home for sale for next year will be a BK Bluebird Sheraton and we expect his model  to  arrive in March 2015. The Sheraton makes an instant impression and is an incredibly spacious, luxurious holiday home. The kitchen is light and bright and the extended open plan lounge creates a warm, welcoming space and new features include a stylish three piece suite, walk in wardrobe and spacious master bedroom with en-suite, making it the perfect hideaway and lavish holiday home experience.

We will have a brand new hire holiday caravan for next year – details on this will be coming soon.

We also loved the newest Pathfinder lodge which was show cased at the show. Looked absolutely stunning with its split level kitchen and lounge. For more information on this lovely lodge see their website. Reiver lodges from Carlisle were also showing off two lovely lodges in their range.

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St Monans Community Arts Festival

September 6, 2014

St Monans Community Arts Festival- East Neuk Of Fife

It you are looking for something to do that’s not too far from Silverdyke Park why not pop along to St Monans next weekend to the arts festival. This East Neuk community arts festival starts next weekend from Friday 12th to Sunday 14th September 2014. There is lots to do including music, performance, dance, photography, theatre, poetry, visual arts, arts and crafts. There are also workshops, exhibitions and other artistic activities taking place. Some of the events are free events but it is worth noting that some events may need advance booking. The programme can be accessed by clicking on the following link- art programme. To contact the Arts Festival Committee please email arts@stmonans.org.uk. To book events contact Brian Craib 01333 730741

Open Houses

Visit local artists in their homes or studios. All “Open Houses” are both Saturday and Sunday from 10.00am to 5.00pm 1. Barbara Rowell, Seaspray, 32 West End Monoprints, artists books and fused glass inspired by the coastal environment and the theme of St Monans, 100 years ago. 2. David Kirk, 26 West Shore “Following in Easton’s Footsteps” Comparing current views with images taken by William Easton over a century ago. 3. Ann Watson, Grannies Harbour, 7 Midshore A collection of vibrant impressions mainly of the East Neuk in mixed media and acrylic inks 4. Stephanie Miller, 21 George Terrace Scenes from the East Neuk and beyond including landscapes, seascapes and scenes from the Pacific Northwest. 5. Yulia Allan, Sat – Town Hall, Sun – Church Hall Yulia’s collection is a stunning display of colourful and vivid oil paintings portraying dramatic Scottish landscapes and seascapes. 6. Alan Kilpatrick & Others, East Pier Smokehouse A collection of work by Alan and various other local artists.

Saturdays events include

Festival Café. 10.00am – 4.00pm, Church Hall Delicious snacks, including soups, toasties and home baking. Taster Sessions, Suzy’s Pilates Studio Boxing for Fitness. 9.00 – 10.00am Spinning. 10.30 – 11.00am Bootcamp/circuits 11.15-11.45am Various Arts Workshops

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Introduction to Silverdyke Park

September 4, 2014
Aerial View of Silverdyke Park

Aerial View of Silverdyke Park

Here is an introduction to Silverdyke Park and how it came about;

Andy and Gwen (my mum and dad) got married in 1985 and have farmed at Cornceres Farm ever since. They have combinable crops and a small herd of spring calving suckler cows. When Anstruther Holiday Camp announced it was closing we began thinking about the possibility of opening a luxury caravan park in a field on our farm next to Cellardyke. To get planning permission passed it took seven years and a total of ten years to get the park open with planning permissions and the building of the park.

I (Kirsty) trained as an Occupational Therapist but gave up my job in December 2011 to come on board full time with the caravan park. We got electric connected in July 2012 so were able to open for holiday home owners then. Our amenities’ building was finished by the beginning of October so we were fully opened in October 2012.
Silverdyke Caravan Park is a family run caravan park with striking views to the Isle of May and customer satisfaction is one of our highest priorities. We constantly strive to have a high quality and peaceful park.

Holiday Home Ownership;
We can supply a range of new holiday homes but as of yet we do not have any second hand stock to sell. The internal layout has been carefully planned to take full advantage of the stunning views over the Firth of Forth and is in 5 phases. Phase 1 consists of the tourer area and the first holiday home pitches and we are part way through phase two. The holiday homes have their living areas facing south or west wherever possible to capture the maximum sunlight. The pitches are well spaced out with generous distances between each holiday home. The build will be of the highest standard incorporating piped gas to the pitches.

Touring;
All of our 31 touring pitches are fully serviced, extra-large and hard standing. We have a state of the art luxury amenities block with under floor heating. We have free Wi-Fi throughout the park. For a complete list of park amenities click here.

Luxury Lodge Sales
We offer customers the chance to own their very own luxury lodge holiday home. We have recently welcomed our first lodge owners onto the park and currently have one other luxury lodge pitch available for someone to buy their very own perfect escape. We are due to develop and exclusive cul-de-sac of lodge bases later this year.

 

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Pittenweem Arts Festival

September 3, 2014

It’s the start of the Pittenweem Arts festival tonight ( Friday1st Aug).It runs until Sun 10th Aug from 10 in the morning I think until 5 at night although there are also various shows on after 5pm.

Tonight is the preview evening and if it’s good weather it’s great fun wandering around the village soaking up all the atmosphere.
There are more than 80 venues open with lots of artists exhibiting their work. I can really recommend a visit if not two as there is so much to see. If you are staying at the park why not get the no 95 bus along and back . The timetable is pinned up in the information point at the end of the reception building.
You can get a brochure which costs £3 from any of the venues and this gives lots of info about the invited artists and all the venues.
There are various performances, workshops and children’s events on each day – google pittenweenfestival for the programme.

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