Tour Scotland early Winter 4K travel video of a road trip drive, with Scottish fiddle music, East on A917 road, on ancestry, genealogy, family history visit to the coastal path in St Monans on the coast of the East Neuk of Fife. I was raised in the East Neuk. St Monans is named after the legendary Saint Monan. Situated approximately 3 miles west of Anstruther, this small community, whose inhabitants formerly made their living mainly from fishing, is now a tourist destination situated on the Fife Coastal Walking Path. Like other small East Neuk towns, St Monans is rich in vernacular fisher and merchant houses of the 17th to early 19th centuries, with characteristic old Scots features, e.g. forestairs, crow-stepped gables, datestones, pantiled roofs. The original settlement was, according to early sources, known as Inverin, Invery, Inverie, Finvirie, Inweerie, Inverry or even elsewhere Innerny and possibly derived from the Gaelic for at the mouth of a stream. The origin of the present name, St Monans, although similarly there were other spellings St Monance persisting until quite recently, is derived from a 6th century Irish abbot bishop, St Moinenn, from Clonfert who died in 571. One tradition is that he was killed by Vikings there nearby on the Isle of May, and another is that his relics came over with the Scots monks when they originally settled in St Monans circa 870. St Moinenn’s shrine became a popular destination for pilgrims en route to St Andrews, along with the nearby spring to the east of the village which was said to have wide ranging healing properties. This chalybeate spring, located at East Braes, is shown on early maps as St Monan’s Well. In the 17th century, chalybeate, iron rich, water was said to have general health giving properties and that the local fishermen even washed their nets in the water to strengthen them and bring them luck. The well became polluted by pumped mine water and was eventually abandoned and filled in. There was a royal chapel in the 11th century and written records of building on the site from the reign of Alexander III. It is probable that the original chapel was re-built between 1362 and 1370 by King David II. The story goes that this was on returning from English captivity, in thanks for his recovery from a potentially fatal battle arrow wound due to the intervention of St Monan. Another version has it that it was as thanks for surviving a storm at sea crossing the Forth. From the 14th century and into the 20th century St Monans was essentially a fishing village. Centred as it was on the harbour, fishing and boatbuilding had a direct influence on the development and character of the historic village. From the 16th century until well into the 18th century St Monans had separate fishing and farming communities, the Lower or Nethertown and the Upper or Overtown respectively, the latter located just north of Braehead. A second area of industry was centred on the mines and saltpans to the east of the village. However these communities remained largely separate and there was little direct impact on the development of the character and appearance of the historic village. St Monans was created a burgh of barony with a free port and harbour on the grant of a charter from James VI to his tenant in chief William Sandilands of St Monans in 1596. The original harbour pier, on site of the current middle one, was built by Baron Newark in the mid-15th century. Herring had been fished on the Forth from medieval times. From the 17th century there was off-shore great-line fishing for white fish; with herring fishing in the autumn and spring. Young men traditionally also joined the whaling fleets, returned in the autumn for the herring and then crewed on private ships during the winter. St Monans was for much of this formative period in its development, the poorest of the East Neuk Burghs and the one most dependent on a single industry, namely fishing. Women and girls worked at baiting the lines and making nets. Many of the men and boys were away at sea for much of the year. St Monans, as a consequence, became an isolated community, both socially and geographically. In 1877 the old west pier was demolished and a new harbour again surveyed, designed and constructed by lighthouse engineers, brothers, Thomas and David Stevenson. Finally, in 1902 a new pier was built to the west. However, after the Great War the Scottish fishing industry entered a period of serious decline. When driving in Scotland, slow down and enjoy the trip. Fife Coastal Path is a Scottish long distance walking footpath that runs from Kincardine to Newburgh. It runs for 117 miles along the coastline of Fife and passes through many seaside towns and villages including Anstruther and Cellardyke. The path would take around one week to walk completely from end to end. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day. Find things to see and do in Scotland where you are always welcome. When driving on Scottish roads in Scotland slow down and enjoy the trip. By the meteorological calendar, the first day of Winter is always 1st December in Scotland; ending on 28th of February. Officially, the Scottish winter runs from the 21st of December through to the 20th March.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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