February brings the first school holidays of the year, with schools throughout Scotland having a half-term break. Some have a long weekend, and others take a full week.
Choosing to take a short break in a self-catering cottage might be an option for a change of scene for the family, and at Sandcastle Cottage in Crail, we offer flexible start and end dates, for example, a 3-night weekend break or a 4-night midweek break. Here are some ideas of what you might do on a short break in February.
Some years ago, the Snowdrop Festival at Cambo House was established, and more recently Snowdrops by Starlight. A walk through the woods towards the sea at Cambo is particularly lovely when there are so many different varieties of snowdrops and other spring bulbs to see, and the added excitement of going after dark to a magical fairy land is an adventure for all the family.
The Snowdrop Spectacular runs from the beginning of February to mid-March, but the Snowdrops by Starlight is only on for one week – in 2012 it’s 12-19 February. Tickets for the evening event must be booked on-line in advance. If you’re staying in Sandcastle Cottage you can do this via your laptop as we provide a wi-fi network for our guests.
We visited Cambo Estate last during the Christmas holidays, and were amazed to find so much colour as we walked through the walled garden. A warming cup of coffee at the gift shop was also most welcome. I took some photographs and our daughter put together a slide show to experiment with her new computer.
Other ideas we’d recommend for your February half-term break:
- Beach walks – no matter the weather, just wrap up well and wear your wellies. We particularly like Kingsbarns and Elie for long stretches of sand. A trip to Elie can be combined with a visit to Ardross Farm Shop for some quality farm fresh food, or stop at the fish sheds at St Monans and bring back some smoked haddock for a tasty Cullen Skink
- Coastal path walks – the Fife Coastal Path offers several short stretches which even the youngest walkers in the family can enjoy – try Pittenweem to Anstruther with a visit to the Cocoa Tree for a reviving hot chocolate
- Staying cosy by the fire – full central heating and a pebble and driftwood effect gas fire means even if the weather outside is chilly, you’ll have a warm place to read, play board games and have family meals
- Visit the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther – it’s much bigger than it looks, and often has special exhibitions on in addition to the permanent collection
- Look after the ‘inner you’ with some tasty food from our local shops – even in winter, you’ll find Penman’s the Butcher open and selling good quality meat and deli items. One of their famous steak pies provides a family meal with little effort, and First Fruits in Crail has seasonal fresh fruit and veg – with local options grown at Barnsmuir Farm just outside Crail
- Bring your camera! Crail is just as beautiful in winter as at other times of year, and there is much to see and capture with your lens. Here’s a selection of shots taken in January 2012
We hope we’ve given you some ideas for things to do on a weekend or mid-week break in February. To find out what’s available at Sandcastle Cottage, simply enter your preferred start date in the search box (top right). We look forward to welcoming you to Sandcastle Cottage in Crail.
