1. Check the local website.  The About Crail website is regularly updated with events taking place in the village and in the surrounding area.
2. Listen to the local radio station.  In Fife Kingdom FM is the local station providing news about what’s on.
3. Take a stroll around the village – you’ll find a Community Notice Board in the High Street, and many of the shops displaying details of coming events.
4. Visit the Crail Museum where there’s a Visit Scotland information point.
5. Buy a newspaper for listings of events – the East Fife Mail is the local paper, and you will be able to find copies at the Co-Operative Food Store in Crail High Street, or KB Stores next to the Golf Hotel.
6. Look out for copies of the East Neuk Edition (you’ll find them on Facebook too) which is delivered free to homes in the village, as well as Karail, which is the Church publication delivered around Crail.

Waking up on the first morning of a holiday at Sandcastle Cottage with days stretching lazily before you is one of the best feelings ever.  A whole week of fresh air, wandering along the coast, catching up with some reading and chatting to friends old and new.  So how do we distill the pleasure of this into a blog about ’5 things’?  Only way I can think of is one day at a time.  So here are the 5 things we’ve done today at Sandcastle Cottage.

• Do absolutely nothing.  This is really hard.  When you’ve been rushing about all week getting ready to go on holiday, how hard is it to just STOP? Thought maybe this morning that I’d escape by just staying in bed.  That worked for a few hours, but the sun streaming through the windows of the cottage really was enticing me to get out for a walk.  But do take some time to do as little as possible.  You’re on holiday.  Relax.  When was the last time you did that?
• Cook up something delicious – Cullen Skink doesn’t require much preparation and you’ve got a gourmet feast in a bowl.  We love the Andrew Fairlie recipe.  All the ingredients can be locally sourced.  Colin Montador brings his van around Crail on a Saturday or Wednesday, and we bought around 1 lb of smoked haddock (just a bit more than was needed for the recipe) for under a fiver.

• Take a walk round the village.  It’s a favourite route to just cross the road opposite Sandcastle Cottage to the head of the coastal path leading down to Roome Bay, walk along the path towards the harbour, up the Hen’s Ladder and back along the High Street.

Roome Bay, Crail

• Pop into the Honeypot Guest House and Tearoom for a chat, a coffee and oh, maybe a little something tasty. Today Edna had been baking Empire Biscuits following a recipe from the Hairy Bikers.  Chat was of the plans for the Crail Food Festival and the launch night next weekend.  While we were there people arrived from various parts of the world – Switzerland, Belgium, and New Zealand.  Locals from as far away as Pittenweem too!
• Play a round – no, not around – a round.  A game of golf if you will. Junior members of the family were keen to have the opportunity to make use of a recent birthday present, and chose to go to Elie to play a quick game of golf at the 9-hole course there which is particularly suitable for children who are just starting to play golf.

Fresh paint for the Kylie S at Crail Harbour

Spring view towards Sandcastle Cottage

If you don’t need to take school holiday weeks, then this could be the perfect week to base yourselves in Crail and take advantage of the lovely spring weather to explore our little part of the countryside.

The thing we love most about Crail is that once you’re there you can switch off, relax and do very little at all.  And that’s what holidays are all about.  A leisurely start to the morning usually starts with a stroll along to the butcher’s for some bacon for breakfast, and some Kilduncan eggs.  A pot of coffee and you’re all set.  Newspapers too, or use the wi-fi network in the cottage to catch up on some reading and surfing the net.

Then a choice of activities such as a wander or brisk hike along the coastal path – depending on whether it’s warm or “blowing a hoolie”.  Or maybe a game of golf at one of the excellent courses at the nearby Crail Golfing Society – you have a choice of two courses – Balcomie Links and Craighead.

Maybe afternoon tea somewhere pleasant or a trip to one of the excellent restaurants nearby.

Jerdan Gallery, Crail

A spot of shopping in the galleries in Crail, or a trip to St Andrews for a wider variety of retail outlets.

If you’re holidaying with pre-school children then the little play park at Roome Bay and the rock pools at the cove there will provide enough fresh air and activity to tire out the tinies before lunch!

Don’t leave it too long…this week is the only one we have available in April.

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.

On a late November weekend, it was ‘hold on to your hats’ weather along the Fife Coastal Path to Roome Bay.

Lovely Pigeon Shop

If you can’t get there in time, you’ll be able to find out more on the website: Not on the High Street, or by following Kirsty Thomas @lovelypigeon on Twitter.

Fun on the Water at Elie

When the weather outlook seems set to sun, a trip to Elie is a great way to spend a day of your holiday at Sandcastle Cottage.  You don’t even need to pack your own picnic, as the lovely folks at Elie Deli will happily make up some crusty rolls or sandwiches for you.  You can also buy coffees to take out and delicious tray-bakes for afters.

We like to head to Elie Watersports too, where you can rent all sorts of different things, such as kayaks, windsurfers, pedalos or go for the thrills and spills in the inflatable rings or on the banana boat.  Angus at Elie Watersports will be on hand to provide you with wet suits and life jackets too.

Parking at the harbour is available for a small fee, but parking elsewhere in Elie is free. And if the weather should turn a bit cool during the day, you can always head up to the Pavilion Cafe at Elie Sports Club and warm up with a game of tennis or bowls and a reviving hot chocolate.

Visit our Sandcastle Cottage, Crail Facebook Album to see more photographs of Elie.