Better Life In Fife - Glenrothes - Kirkcaldy - Dunfermline - Leven - Cupar - St Andrews

Less than 20 miles north of Dundee, a tiny village called Glamis attracts many visitors on account of the royal palace and spacious grounds located nearby. It's where the late Queen Mother was born and where legends of a secret room still remain. While interesting, it's not the main object of our interest on this journey. No, this time, we're more inclined towards the land north of Glamis and the town of Kirriemuir.

In the centre of Kirriemuir lies a car park surrounded by a one-way road system; a necessary evil to aid traffic movement through the narrow streets. Narrow lanes and tunnels lead between the car park and the main street. Despite close proximity to Dundee, many traditional shops remain here including baker, draper and a well-stocked ironmonger.

It is here, nearly a century ago, that a local baker named Walter Burnett, perfected a new and highly delicious cross between sticky toffee pudding and traditional gingerbread recipes. He christened it, Kirriemuir, and on account of the town's close association with popular author and playwright Sir James Mathew Barrie who was born in Kirriemuir in 1860. Today, the famous gingerbread is made at the Bell Bakeries in Shotts, Northern Lanarkshire; a company well-renowned for a range of excellent food products including high quality steak filled pies.

J. M Barrie, as he was better known, often referred to Kirriemuir as 'Thrums' and the Thrums Hotel is part of the town centre. A house nearby carries a plaque illustrating where this height challenged literary genius once lived.

One of his best creations was 'The Admirable Chrichton', a bold drama considering the period in which it was written and in which autocratic and wealthy family are shipwrecked on an island. In such dire circumstances, their butler rises to the challenges and finally assumes a leadership role permitting the hapless and spoiled family to learn new skills and survive. Upon rescue, however, the butler reverts to his former subserviant status. Although several feature films and television adaptations of this play were made later, the 1918 version starring Kenneth More remains the best and most memorable.

By far, J. M. Barrie's his most famous fantasy creation is the 'boy who never grew up' named 'Peter Pan' and which quickly became a favourite among children spanning many generations. It is said the name, Wendy, became popular on account of this work in the twentieth century. Several film versions of the story were made with the big-budget, visually elaborate and expanded 1993 version directed by Steven Speilberg attracting leading actors like Robin Williams, Julia Roberts and Bob Hoskins into starring roles.

J M Barrie died in London in 1937, aged 77, and his body was returned to Scotland.

To the north of Kirriemuir town centre, there is a fairly extensive well-tended area of sloping ground facing south and dedicated towards the community cemetary. Within this walled area, the grave of J.M. Barrie can be found and looking down on the town he loved so much. At the summit of this hill and where the northern limit of the cemetary is lined by a stone wall, there exists an wide expanse of grassland with a whitewash and black building and which might initially be mistaken for a cottage of traditional style seen in many parts of this region. Closer inspection, however, might attract interest in the curious 'black funnel' protruding from the roof and protecting mirrors and lenses from the worst effects of weather. Far from being an ordinary dwelling, this is the J M Barrie Camera Obscura and one of only a few remaining examples in the World. At this time of writing, it is believed that three remain in Scotland and another five in England.

By definition, the title 'Camera Obscura' means 'dark chamber' when translated from Latin and it's quite an apt description since entry into the building and observing its primary function means climbing up wooden stairs into a dark chamber with a large disc dominating the limited space. While people form the perimeter around this disc, they can gaze in wonder at the images relayed onto the disc in realtime from light received through mirrors and lenses within the 'black funnel' on the roof. If the disc is rotated, the funnel on the roof follows this movement and the view changes in equal degree and fashion. In a very real sense, it's like being inside the Victorian equivilent of a modern day camera with a wide angle lens and observing the local landscape through the looking glass. The word 'camera' was derived from the existence of projects like these.

From within the 'dark chamber', you can see Glen Prosen where famed explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott planned his famous Antarctic missions, the last of which, a race to the South Pole, proved fatal. In the last hours of his life, Scott and his companions were trapped in a tent while a ferocious storm blew outside. Their food and supplies were exhausted and death was inevitable. Scott chose this time to write eleven letters, one of which was addressed to J M Barrie on account of their friendship.

Turning the disc through several degrees presents a view of the larger and wider Glen Clova and where we intend to visit following our visit to Kirriemuir. Snow covered mountain peaks can be seen in the distance even in late springtime and in sharp contrast to the blinding sunshine experienced on exit from the Camera Obscura.

Leaving Kirriemuir and driving north through Glen Prosen is disappointing when compared with it's larger neighbour and the winding road eventually connects with main road leading to Glen Clova from Kirriemuir. For the most part, it's an easy drive albeit with a few narrow and blind spots so some degree of caution is advised and especially since it's a favourite trail for bikers - both motorised and pedal-powered. Following the main road means an encounter with a narrow single track road leading to the Glen Clova Hotel. From here, a better quality road leads back to a road junction linking back to the road already travelled and leading south to Kirriemuir.

At the hotel, there is a single-track road that allows deeper penetration into this scenic valley and lead to the ranger station at Glendoll, once a popular destination for its SYHA facilities but it was closed when it was realised that it was impossible to provide the level of facilities able to meet the public demand. In short, it became a victim of its own success!

Returning to the Hotel provides the view of a waterwheel in the process of being restored and which may have been completed by now. It is the hotel itself that now dominates our attention and the need for nourishment and refreshment! It turns out to be a great choice and a future favourite place for eating.

On our first visit we ate heartily in the well appointed front rooms but later discovered the small cosy bar at the back with it's natural hearth, stone floor, wood tables and benches. Coupled with home-made steak pie and other culinary delights, the overall ambience is hard to beat! Anniversaries and birthdays became a reason for subsequent visits.

Returning to Fife via Dundee and the Tay Bridge, we've hardly expended a huge amount of fuel or even travelled many miles; yet the scenic contrast between that of the Fife Peninsula and these foothills of the Highland Region is surprisingly great. In Kirriemuir, we found a gem caught in time; a town that never grew up and in ways J M Barrie might have approved of.