Monochrome Monday… St Andrews, Fife

St Andrews, October 2017St Andrews, October 2017
Nikon F3HP, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AI-S – 1/500s, f8, – Ilford HP5+ rated at ISO 320

Another shot from October’s holiday in Fife… this time from the “home of golf”.

This scene caught my eye when I glanced over my shoulder during a stroll along the East Scores from the Cathedral to the Castle.

Scan by AgLab with minimal cropping and tweaking in Lightroom Classic CC.

Monochrome Monday… Lower Largo, Fife

Drummochy Road, Lower Largo, FifeDrummochy Road, Lower Largo, Fife
Nikon F3HP, Nikon Series E 75~150mm f/3.5 at 75mm – 1/500s, f8, +1EV – Ilford Delta 100

Back in October I posted a few digital shots from a fantastic holiday in Lower Largo on the Fife coast in Scotland. I also shot a few rolls of film that week and got some of the results back from the lab a few days ago.

Drummochy Road leads down to the harbour from the west and crosses Keil Burn on a narrow bridge just out of shot to the right. The viaduct in the background once carried the Fife Coast Railway that ran from Thornton Junction in the west to St Andrews in the north. The line closed to passengers in September 1965 and completely in December 1966.

Scan by Peak Imaging with minimal cropping and tweaking in Lightroom Classic CC.

Single frame… The Cathedral of St Andrew

The Cathedral of St Andrew, Fife, ScotlandThe Cathedral of St Andrew, Fife, Scotland
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 20mm, 1/350s, f11, ISO 400

The Cathedral of St Andrew in Fife, Scotland, dates from 1158 and became the centre of the Medieval Catholic Church in Scotland as the seat of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and the Bishops and Archbishops of St Andrews.

Robbed of its prized possessions in 1559 the cathedral had been abandoned and left to ruin by 1561. The ruins are now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland

On the left are the ruins of the nave, on the right is the east tower and in the centre is the 108 feet (33 metres) high St Rule’s tower.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that St Andrews isn’t just about golf (although much of the town is dedicated to the sport) and I’m definitely planning a return visit.

Single frame… St Monans

St Monans Pier, October 2017St Monans Pier, October 2017
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 22mm – 3 minutes, f/11 ISO 400

I got to see another sunrise today while out photographing St Monans Pier. I know that this scene must be one of the most photographed in Scotland but I just couldn’t resist shooting it for myself…

A Formatt-Hitech Firecrest 10-stop neutral density (ND) filter was used to give the three minute exposure time and a 2-stop hard edge ND graduated filter was also used to reduce the brightness of the sky.

St Monans is a beautiful village, well worth more than just a fleeting visit, sadly though the only pub in the village, The Mayview Hotel, has recently closed due to an increase in business rates… The Mayview wasn’t just a pub, it was a real hub of the local community and its closure is a real blow to the area.

Single frame… Grain hopper wagon

20t Grain Hopper, October 201720t Grain Hopper, October 2017
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 31mm – 1/125s, f8, ISO 500

Loved the textures on this railway wagon at the Fife Heritage Railway in Leven today.

No.48 was built by Hurst, Nelson and Company Ltd in Motherwell in 1937 to a London Midland & Scottish Railway design and is one of two ex. Scottish Grain Distillers hopper wagons preserved by the Kingdom of Fife Railway Preservation Society.