sept tb and a handful of coppers

After wondering whether I was fit for a long run (that glute/leg/groin thing has been ok but not fading as quickly as I hoped, and is now an issue) Steve asked if I was still going. Which tipped the balance. And it was an excellent decision. I had in mind to repeat a run I did a year ago. The idea had been Tentsmuir near St Andrews but since by Tynecastle Bronze rules it has to be 30+ miles it required an additional few before I got there, in order not to just do laps of the nature reserve. I picked the brains of Graham Bennison since he lives and run trails in the area and he advised me of the excellent if slightly meandering trails and paths from Cupar to Leuchars. I decided to follow them this year again and although I carried a map we only had to refer to it a couple of times, which made the run to Leuchars even better than last time. And the weather was near perfect, possibly the last hot day of summer.

There has been a lot of chat about the bridge opening and walking across it. I had applied for a ticket but wasn't heartbroken when I got a thumbs down. Probably wouldn't have gone as should be running not walking. And the Rail Bridge is still the undisputed king in the district.

Edinburgh from the other side

We got off the train in Cupar. Last year my pal Keith met me at the war memorial - and a stunning one it is - then I ran to Tentsmuir and he drove there. This time he was off in Skye (so he says!) However since it was such a good run last time I mostly followed the same route. 

It wasn't until I got home I noticed the sheep in the above photo are ahem, separated into groups. Which surprises me. I wouldn't have thought they were sufficiently self aware to know what sort they were. Wonder if the black dude feels lonely?

the cows were pretty excited to meet us

photo Steve!

Small Tortoiseshell

There were a remarkable amount of butterflies about today. Mostly Peacocks, Small Tortoisehells, Red Admirals and Whites. However as we ran towards the radio mast at the top of the hill I thought I saw a Small Copper at the side of the trail. Steve nearly stomped on it as he was looking forward not at his feet. And they are very small. We stopped for a look around and a couple of minutes later a Small Copper landed beside us. It was flying very quickly in all directions and I think outwitted us a couple times before I got a decent photo. Unfortunately the sun was behind a cloud but I was really stoked, as I thought coming North would mean nothing but a few late season stragglers of the hibernating species.

Small Copper

view from the top of Lucklaw Hill

Tentsmuir on left, Eden Estuary on right

we ran down through Balmullo

this Small White landed right in front of us so I had to take a pic.

The airbase seems to be a mixed force base (RAF, Army, Navy?) these days.

Given the Cupar wm was the one I used last time,
this was the one (just inside the gates of the base) I nominated for this run.

buzzard

Now this next section was the main route change from last time. We ran by the army/air base but then were checking the map to look for a cycle path into Tentsmuir when a runner, possibly a service person, came past. We asked for the best non-tarmac route to Tentsmuir and he pointed us in the right direction. The road I took last time was 3 miles of boring tarmac. This way was less than a mile of road, then a sign saying Fife Coastal Path takes you through some very pleasant fields and across swamps (duckboards provided) to the road into the nature reserve. And as we ran across the grassy bits, to my delight, we saw several more Small Coppers. Steve was very patient, although there were so many that I didn't insist on stopping for every one. First time I've ever run past one without stopping for a photo. Maybe they aren't all that rare?

we must have seen about 6 on these paths

What with the coffee (that 99p filter coffee in Waverley again!) and caffeine drink mixed into my reservoir, and sunshine and the Small Coppers I might have been a bit over-excited. I noticed around 16 miles that we had run 16 miles and not as I imagined about 10. I must take a moment to apologise to Steve for rambling on the whole time. I could only remember drawing breath twice and had given him an unasked for lecture about butterflies. Sorry about that. It's just Steve is more a listener and I am more a talker. I may have been less noisy in the second half. (I hope!)

The paths were really nice - I should have taken more pics.

And everywhere you turned there were mushrooms. Well fungi. This fly agaric toadstool was looking particularly dazzling and iconic. 

After a few miles we met the road into Tentsmuir and followed it to the beach. My legs were feeling a bit tired by the time we reached the beach (18miles) but it was so pretty that it lifted the spirits. We followed it North up the coast. The dunes - between the beach and trees - proved interesting. I was trying to get photos of the larger dragonflies there like last year. We saw smaller Common Darters but sadly not the Emperor Dragonfly. 

common darter

Now this larger chap (common hawker possibly) was circling the small pond we were standing at. We watched, willing him to land for a photo. You could hear the buzz of his cellophane wings when he went past. But he just kept circling, like us, looking for dragonflies. We waited for several minutes until a large shaggy dog bounded into the pond and chased off the large blue job. We laughed at the exuberance of the dog which shook itself then bounded off elsewhere.

Further along the beach, a rather faded Small Copper and another Common Darter, sat on a log.

The vegetation along the shore was like that of an alien planet

Now there were literally hundreds of mushrooms all along the run today but the weirdest by a long way was this golden mushroom. We didn't know whether it had been spray painted or whether it was 100% natural. I encouraged Steve to eat it but he said he'd take the second bite, if I took the first. I think it would defo give you magic powers!

I have had a notion ever since seeing Tentsmuir last year, that it might be a good spot to bivi. That is, spend the night there. Taking time lapse photos (on new camera) of sun going down while eating golden mushroom soup or whatever. We checked out the green shelter on legs but there is no way to gain entrance - 2 padlocks on a door well off the ground and no ladder. And the nearby mossy ground would be preferable. Nice and spongy and not too wet. Watch this space. I imagine camping is frowned upon - we later got speaking to a policeman walking his dog - and he was suggesting as long as fires weren't lit, he wouldn't be concerned about it. It is a bit like the swim-to-Fidra project. Kind of requires the right conditions in a week when I have the time to take off. Good to have a project though. And cycling from Leuchars station to Tentsmuir then biking round trails here is also a possibility. And cycling/running. It's only an hour on the train.

the Ice House

So instead of cutting West to Morton Lochs (as last time) we ran up to the North side of the rectangle. We could see across the silvery Tay to Barry Buddon lighthouses. We then followed the trails West and South to paths I half recognosed from last trip. I had asked locals for directions then, this time I did it on faded memories and a bit of guesswork. We got to that point where I was fairly sure we should have seen the Morton Loch car park, and yet it was not forthcoming. Next corner on the zig-zagging trail, and we would either turn back or find the place. We saw cars through the trees and I was pleased to have remembered the series of turns at junctions that isn't quite as obvious as the maps would lead you to believe. We stopped at the hides for the second sandwich of the day. 

obviously an animatronic Robin

There are several hides. One looks out onto a loch, another onto tree stumps heavily bribed with nuts and birdfood, to attract red squirrels and woodland birds. A series of grey haired nature-lovers with DSLRs with HUGE lenses came by and would ask about the wildlife, speaking as if they knew the addresses of the kingfishers (they are over the other side of the loch this year) and all the birds by name. Actually they probably did. Their massive photography equipment made mine look paltry by comparison and so we had to leave. Probably just as well the sun wasn't out or I'd still be there taking photos of the Coal Tits, about the only thing in great abundance on the tree stumps.

Making use of all the fallen booty between the tree stumps this bank vole was having a ball.

And so we set off back to the station at Leuchars. About 5 miles distance. And the first 1.5miles were tough - down a long endless corridor of trees in a straight line until the road crossing and back onto the bike path and blessed trail through the fields which twists and turns just enough to keep it interesting. MUCH better than the 3 miles road back you would take in a car. At least the sun came back out.

There was presumably some sort of exercise going on as we could hear 

the aeroplane and helicopter engines firing up most of the day.

back to the station just minutes after the 05.47, however the 06.30 was a short wait and there was a very welcome vending machine with water and juice. 

Another fab TB run ticked off. And one of the best routes for scenery and pleasant running. We took a relaxed pace; neither of us being in top form. But it was a great day out. Good to get Steve back to full TB distance, although a bit naughty to jump from an 18 miler to 33plus.