Leven Railway Station & beach

We often take a drive down to the coastal town of Leven. The expansive beach is perfect for walking and observing birds on the shoreline. The public car-park is situated at the point where the River Leven enters the Forth estuary and this is also a good place for spotting wildlife. The town is preparing to rejoin the national rail network, with track laying now complete and the new station almost ready to welcome travellers. From the Bawbee road bridge above the river, I had an excellent view of the development taking shape below.

Passenger services to Leven ceased in 1969. Trains ran around a seaboard loop on the Fife peninsula, splitting off the East Coast Main Line at Thornton Junction and converging again at Leuchars. It seems perfectly reasonable to assume that a railway passing through the popular East Neuk fishing villages would generate significant footfall today (at least in the summer months), but back in the days of the Beeching cuts, it was decided to axe most of the Fife coastal line and the final through service ran in 1967. Stubs were left in place at either end, from Thornton to Leven and from Leuchars to St Andrews, but both closed to passengers after less than two years of operation, the tracks to St Andrews being swiftly removed. Coal trains continued to use the Leven link until the closure of Methil Power Station in 2001. The line was then mothballed and became an unofficial walking route for intrepid explorers, although a one-mile section reopened between Thornton and Earlseat Opencast Mine from 2012 to 2015. I wandered from the centre of Leven to this new live boundary a few years back, a distance of four and a half miles each way. I'm glad I managed to see all the old infrastructure before the rebuilding commenced, including two fine metal bridges over the river and the intact island platforms at Cameron Bridge Station, behind the massive distillery complex of the same name near the village of Windygates. Now owned by global giant Diageo, Cameron Bridge produces grain spirit for leading blended whisky brands such as Johnnie Walker and Bell's. It also manufactures the spirit required for well-known drinks such as Smirnoff Vodka and Gordon's Gin. A range of specialist whiskies bearing the Cameron Bridge name are also distilled here. The railway sidings remained active until the 1990s but Diageo have apparently expressed little interest in using the new corridor to transport their wares, despite also owning a huge bottling plant in Leven. Cameron Bridge will be the only intermediate stop on the reopened line and the station will be sited to the east of the original halt, on the other side of the A915. This decision was taken to allow for the creation of a 125-space car-park and bus turning circle.

As for Leven itself, the location of the terminus is ideal. A mere stone's throw from the bus station and High Street, the railway station site also provides easy access to the swimming pool and beach. Older residents will recall the previous Leven Station being situated a few streets away, within the town rather than on the promenade. These rails were removed decades ago and new housing and roads now occupy parts of the alignment. The current project utilises part of the power station branch and actually offers a better location for the final stop. What it precludes though is the continuation of the line through the town towards the East Neuk of the county. This extension however was never a realistic prospect as many parts of the old trackbed have been farmed over or built upon and a complete restoration of the original Fife coastal route would have been prohibitively expensive. The Scottish Government has chosen a sensible option that re-connects the Levenmouth urban area (population circa 35000) to the national system and provides a more convenient railhead for those further up the coast. From the rebuilt Bawbee Bridge, I noted the platforms, signage, signalling equipment and passenger shelters were in place. I read recently that driver training has commenced along the route and the station is due to open for business in spring 2024. Outstanding work remains on the car-park and access paths but it won't be long until locals can catch a train for the first time in 55 years. Two services per hour are slated to run to Edinburgh, one via Kirkcaldy and the other passing through Dunfermline. The development should give an economic boost to an area that has suffered from high levels of deprivation in recent decades and I'm looking forward to my maiden trip on the line. Leven Beach has been a popular destination for Nicole and me in recent years. There is always plenty of birdlife around and today we saw the obligatory sanderlings scuttling along the sand. I watched a godwit (pictured) splash about and probe with its long bill. These birds always seem to be having the time of their lives and if reincarnation exists, this wouldn't be a bad way to return to these shores. After a bracing stroll, we drove to the charming village of West Wemyss right on the seafront. Here we saw cormorant and eider out on the rocks. The wind was picking up and I feared my bunnet might fly into the water!

Every new rail connection improves the Scottish public transport map. The St Andrews stub has also been the subject of a vigorous reopening campaign and the results of a major appraisal are due imminently. It's a different case to Levenmouth, being more about relieving congestion than promoting economic growth. The proposed five-mile link would require only light engineering and would join the main line at Leuchars. St Andrews is a tourist hot-spot and is known across the world as the home of golf. The historic town also boasts the world's second-oldest English-speaking university and many international students flock to this corner of Fife. That's a good few boxes ticked already! Transport schemes however are often the result of political expediency rather than whether the idea makes sense on paper. Levenmouth was chosen and hopefully its success will prompt the government to greenlight the St Andrews project. One missed opportunity on the Leven route is an integration point with Fife Heritage Railway, who operate over half a mile of track within the confines of an old marshalling yard near the point where the power station branch diverged. I can't help thinking a basic occasional halt could have been provided to allow people to attend heritage events by rail. The volunteer group has gained an improved car-park out of the reopening scheme after releasing land to Network Rail for use as a temporary base. My next blog entry for Leven will hopefully be composed while staring from the window of a sea-bound train.

Peebles railway walk

After the usual prandial excess of the festive period, it was time to clock up some walking mileage. I'd had my eye on the Tweed Railway Path for some time. Six miles long, it connects the old market town of Peebles to Innerleithen. As I drove down the A703, I saw plenty evidence of the railway loop that was bolted on to the main line through the Borders and originally operated by the North British Company.

From the junction at Eskbank, the loop passed through Bonnyrigg and skirted Penicuik on its way to Peebles. It then tracked the River Tweed via Innerleithen before hooking back up with the trunk line at Galashiels. Opening took place in stages. Trains from Edinburgh began running in 1855 to a Peebles terminus and the extension to Galashiels was in place by 1866. Electric telegraph wires were installed alongside the tracks, establishing a rapid communications link between Peebles-shire and the capital city. Improved roads and an expanding bus network in the post-war years put serious pressure on the railway and passenger services were withdrawn in 1962. Rails were removed the following year, although a northern section was left intact until 1967 to allow freight access to the paper mill at Penicuik. The main Borders rail corridor didn't fare much better, closing completely in 1969. The entire region was left bereft of trains until services from Edinburgh to Galashiels were restored in 2015. Peebles didn't feature in this plan and remains a rail desert. I drove along the impressive High Street and parked at the western edge of town. I had been here a few years back when I explored a lengthy tunnel that delivered another rail link into the centre of Peebles on the south side of the River Tweed. Today's plan was to repeat this short walk before joining the path to Innerleithen. The Tweed bisects Peebles and I followed a trail along the north bank. I soon encountered Neidpath Castle, standing high above me. Now marketed as a venue for weddings, corporate events and film sets, Neidpath is a fortified tower house built on an L-plan. The present building is believed to date from the late 14th century and was home to various families over the centuries. Following a period of decline in the 1700s, a fortuitous change in the inheritance line saw the estate pass to the Earl of Wemyss. This dynasty has taken great care to protect Neidpath and today it retains much of the original medieval character, including the vaulted ceiling of Laigh Hall. The later additions to the castle have also been preserved, including the Great Hall with its panelled walls and fabulous artworks portraying the life of Mary Queen of Scots, who stayed here in 1563.

Neidpath has appeared in many films and TV dramas. The elevated location above the River Tweed and the picturesque surrounding hills create a stunning backdrop. The castle custodians have provided ample parking and power supply for camera crews and one must assume this is a lucrative income stream. Public events are periodically staged and the castle recently hosted a Christmas carol concert and craft fair, including a chance for kids to visit Santa in his grotto. I pressed onwards and caught sight of an elegant railway bridge upstream. The path led right to the end arch and the craftsmanship is a sight to behold. Neidpath Viaduct is category-A listed and its eight spans are a superb example of skew-arch construction. Crossing the Tweed on a curve with four piers standing in the water, the stonework follows a helical course and the bridge opened in 1864. It carried the railway from Symington (on today's West Coast Main Line) to Peebles via Biggar and Broughton. This route was run by the Caledonian Railway Company - who saw the connection as a useful link to the Scottish Borders. Passengers alighted at Peebles West on the south bank of the river. Another viaduct took the single-track line across the Tweed to link up with the North British route from Edinburgh but this arrangement was for freight transfer only. After nationalisation of the railways in 1948, it was decided to drop the passenger service on the Caledonian route and the line was limited to goods trains between 1950 and final closure of the Symington to Broughton section in 1966. All traffic at the Peebles end had ceased in 1954. Today, the trackbed functions a a footpath from the tunnel and viaduct out to the site of Lyne Station. A public walkway also runs between Biggar and Broughton - which would be a nice future explore. I entered the cutting leading to the tunnel portal and fumbled in my backpack for a powerful torch. Attempting to light the way with your phone is fine for checking the ground conditions a few steps in front of you but won't penetrate the blackness beyond, or allow you to view the inner architecture.

Neidpath Tunnel is 675 yards long and largely dry throughout, although the cuttings at both entrances tend to be muddy. There are no light sources in the central part and you can experience total darkness by switching off your torch. No doubt some people would find the whole thing disconcerting but I find a tunnel walk strangely relaxing and I enjoy the temporary sensation of total isolation. Weird noises sometimes echo up and down the length. Dry gravel lay underfoot and the walls were still in excellent shape, with just minor water ingress squeezing through the brickwork here and there. Railway tunnels usually have a series of alcoves cut into the walls. Track workers can retreat into them when a train is due to pass through. Neidpath also has a storage chamber hewn from the rock around the midway point and I was able to poke my head in and have a look around. Eventually the far portal came into view and I passed out the other end, just as a couple of walkers were about to enter. I proceeded along an embankment and followed the natural line of the railway until it became blocked by a housing development. This was the site of Peebles West Station and the freight link continued across the Tweed (bridge now demolished) and under the main road (archway still there) to hook up with the Edinburgh line. I wandered down to the riverside path and enjoyed a pleasant stroll with fine views of the town - a royal burgh since 1152. I crossed the water on an attractive suspension footbridge. Built in the late Victorian period, it led into a large area of green space that contained the open-plan home grounds of Peebles football and rugby clubs. I paused to sit inside the tiny grandstand and recalled my dad telling me he had once seen his beloved Hibernian score 15 goals against the hapless Peebles Rovers in a Scottish Cup tie. I crossed the grass and picked up the six-mile Tweed Valley Railway Path alongside the A72 to Innerleithen. The trail begins beyond Peebles Station, which has now vanished from the landscape, and parallels the road for half a mile before dipping under to hug the Tweed.

The morning sun had faded and there was a chilly wind blowing across the fields. The trackbed sat in the river valley and there was little in the way of earthworks. The ruins of Horsburgh Caste stood on a high patch of ground. The remaining tower house walls date back to the 16th century and the building was one of a chain of defensive positions along the river. I skirted the plush Cardrona Golf & Country Club, owned by Macdonald Hotels. Opened in 2001, the golf course was designed by the renowned Dave Thomas, who was a leading British golfer in the 50s and 60s before turning his hand to landscape work. The large hotel at Cardrona offers spa facilities and the business model seems aimed at the high-end leisure break market. The neighbouring village of the same name was developed in the 1990s by local farmer Tom Renwick, who oversaw the construction of around 200 homes. The planned nature of the new settlement and accompanying leisure resort faced some local opposition, with claims the rural stretch of Tweed valley would be blighted. Cardrona Station closed in 1962 and served the surrounding estate. The station building survived and was rescued from dereliction in 1997. The footpath through the village doesn't follow the exact route of the railway (housing having been built upon the trackbed) and I managed to miss the old infrastructure, which was converted to a café, although recent newspaper reports say the business was planning to move into Innerleithen town centre. The path took me past a bicycle pump track, featuring some fearsome jumps and curves. The circuit is designed to be ridden with minimal pedalling. Instead, riders maintain momentum by making up and down body movements (pumping) as they negotiate the hazards. I think I'll stick to walking old railway lines! There was an increased bite in the breeze and I picked up the pace towards my final destination of Innerleithen. I crossed the river on a slender metal footbridge, the original viaduct having been demolished long ago, although the foundations can apparently be seen in the water on a clear day. Further on, a former railway worker's cottage marked the spot where a private halt had been constructed for local gentry.

On the edge of Innerleithen, I encountered an old railway siding beside brick buildings used to store food during wartime. Since the end of the hostilities, the facility has been used by the Co-op, was part of the fabled EU food mountain (flour and sugar) and also acted as a safe place to keep important documents. There was a sign on the fence for the Trailhead Café - a mobile food truck that parks by the old railway. It wasn't in evidence today however. Cycling is important to the local economy and the Tweed Valley offers a host of bike trails, both on an off road. My walk terminated near the site of Innerleithen Station. The main building, with canopy attached to the side wall, remains in use as a private dwelling and you can catch a glimpse of a short length of platform in the garden. Imagine the games you could play as a kid growing up in a property like this! I walked the short distance into the town centre and waited for a bus. While Peebles has gained plaudits for preserving its market town status and offering a wide variety of independent shops, Innerleithen High Street seems to be facing the same problem as many others up and down the country, with several retail units and pubs/hotels boarded up. No tumbleweed blowing through yet, but clearly the long narrow thoroughfare is a shadow of its former self. Not sure what the answer is, though. The nearby Traquair House is a key tourist attraction and there must be a way to capitalise on this interest. I was soon travelling back to Peebles on the Edinburgh bus. Dinner at IKEA awaited on the homeward drive.

Topping Booksellers

The Fife town of St Andrews contains the world's second-oldest English-speaking university, which is also one of the four ancient Scottish institutions. Students comprise one quarter of the local population. As you might expect, a number of bookshops can be found here and my mother had received a Topping voucher as a Christmas present from Nicole and me.

Topping is an independent bookseller with branches in Bath, Ely (Cambridgeshire), Edinburgh and St Andrews. The company was established in 2002 and the St Andrews store opened in 2014, moving into a former restaurant building. Mum and I headed up on a Saturday morning and strolled over to the shop, just off the busy Market Street. Our first impression upon entering was the sheer volume of material. The store holds around 50,000 titles and rolling ladders allow access to the upper shelves. As is often the case, a selection of books were laid flat on a table by the entrance and I noticed many were signed by the author. The shop website lists several promotional events over the next few months where you can meet the writer. No doubt it's a win-win situation for both author and trader, with healthy amounts of copies sold off the back of those gatherings. Bookshops in the digital age need to come up with schemes to bring customers through the doors, although the pandemic apparently prompted a boom in reading. I love bookstores with hidden corners and Topping certainly fitted the bill. The floorspace stretched back way further than I had initially assumed and the breadth of topics was overwhelming. I found dozens of bird publications, something Nicole would enjoy checking out. An unexpected bonus was the offer of complimentary tea or coffee (with biscuits) while browsing. A few tables were available through the back - a really nice touch. Mum used up her voucher and I picked out a novel about a group of strangers striking up a friendship on a train. I could hardly leave empty handed having just sampled the refreshments! Afterwards we pulled in at the Eden Coffee Shop in Guardbridge for lunch. It was too cold to sit at the tables by the river and we had a soup & sandwich combo inside. A most satisfactory day and a book run to Topping is recommended.