Blebo Craigs
Encyclopedia
Blebo Craigs is a small village in the heart of rural Fife
. The village contains around one hundred houses located on the south facing slope of the hill. Blebo Craigs is around five miles from the famous golfing town of St Andrews
. The village has a great community and often village events are run in the village hall. Events include everything from small productions by local children, talks on a wide range of subjects and such social events as quiz nights and Burns supper
s. There is also a yearly open gardens event in which many visitors come to Blebo Craigs to wander round the many wonderful gardens and appreciate a cup of tea from the village hall.
Most of the village plan is based on two industrial developments. The straight road east of the postbox was built along the north border of Blebo House estate lands, over Clatto Hill, then (almost) straight to Strathkinness
to take the products of the Blebo Mills to Guardbridge
, Dundee
and St Andrews
, bypassing the toll fees at Dairsie
, and on the main Cupar to St Andrews roads. As the sandstone and slate quarries operations were expanded into a year-round activity, (rather than transient and seasonal since Medieval times) houses and schools were built for the quarry workers along the road after the 1830s.
The architectural, and other land use history, of the village is dominated by the houses of the estates of Clatto, Blebo, and Kemback
, each with their own histories going back hundreds of years. All three have fine buildings and have had various well known owners. Three in particular have been the Lairds of Kemback;- an important Roman Catholic family after the Reformation, D.C Thompson of D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd
publishers of newspapers, and children's weekly comics such as the The Beano
, and William Low
owner of the food retailer of the same name.
and Kemback
originally from Dundee
forged social connections with families still in the Angus town. The Boys Brigade, 17th Company (1919 onward), then 5th Company (from the mid 1930s onward) held camps in the small wood and fields opposite at the east end of the village until the mid 1980s. It was felt the country air was a break from the polluted coal-dust atmosphere in the streets and congested air inside the jute mills in Dundee at the time. Weekend and summer camps were setup, with the support of the village and local farmers. Occasional disasters (for example 1973) mean the boys staying in the village hall whilst the summer camp fields dried out. A large collection of camping photographs are held by 5th Company, Dundee, and a film from 1953 is held in the Scottish National Film Archive. The village telephone box was used by the boys to earn their merit badges, making their first personal call to an officer, or officer's wife in Dundee, then answering a call correctly.
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
. The village contains around one hundred houses located on the south facing slope of the hill. Blebo Craigs is around five miles from the famous golfing town of St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
. The village has a great community and often village events are run in the village hall. Events include everything from small productions by local children, talks on a wide range of subjects and such social events as quiz nights and Burns supper
Burns supper
A Burns supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns, author of many Scots poems. The suppers are normally held on or near the poet's birthday, 25 January, sometimes also known as Robert Burns Day or Burns Night , although they may in principle be held at any time of the...
s. There is also a yearly open gardens event in which many visitors come to Blebo Craigs to wander round the many wonderful gardens and appreciate a cup of tea from the village hall.
Notable features
The village backs onto a marvellous wood which is free for everyone to walk in and enjoy at their leisure for all sorts activities including horse riding, walking and biking. Among other notable things in the village it has a very prominent red telephone box located at the top of the main road into the village. This phone box has become somewhat of an icon and is a frequently used landmark for directions. The area of forest between the two hamlets, known as Kemback Woods, is one of the most popular mountain biking destinations in Fife.History
The village has several historical features, "Craig" is a Scots word meaning rocky promontory. Two large quarries (one for sandstone - still visible, one for roof slate - whose galleries slowly shrunk under the weight of 8 metres of overhanging rock) which can be found in the woods, from which stone was used to build many of the sandstone buildings in the area, and shipped along the high road to St Andrews during the Victorian era.Most of the village plan is based on two industrial developments. The straight road east of the postbox was built along the north border of Blebo House estate lands, over Clatto Hill, then (almost) straight to Strathkinness
Strathkinness
Strathkinness is a small village located 3 miles to the west of the tourist town St Andrews in North East Fife.A key characteristic of the village is the open agricultural field in the centre, however, from 2008 the field is being replaced by houses, although none were built as of January...
to take the products of the Blebo Mills to Guardbridge
Guardbridge
Guardbridge is a village in north-east Fife, Scotland.It is approximately 3 miles north-west of St. Andrews, and is situated on the estuary of the River Eden. It stands at the junction of the A91 St...
, Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
and St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
, bypassing the toll fees at Dairsie
Dairsie
Dairsie, or Osnaburgh, is a village in north-east Fife, Scotland. It is south-southwest of Leuchars Junction, and east-northeast of Cupar on the A91 Stirling to St Andrews road. The village grew out of two smaller settlements , and developed principally around the industry of weaving...
, and on the main Cupar to St Andrews roads. As the sandstone and slate quarries operations were expanded into a year-round activity, (rather than transient and seasonal since Medieval times) houses and schools were built for the quarry workers along the road after the 1830s.
The architectural, and other land use history, of the village is dominated by the houses of the estates of Clatto, Blebo, and Kemback
Kemback
Kemback is a village in Fife, Scotland, located east of Cupar. The present village was developed in the 19th century to house those working the flax mills on the nearby Ceres Burn. From 1681 the minister for the parish was Alexander Edward, until 1689 when he was deprived as a non-juror...
, each with their own histories going back hundreds of years. All three have fine buildings and have had various well known owners. Three in particular have been the Lairds of Kemback;- an important Roman Catholic family after the Reformation, D.C Thompson of D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd
D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd
D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd, is a publishing company based in Dundee, Scotland, best known for producing The Dundee Courier, The Evening Telegraph, The Sunday Post, Oor Wullie, The Broons, The Beano, The Dandy and Commando comics...
publishers of newspapers, and children's weekly comics such as the The Beano
The Beano
The Beano is a British children's comic, published by D.C. Thomson & Co and is arguably their most successful.The comic first appeared on 30 July 1938, and was published weekly. During the Second World War,The Beano and The Dandy were published on alternating weeks because of paper and ink...
, and William Low
William Low
William Low was a chain of supermarkets based in Dundee, Scotland, until it was bought out by Tesco for £257m in 1994....
owner of the food retailer of the same name.
Connections with Dundee
Flax mill workers in Dura DenDura Den
Dura Den is a small, 3 km-long wooded picturesquegorge that is located near Cupar in northeastern Fife, Scotland. This narrow cleft follows a course between the villages of Kemback to the north and Pitscottie to the south. A small stream named the Ceres Burn follows the course of this gorge,...
and Kemback
Kemback
Kemback is a village in Fife, Scotland, located east of Cupar. The present village was developed in the 19th century to house those working the flax mills on the nearby Ceres Burn. From 1681 the minister for the parish was Alexander Edward, until 1689 when he was deprived as a non-juror...
originally from Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
forged social connections with families still in the Angus town. The Boys Brigade, 17th Company (1919 onward), then 5th Company (from the mid 1930s onward) held camps in the small wood and fields opposite at the east end of the village until the mid 1980s. It was felt the country air was a break from the polluted coal-dust atmosphere in the streets and congested air inside the jute mills in Dundee at the time. Weekend and summer camps were setup, with the support of the village and local farmers. Occasional disasters (for example 1973) mean the boys staying in the village hall whilst the summer camp fields dried out. A large collection of camping photographs are held by 5th Company, Dundee, and a film from 1953 is held in the Scottish National Film Archive. The village telephone box was used by the boys to earn their merit badges, making their first personal call to an officer, or officer's wife in Dundee, then answering a call correctly.