Craigtoun Country Park
Encyclopedia
Craigtoun Country Park is a country park located just out of St Andrews
in the county of Fife
, Scotland
. It is currently owned and run by Fife Council. The park was originally part of the Mount Melville Estate, in 1947 Fife Council purchased 47 acres (190,202.4 m²) of the estate for £25,000.
A series of gardens of contrasting styles have been created around the park and are maintained by gardeners all year round. Cypress walk is a row of two parallel rows of cypress trees which lead up to the derelict Category B listed, Craigtoun Hospital which was once owned by the Younger family who also previously owned the park itself.
The two ponds in the park were man-made by the Younger family, which included construction of the Dutch Village, a small island in the centre of one of the ponds which is painted white and has two turrets with small rooms. It is likely that this was used by the Younger family to entertain guests in the summer months.
(cost £1.50 per ride for adults and £1 for children) many of the old favourites are no longer available. If you are looking to rekindle memories by using the Crazy Golf, Nine hole putting green, Rowing boats or Pedaloes, then you might be disappointed.
A bouncy castle for kids is sometimes in operation, but availability cannot be guaranteed, and the cafeteria is open for a nine week period in July/August.
The park also includes large expanses of grass. Of the two man made ponds one was previously used for rowing and pedal boats, the other is unused and is home to many mallard
s, moorhen
and Mute swan
s. There was also once a large sanctuary for birds that included birds such as the bohemian pheasant, but this has now been left in a state of disrepair.
Since capital constraints in Fife Council, facilities have been reduced for the 2011 season.
However the country park is now free entry and open on a daily basis throughout the year, with the cafe open from 25 June to 28 August, and the Craigtoun Miniature Railway
reopened by MRW Railways Ltd from 2 July to 28 August.
which were donated to the park by a local who no longer wished to look after them. Initially, six were present at the park; however, only two now remain (as of September 2008). The large male and female, affectionately known as "Boris" and "Anna" by the park staff, are still alive and for a number of years have produced offspring which have on most occasions failed to survive beyond the winter months not without attempt from the park staff.
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....
in the county of Fife
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...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is currently owned and run by Fife Council. The park was originally part of the Mount Melville Estate, in 1947 Fife Council purchased 47 acres (190,202.4 m²) of the estate for £25,000.
A series of gardens of contrasting styles have been created around the park and are maintained by gardeners all year round. Cypress walk is a row of two parallel rows of cypress trees which lead up to the derelict Category B listed, Craigtoun Hospital which was once owned by the Younger family who also previously owned the park itself.
The two ponds in the park were man-made by the Younger family, which included construction of the Dutch Village, a small island in the centre of one of the ponds which is painted white and has two turrets with small rooms. It is likely that this was used by the Younger family to entertain guests in the summer months.
Facilities
The park has facilities structured to suit all ages. Facilities are now much reduced from those that visitors prior to 2011 will have experienced. While there are still trampolines and an adventure playground for the kids, and the Craigtoun Miniature RailwayCraigtoun Miniature Railway
The Craigtoun Park Railway is a gauge railway operating on a circular track around part of the Craigtoun Country Park in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland....
(cost £1.50 per ride for adults and £1 for children) many of the old favourites are no longer available. If you are looking to rekindle memories by using the Crazy Golf, Nine hole putting green, Rowing boats or Pedaloes, then you might be disappointed.
A bouncy castle for kids is sometimes in operation, but availability cannot be guaranteed, and the cafeteria is open for a nine week period in July/August.
The park also includes large expanses of grass. Of the two man made ponds one was previously used for rowing and pedal boats, the other is unused and is home to many mallard
Mallard
The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
s, moorhen
Moorhen
Moorhens, sometimes called marsh hens, are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family Rallidae. They constitute the genus Gallinula....
and Mute swan
Mute Swan
The Mute Swan is a species of swan, and thus a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is native to much of Europe and Asia, and the far north of Africa. It is also an introduced species in North America, Australasia and southern Africa. The name 'mute' derives from it being less...
s. There was also once a large sanctuary for birds that included birds such as the bohemian pheasant, but this has now been left in a state of disrepair.
Since capital constraints in Fife Council, facilities have been reduced for the 2011 season.
However the country park is now free entry and open on a daily basis throughout the year, with the cafe open from 25 June to 28 August, and the Craigtoun Miniature Railway
Craigtoun Miniature Railway
The Craigtoun Park Railway is a gauge railway operating on a circular track around part of the Craigtoun Country Park in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland....
reopened by MRW Railways Ltd from 2 July to 28 August.
Muscovy ducks
A feature of the park for many years now have been the presence of a breeding pair of Muscovy ducksMuscovy Duck
The Muscovy Duck is a large duck which is native to Mexico and Central and South America. A small wild population reaches into the United States in the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas...
which were donated to the park by a local who no longer wished to look after them. Initially, six were present at the park; however, only two now remain (as of September 2008). The large male and female, affectionately known as "Boris" and "Anna" by the park staff, are still alive and for a number of years have produced offspring which have on most occasions failed to survive beyond the winter months not without attempt from the park staff.