Welcome to the West Fife town of Charlestown.

This is Charlestown Harbour, which is now a Grade B listed building.

Charlestown, in West Fife, was created as a model town by the fifth Earl of Elgin between 1759 and his death in 1771. The village provided accommodation for the workers who serviced the local lime kilns, brickworks, and the export of coal and coke.

Over the years, the harbour became less financially viable, as ports like rosyth and Grangemouth took its business. Today, Charlestown is mostly a commuter village, and the harbour full of pleasure boats.

The timber structure here is the skeleton of a c. 1900 harbour light, used to guide ships into the harbour in the days before DECCA or GPS. This skeleton is not part of the statutory listing (why?). Yet over 100 years after initial construction, it still stands to guard the entranceway to the harbour.

Today was a beautiful spring day, and it was lovely to walk beside the river and enjoy the atmosphere for a few moments.