Star, or Star of Markinch, is a village in Fife, lying between Markinch and Kennoway, and a few miles from Son of the Rock Acres.

Its War Memorial is a plaque on the wall of the Primary School.

Surrounded by Celtic knot work the inscription is “1914” (as a monogram) “Pro Patria” plus a monogrammed “1918” then, “To the glory of god and in memory of the men of Star who fell in the Great War, followed by their names and, “They overcame and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

Kennoway is a village in Fife, a few miles east of Markinch.

Its war memorial is a Celtic Cross above a tapering granite plinth:-

Great War Dedication; in the stone wreath above the plinth, “1914 – 1918” then “Kennoway,” “Erected in loving memory of the men of this parish who gave their lives fighting for their couhtry’s honour.” Names for the Great War:-

Other Wars Dedication; World War 2, “1939 -1945,” Malaya, Korean War, Falklands:-

Reverse; “Other conflicts, Afghanistan, Stephen Walker”:-

The Back Burn runs through the Balbirnie Estate on its way from the East Lomond round Markinch and on to the River Leven near Methilhill. It’s good for walks – even when you’re not cooped up by a lockdown.

After wandering under the A 92 and through a wooded glen it runs past the eighteenth hole of the golf course built over half of the estate:-

Then down a cobbled slope:-

Under a bridge:-

On:-

And on:-

Before swinging under another bridge to make a turn under Stob Cross Road across to the railway line and down the east of Markinch:-

One of the things you might not expect to see in Fife but is present in the estate is a Giant Redwood tree:-

There’s a wildlife pond between the boarded path and the redwood as seen from near the burn:-

Balbirnie Estate has a lot of rhododendron plants. They’re just about on the point of coming into flower this year. This was from 2019:-

I posted some photographs of the nearest War Memorial (Markinch) to Son of the Rock Acres here. I did not at the time post details of the dedications.

Great War dedication, “To the glory of God and in memory of the men from Markinch who laid down their lives in the Great War 1914 – 1919” below carved figure of St George.

World War 2 dedication, “Remember also those who laid down their lives in the Second World War 1939 – 1945,” plus names of the fallen below carved figure of St Drostan:-

Surround stones. These display the names of the Great War dead on their internal faces:-

This is situated on Pettycur Road almost at the bottom, near the harbour wall and opposite the car park. Lots of horizontals and verticals here. Rule of three in windows. Flat roofs.

I have posted about Newburgh before, but I hadn’t visited its cemetery until in August 2018 I found four graves each with a possible war link.

Regulating Petty Officer A S Anderson, RN, HMS St George, 14/5/1944, aged 43:-

Corporal J MacNaughton RAF, 8/9/1946, aged 28:-

Private J Blyth, The Black Watch, 3/1/1915:-

An unusual one this. It has a Commonwealth War Graves style headstone but is inscribed, “Alexander Ilytch Shenkman, born Moscow 29/11/1923, died Newburgh 21/2/2004.”:-

The Parish is Kilrenny but since most of the war dead in the Great War were from Cellardyke the memorial was placed in Cellardyke, in a commanding position overlooking the sea. Steps lead up to it.

It has an unusual three-sided appearance:-

Dedication. “Erected in proud and reverent memory of those connected with the Parish of Kilrenny who laid down their lives in the Great War 1914 1918.”

The three panels, above two of which are listed the Great War dead, are decorated with a wreath over crossed swords (under the dedication,) a soldier:-

and a sailor:-

The three “edges” are surmounted by stone lions with shields below respectively showing Kilrenny’s coat of arms:-

a steam drifter:-

and a plough:-

The good lady is a keen gardener and also likes to visit large gardens.

One near to us is at Backhouse Rossie Estate but we hadn’t visited it till the summer of 2018 on what turned out to be a good day trip.

One of the exhibits there is a DNA path seen below from the side:-

Here you can see the interweaved paving stones representing DNA’s double helix:-

The DNA path from its other end:-

At the path’s central point is a sculpture on whose sides are carved the C,G,T,A initials of the base pairs which help make up DNA’s structure:-

An information board describes the sculpture’s inspiration. The garden’s creators, Andrew and Caroline Georgina Thomson, have names whose initials are also those of the base pairs:-

The garden also contains wooden sculptures illustrating the Goldilocks story:-

Daddy Bear asleep:-

Mummy Bear:-

There a putting green too (below with the estate house in the background):-

Field Marshal Earl Haig‘s family were the proprietors of Haig whisky. Their Ramornie House was near the town of Ladybank (see the two previous posts) and even had their own waiting room at the local Railway Station, though it was built by a previous onwer of the Ramornie Estate.

Their whisky distillery was a few miles away in Markinch.

There are two memorials to the Field Marshal in Ladybank.

Haig Memorial Gates, Ladybank. The inscription reads, “These pillars and chains were erected by the ex-service men of Ladybank and district to the glorious memory of Field-Marshal Earl Haig.” Ladybank War Memorial is in the background:-

The Haig Memorial Garden lies behind Ladybank’s War Memorial. This is how the garden looked in 2018:-

Information Board, Haig Memorial Garden:-

A plaque on the wall gives the information that the gardens were refurbished in 1993 and re-opened by Menzies Campbell, then the local MP:-

A granite cross on a granite stepped stone base, inscribed “1914 – 1919 and 1939 – 1945” inside a wreath. The names below are for the Great War:-

Additional dedication, “This tablet is placed here by the ex-service men in memory of their comrades who fell in the Great War 1914 – 1919.”

Western aspect. Second World War names. Ladybank Railway Station in background:-

Eastern aspect. World War 2 names:-