Aberdour Poetry Trail

Background …

During the Aberdour Festival 2007, a group of local people got together under the guidance of Gordon Meade, a writer from St Andrews, and wrote ten haiku poems about places in Aberdour that mean something to them. This Japanese lyric verse form traditionally invokes a vivid image of nature or emotion and is ideal for these poems encompassing history, nature and village life.

Each poem is displayed in the location that inspired its writing and the poetry trail will lead you through the village, past historical buildings, beaches, the harbour and other special places. As you follow the trail you will be able to share with the writers the atmosphere, beauty and history of each place.

The creation of the trail was a community activity, managed by the Aberdour Cultural Association. Supported and realised by many people, the project was aided by an award from Celebrating Fife 2010, without whose encouragement it may never have come to fruition.

long ago lives whisper

safe in castle stones – a haven

twixt kirk and village

The castle

flowers and sleepers

station dog watching passing trains

where east and west meet

The station

the sea beyond glass

boats moored inside picture frames –

knots and crossings

The boat club

from pier bones to harbour wall

oak leaves whisper to pines –

footfalls from the past

Ladies’ walk

weather-beaten wood

a relic of the past –

halyards ring across the water

Forth View / Hawkcraig Point

place of earth and sky

a ship’s bell calling down the years –

a pilgrim’s rest

St Fillan’s church