Eye Spy Blue Skies at Dysart

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After a number of days of heavy rain and general dreich weather, I couldn’t resist posting these three photos taken back in September, during the last days of our summer, as part of this weeks ‘Eye Spy‘ Weekly Photo Challenge. Eye Spy BLUE SKIES!!!!!! 🙂

Renovated Houses of Pan Ha with St Serfs Church in background, Dysart

Renovated Houses of Pan Ha with St Serfs Church in background, Dysart

The name of the street on which you can find these houses in Dysart is called Pan Ha. It is derived from ‘haugh’ which means flat or level ground, and the ‘pan’ from the salt pans that would have been used here for many centuries. The salt industry (mainly used for food preservation) was an important process, from early medieval to Late Victorian times, on the south coast of Fife. Access to the sea, and to coal, were the two main factors that determined the locations of this industry. The sea water was placed in large pans, which were then placed on top of coal fires to evaporate the water to leave the salt in the pan.

 

Renovated Houses of Pan Ha, looking up the lane Hie-Gait

Renovated Houses of Pan Ha, looking up the lane Hie-Gait

 

Renovated Houses of Pan Ha, Dysart

Renovated Houses of Pan Ha, Dysart

 

See “The Dysart Trust” page for an excellent old photo of Pan Ha, and a brief history of the area.

 

 

64 thoughts on “Eye Spy Blue Skies at Dysart”

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      • There is a wealth of places to see Lynne, and that’s just in Fife……………you could easily spend a week just looking around Edinburgh!! 🙂 I could just keep going on and on, and I’m still fairly new to Scotland. I’m sure you will have a fantastic time next year, let me know if you want any advice before hand 🙂

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      • Well you come from a wonderful part of the UK anyway, Cornwall, I use to spend all my school holidays at my uncles near Helston, loved every minute, he had a small holding, excellent for children to let of steam. We toured the Outer Hebrides and then the Highlands up to John O’Groats last year with our motorhome and we have spent many holidays on the West coast. There are a few more Inner Hebridean Islands that we want to visit next year, but we would also like to visit some other parts of Scotland and like you I love it 🙂

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      • So you will know the walk around Loe Pool and the Penrose Estate 🙂 Many a happy hour I’ve spent doing that walk! And the Lizard is one of my favourite parts of Cornwall.
        It sounds like you know much of Scotland far better than me Lynne!! Lol!!! 🙂 I’ve never been to the Hebrides, and have only been up to the NW (Cromarty) once as a kid – it was that brief trip that made me always want to live in Scotland. As you say, most parts of Scotland are fantastic, there’s so much I want to take my wife to see. She’s from Glasgow, but hasn’t been up into the Highlands proper!!

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      • Andy we are very lucky, due to the nature of our work, we visit the East Coast of Scotland quite a lot, mostly the big cities, but each one is so different than the others. But for two weeks of the year we take our motorhome and head for the West Coast. I must admit going the whole length of the Outer Hebrides was a wonderful experience, the people are so friendly and it is a totally different way of life. Your wife will love the Highlands, again so different, beautiful and wild. Oh dear I’m feeling a bit holiday sick, roll on May 🙂

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      • You’re not the only one feeling holiday sick now!! Lol!! Having read about touring the Outer Hebrides, I’m most envious 🙂 And your right about the Scots being so friendly, it’s something my parents say, whenever they come up to see us 🙂
        And the Highlands will definitely be one of our first holidays, I find them incredibly beautiful, as I’m sure my wife will too 🙂

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    • Thanks Jo 🙂 It was only fairly recently that I discovered what the salt pans actually were – I knew in hotter countries they trap the sea water in small pond like structures and let the water evaporate naturally – but I couldn’t understand how it was done in Fife!! (I know it sometimes can get quite hot here during the summer, but……….)
      Anyway, now I know its done with pans over coal fires! 🙂

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    • Thank you Lori 🙂 It was a cracking day, with very, very clear skies! The buildings have crow stepped gable ends similar to those seen in countries such as Holland and Belgium. Many of the villages and small towns on Fife’s south coast used to trade with the Low Countries, and I think that is what influenced that style of gable ends (they are seen on many older properties on the south coast of Fife)

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    • Thank you Lorna 🙂 And yes, I think they were restored by the National Trust for Scotland – that scheme is a great idea, because there have been so many beautiful buildings pulled down in the past, and horribly designed buildings put up to replace them 😦 I’m all for building affordable housing, but there should be some sort of restriction as to where they can be built!

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