Elie Chain Walk And Scotland’s Secret Bunker: Day 12 – Scotland 2017

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17 April 2021

We had a delicious breakfast at The Ship Inn where we were staying. This absolutely made up for the awkward service the day before. We then suited up and headed out to tackle the Elie chain walk. This walk was the entire reason we chose to come to Elie, and to be honest, we had a bit of trouble nailing it down. Information was hard to find online. There seems to be much more available now than when we were looking into it, which is great for those interested in doing the chain walk. In short, it’s a scramble up and over the cliffs and rocks along the shore. And it’s awesome.

Elie Chain Walk

The chain walk is free and open to anyone with the guts to give it a go. There isn’t any sort of check-in. You just go. First off, the walk is beautiful. Breathtaking views out into the sea are a constant. Turn away from the sea and you’ll find rock formations that are just as spectacular to look at. You’ll also find all kinds of neat things on the shore while the tide is out, like this lovely little guy.

We had such an incredible time. It was much harder than either of us thought it would be, with some of the chains running straight up the rocks. Others were horizontal and required the strength to keep yourself close to the wall while making your way across narrow ledges. I won’t lie, I was nervous about falling. But I’d do it again in a heartbeat. It was an exhilarating experience. We went all the way to the end and then turned around and took it back to the beginning. It made for an incredible morning. We didn’t pass many others out on the walk, just two pairs of people. I’m glad it wasn’t packed and that we could go at our own pace.

Elie Chain Walk Advice

As I said before, this was harder than we’d thought it would be. We didn’t really know what to expect. If you’re scared of heights, this probably isn’t for you. You also need to feel confident in your ability to climb up a rock face. Some areas can be really tricky. As always, take plenty of water with you.

Also, let someone know where you’re going to be. If you’re going alone and fall out there, you’re going to be in a bad way. Not only are you going to be practically stranded out there if you seriously hurt yourself, but you have the tide to worry about. The walk is only fully accessible at low tide. When high tide rolls in, you can get stuck out there with no way out. That’s not ideal in any situation, and being injured on top of that is a recipe for disaster. So even if it’s just someone at the inn or hotel your staying at, let someone know where you’re going and what time you should be back. Better safe than sorry.

Scotland’s Secret Bunker

With our overland adventure wrapped up, it was time to head underground. We drove less than a half-hour away and arrived at Scotland’s Secret Bunker. My brother and sister-in-law recommended this attraction and I’m glad we took their advice. This place was awesome. It doesn’t look like much when you arrive, but trust me, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Above ground, you’ll find a small farmhouse, a few other small buildings, and a smattering of military vehicles. After purchasing tickets, you’re met with this sign before descending into the depths of the bunker.

Next, you’re faced with a steeply descending hallway. Just that was shocking. The hallway is so long and at such a steep angle that I immediately knew this place was going to be way bigger than we thought. We weren’t wrong. The hallway takes you nearly 100 feet underground to the bunker. The bunker has two levels and contains dormitories, a nuclear operations room, a command room, two cinemas, a little cafe area, and much more. It wasn’t very busy when we visited, so we really took our time exploring every room. There were also recordings playing in some of the rooms with instructions on morse code or what to do in the case of a nuclear attack.

We wandered through and after seeing everything we could possibly see, we had lunch in the cafe. I’m so shocked I didn’t get more pictures of the place, but I find that when there are a lot of information boards, I forget about snapping photos. Must work on that…

Back topside, we climbed in the car and made our way to St Andrews Castle. We decided to pass. The number of people there was insane. The first open parking spot we could find was more than a half-mile away. Instead, we pushed on to Dundee, where we’d be staying for the night.

Dundee

We were booked in at Tayview Holiday Park, so we went to check-in and set up camp before doing anything else. Luckily, the lady checking us in advised us to set up directly behind the check-in office to reduce wind. The low for the night was 31°F, so a bit chilly. With the tent pitched and bed ready, we headed out for a cheap dinner and free wi-fi.

It might not be the most glamorous, but here’s a simple and cheap travel hack. McDonald’s is not a pricey meal. They have free wi-fi and outlets at many of the booths. If you’re from the US, trust us on this one, McDonald’s in Scotland is ten thousand times better than McDonald’s in America. We always feel oddly ashamed when eating at McDonald’s, but it saves us some money and lets us get work done. After enjoying the food, wi-fi, and warmth, we headed back out into the cold and settled into our tent for a cold night.
Cheers,
Lydia and Billy