We took today off work in anticipation of another adventure but — as predicted in Scotland — the weather was being classically… well, unpredictable. Instead, our spring equinox became a day of dodging hefty rain showers, apocalyptic clouds and rush hour traffic en route to Aberdour.

A seaside village on the south coast of Fife, Aberdour is a popular commuter town — and for good reason.

With a railway and quiet main street weaving past roadside cottages, Aberdour boasts a picturesque harbour and pristine beaches. And, during our short stay on the streets, we also ticked off one of its other attractions: the historic Aberdour Castle.

Supposedly one of Scotland’s oldest standing castles, Aberdour had started to show its spring colours.

We entered the grounds from the walled garden, noticing shots of blue and yellow in the borders, whilst golden afternoon light touched the leaves. When it wasn’t raining, you could smell summer in the air.

Although you can’t tell from the above picture, Aberdour Castle has several distinctive sections which span centuries.

There’s the now-crumbling thirteenth-century tower house (scroll down for image), the late 1500s central range and bakehouse, and finally the seventieth-century east range (which, unsurprisingly, is the only part still roofed).

The castle never saw much violence; instead, it was a place of luxury for some of Scotland’s nobility.

We literally did pay a flying visit to the castle complex, but it was just long enough to fully appreciate the scale, both chronologically and literally, of the building.

The wall below — in its cripped state — speaks volumes about the centuries of weather-beating the castle has endured on this coastal curve of Fife.

We rounded off our whirlwind trip to Aberdour with a coffee and cake at McTaggart’s, a café-deli found just next to the castle’s main entrance.

Then, it was back into the now biting wind, frozen fingers pulling at our scarves, scurrying back to the car… Feeling like winter had returned for a fleeting moment. Truly, this is what they mean when they say there are four seasons in a day in Scotland!

How did you spend the first day of spring?