Explore Fife and its pretty coastal villages of East Neuk as well as the wealth of heritage in this area of Scotland
Look up and you will spot his name around the perimeter of Dunfermline Abbey’s stone tower. King Robert The Bruce was once here – his name lives on. He was a warrior and king who freed Scotland from English rule back in 1314. The ancient Kingdom of Fife heralds a royal heritage of Kings and Queens. It offers an action-packed Scottish escape with a coastal path that snakes along its shores boasting breath-taking scenery of beaches and forests and quaint fishing villages along the coast of East Neuk.
Dunfermline
This city was once the royal seat of for many years, (between the 11th and 14th century). Visit the impressive and award-winning Carnegie Library & Galleries which introduces the Royals themselves as well as a timeline exhibition to guide you to the present day. The Dunfermline Carnegie Library opened in 1883 and was the world’s first Carnegie Library funded by the Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, one of the great Scots of the 19th century. You can also visit the Andrew Carnegie’s birthplace, a humble cottage where he spent his early years.
The Coastal Villages
Situated at the side of Pittencrieff Park is the dramatic 11th century Dunfermline Abbey where many royals and famous Scottish people have historic links. Robert The Bruce is buried here, although his heart is buried elsewhere, in Melrose Abbey, in the Scottish borders. You can see his tomb in the New Abbey Church. Other Kings and Queens believed to lie buried beneath the abbey church include Queen Margaret, King Malcolm III and David I. Closeby and all in pink is Abbot House, an ‘A’ graded-listed building with a walled garden which is also situated within the Dunfermline’s Heritage Quarter. Dunfermline was named a Royal Burgh in 1124 by King David of Scotland and in 2022 it was granted city status by Queen Elizabeth II. Today, it is one of the fastest growing areas in Scotland with a population of almost 57,000.
Drive along the coast you will see signs to villages with delightful names. There’s Pittenweem, a traditional East Neuk fishing port with an historic working harbour home to a fleet of fishing boats, Anstruther with its historic fishing museum, the black and white houses of West & East Wemyss and Dysart with a harbour that is often seen on TV. In between, the countryside is dotted with strawberry and raspberry fields, twitchers on the watch and Lundin Golf Club which was established in 1868 and where the course remains largely as it was years ago.
Elie Seaside Sauna is perched on the dunes at Elie Harbour in East Neuk, a good place to warm up. It was inspired from the mobile sauna movement of Scotland’s Nordic neighbours to promote physical and mental freedom amid the natural environment of the Scottish seaside. It’s angled towards the setting sun with a full-length, heat-tempered, glass side which overlooks the dunes over Woodhaven Bay, to Elie Beach and the cliffs. With five outdoor saunas, this trendy health kick has been created in different forms from a converted horsebox to a shipping container. Hire for an hour and in between why not brave wild swimming.
Considered to be Scotland’s most complete example of a burgh of the 17th and 18th centuries is the village of Culross. Strolling along its old and steep cobbled roads is like stepping back in time. These narrow roads lead from the market cross to the hilltop abbey lined with white harled houses and red-tiled roofs. The oldest house dates back to 1526. The stand out building here is the ochre-coloured palace which sits royally in the centre. Its reconstructed period garden is filled with raised beds of medicinal herbs and utility plants, interlaced with shell paths. Spread over different levels, it is possible to look out over the Forth to Blackness Castle. Both the palace and garden are under the National Trust for Scotland and provide an insight into life in Culross Palace during its day with original painted woodwork and lovingly restored 17th- and 18th-century interiors. Culross is acknowledged as one of the most picturesque villages in Scotland and as such is the backdrop to many film and television locations such as Outlander.
Places to explore in the area include Ravenscraig Castle, one of Scotland’s earliest artillery forts in Kirkcaldy set on a cliff top that drops into the Firth of Forth. Falkland Palace was the Stuart monarchs country residence for 200 years and a favourite place of Mary Queen of Scots. It is located in the heart of a conservation village, amidst gardens. Falkland Palace is also home to the oldest royal tennis court in Britain, built for King James V. Aberdour Castle is fondly described as a ‘splendid ruin’ built in the 1100s and went on to serve generations of three noble families. Visit the Scottish Fisheries Museum, a charitable trust, to learn about the collection of historic buildings around the harbour and the fishing’s industrial revolution of the area. The Crail Museum provides an insight into the past life of this ancient Royal Burgh, its seafaring tradition, Crail Golfing Society (founded in 1786 and 7th oldest in the world) and airfield history from the First World War until its closure in 1960. Crail has been a prosperous and important trading and fishing port since the 12th century. And for a tipple, visit the Kingsbarns Distillery and Visitor Centre which sits in a charming 18th century farm setting and features an exhibition, whisky and gin distillery tours, tastings. Here you can learn how to make your own gin with a convenient bus stop at the end of the road.
The Forth Bridges are one of Scotland’s most recognisable locations and a spectacle in iron and architecture of the modern world. This iconic and historic sight is a crisscross of linear design, towering side by side over the Firth of Forth structures glinting in the sunlight and represent the pinnacle of engineering across three centuries. These bridges connect Fife with Edinburgh across the River Forth.
The oldest of the bridges is The Forth Bridge, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is an excellent example of Victorian engineering which opened to rail transport in 1890 and today sees 200 trains daily through its steel cantilevers. The Forth Road Bridge is a suspension bridge which was opened in 1964 by Queen Elizabeth II, the first bridge of its kind in the UK, the longest outside the USA and the fourth longest in the world in its day. Today the Forth Road Bridge carries public transport and has two walkways open to walk or cycle across a short way to enjoy the views. There’s a viewing platform at the south end of this Bridge. The 21st Century Queensferry Crossing was also opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 2017. This 1.7-mile structure is the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world and the largest to feature cables which cross mid-span.
Fife Coastal Path
Scotland’s longest continual coastal path extends 117 miles and provides an excellent active component for a holiday escape. Choose to walk, run, jog, or cycle from Kincardine Bridge on the Forth’s wide estuary, round the East Neuk of Fife to Newburgh on the banks of the River Tay. You may spot seals, dolphins, even otters and if you’re lucky, a puffin.
A Pilgrim Kingdom
The Fife Pilgrim Way follows one of the routes taken by countless pilgrims to Scotland’s holy hotspot. Pilgrimages changed the face of Fife and earned it the nickname of the ‘Pilgrim Kingdom’. Pilgrims were drawn to Dunfermline to visit St Margaret’s miraculous shrine within the abbey. Along the roads, standing stones and pictish stones are evidence of pagan worship. Many of its roads, bridges and crossing points, including the Queen’s Ferry, were created to ease the way for the steady stream of pilgrims. Inns, chapels and alms houses were also built to offer the travellers a place to rest, refresh and receive medical help. More details are featured in the Story of Fife Pilgrim Kingdom.
Casting a Spell
Torryburn Bay is a village which lies on the north shore of the Firth of Forth and is part of the coastal path but it was also renowned as the burial place of Torryburn’s witch and infamous victim, Lillias Adie who died in 1704. Her intertidal grave is the only known one in Scotland of an accused witch. Fife was the epi-centre of the most brutal witch hunts and persecution, which accelerated between mid-16th to early 17th centuries. RAWS, is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation campaigning to raise awareness of the ordinary women & men who were accused of witchcraft during this dark period of Scottish history.
Where to stay:
You couldn’t ask for a friendlier, cosier hotel than this. The considerate staff go the extra mile to make you feel welcome. The rooms have an inviting décor with heavy curtains, matching bed spreads and a large bright bathroom. The food is excellent in the oak panelled dining room serving both Scottish breakfast and dinner with a good variety of choice. There’s a bar and two lounges to relax and look out to the gardens. The hotel is over 200 years old and enjoys an elevated position overlooking the city of Dunfermline which is a convenient walk away.
Places to eat:
The Wee Chippy : The Wee Chippy is worth a visit on the shores of Anstruther in The East Neuk of Fife, Wee Chippy has been awarded as the best in Scottish East Region and the chef highly recommended as the national fish fryer of the year.
Jack O’Briens is located in the city centre near the entrance to Pittencrieff Park. The restaurant offers an eclectic menu, a contemporary take on Scottish fayre with robust textures reflecting the isles and waters farming and fishing communities of Scotland and each dish delightfully presented.
Red Lion in Culross : The Red Lion was an important part of the community providing food, drink and a meeting place since the mid-to-late 14th century. Today, the pub is owned and run by the community through its Community Benefit Society. Try the Haggis Creggans, haggis blended with whisky and cream topped with cheese with oatcakes
Ardross Farm Shop
Or visit Ardross Farm Shop, a family enterprise which promotes 400 local producers to support businesses in the region. Ardross Farm Shop near Elie is a showcase for fresh local food, bursting at the seams with where you’ll find fresh meat, fine wines, farmhouse cheeses, freshly baked bread, warm scones, locally smoked fish and ready meals. No fried mars bars here.
Find out more on food from Fife
More information at https://www.welcometofife.com
