Scotland Fife

Travel Back in Time to Scotland’s Ancient Kingdom of Fife

Written by Jane Wilson
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I saw the letters carved into Dunfermline Abbey’s stone tower. They read: King Robert The Bruce. He was a warrior and the king who freed Scotland from English rule back in 1314.

I’m in the ancient Kingdom of Fife, a place of royal heritage and world-famous golf, not to mention picturesque stretches of East Neuk coastline dotted with ancient fishing villages and harbours, rugged cliffs, and sandy beaches hemmed together with natural beauty.

Come wander the paths of pilgrims, savour fresh seafood at waterside restaurants, and immerse yourself in the tartan-clad tranquility and dramatic scenery within easy reach of Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city.

 

Scotland Fife

Dunfermline Abbey, a Scotland Parish Church dating from 1128

Dunfermline

The de facto capital of the Kingdom of Scotland between the 11th and 15th centuries, Dunfermline was the royal seat of Scotland’s medieval kings and will certainly test your knowledge of Kings and Queens. 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 visit Andrew Carnegie’s birthplace, a humble cottage where he spent his early years.

The 11th-century Dunfermline Abbey, situated at the side of Pittencrieff Park, is where many royals and famous Scottish people have historic links. Robert The Bruce is buried here, although his heart is buried 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.

Nearby and all in pink is Abbot House, an ‘A’ graded-listed building with a walled garden also situated within 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, with a population of almost 57,000 it is one of the fastest growing areas in Scotland.

 

Scotland Fife

Pittenweem, Scotland, is a traditional East Neuk fishing port

 

it’s hard not to be delighted by the names of the coastal villages. There’s Pittenweem, a traditional East Neuk fishing port with an historic working harbour that’s home to a fleet of fishing boats. Pretty Anstruther with its historic fishing museum, the black and white houses of West and East Wemyss, and Dysart with a harbour, seen on the hit TV show, Outlander.

In between, the countryside is speckled with strawberry and raspberry fields, twitchers on the watch and Lundin Golf Club, established in 1868 and where the course remains largely as it was years ago.

Scotland’s weather isn’t balmy, so there’s always good reason to warm up at Elie Seaside Sauna, inspired by the mobile sauna movement of Scotland’s Nordic neighbours to promote physical and mental freedom on the stunning Scottish seaside. Perched on the dunes at Elie Harbour in East Neuk, Elie Seaside Sauna is 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 comes in different forms from a converted horsebox to a shipping container. Hire it for an hour and brave wild swimming in the chilly sea.

Scotland Fife

After a relaxing hour at Ellie’s Seaside Sauna, brave a chilly dip swim

 

The village of Culross is considered Scotland’s most complete example of a burgh of the 17th and 18th centuries. Step back in time as you stroll along the steep cobbled roads lined with white-harled houses with red-tiled roofs that lead to the hilltop abbey. The oldest house dates to 1526, while the stand-out building is the ochre-coloured palace which sits royally in the centre of the village.

The reconstructed period garden is filled with raised beds of medicinal herbs and utility plants, fruits and vegetables, interlaced with shell paths. Spread over different levels, the garden’s vantage point makes it 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.

While in Dunfermline, take time to explore the area, including 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 monarch’s 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 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, and tastings. Here you can learn how to make gin, and there’s a convenient bus stop at the end of the road.

 

Scotland Fife

Scotland’s village of Culross

Fife Coastal Path

Scotland’s longest continual coastal path extends 188 kilometres (117 miles) and provides an excellent active component for a holiday escape. 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, otters, and, if you’re lucky, a puffin.

The Forth Bridges

A spectacle in iron and architecture of the modern world. The Forth Bridges are one of Scotland’s most recognisable locations. 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 representing 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 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 crossing mid-span.

 

Scotland Fife

The Forth Bridge is a cantilevered railway bridge that crosses the Firth of Forth in Scotland, about 14 kilometres west of Edinburgh.

Walk in the Pilgrim Kingdom

The Fife Pilgrim Way is a long-distance route, opened in July 2019, connecting West Fife with East via routes taken by countless pilgrims.

Pilgrimages changed the face of Fife and earned it the nickname: 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 almshouses were also built to offer 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 that 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 epicentre of the most brutal witch hunts and persecution, which accelerated between the mid-16th and 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.

 

Scotland Fife

Anstruther Harbour, Fife.

Where to stay

Garvock House Hotel

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 bedspreads 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 choices.

There’s a bar and two lounges to relax and admire the gardens outside the windows. The hotel is over 200 years old and enjoys an elevated position overlooking the city of Dunfermline.

Where to eat

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.

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.

 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.

Find out more on food from Fife

Where to shop

Ardross Farm Shop

Ardross Farm The Farm Shop is a family business that promotes 400 local producers to support businesses in the region. Ardross Farm Shop near Elie is a showcase for fresh local meat, fine wines, farmhouse cheeses, freshly baked bread, warm scones, locally smoked fish, and ready-made meals. No fried Mars bars here.

 

Scotland Fife

Plan a trip to Scotland and the Kingdon of Fife at www.welcometofife.com

 

***

BeSeeingYou In: Fife, Scotland

Good To Know: There are wildlife and nature boat tours to the Isle of May from Anstruther, weather permitting

WOW Factor: The engineering of the Forth Bridges

Tip:  Take notes or keep a travel journal. There is so much history here

 

Author bio: Jane Wilson, the Wellness Traveler

Find your travel muse at BeSeeingYou

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Jane Wilson

Jane is a travel journalist who specialises in wellness travel, an area which has moved beyond the spa and yoga mat and is firmly on-trend. Think slow travel, rituals, retreats, indigenous therapies and destination medi-spas for the ultimate make-over for mind, body & soul. Whatever the reason, Jane considers travel as an investment in health and wellbeing.

As a regular contributor to BeSeeingYou, you will always discover that healthy twist laced into her articles. Jane writes for a range of UK magazines as well her own online media The Wellness Traveller.co.uk

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