How to spend a long weekend in Fife, Scotland’s ancient kingdom

ByRobin McKelvie

Published December 17, 2023

• 9 min read

The ancient Kingdom of Fife is steeped in rich history and dramatic scenery. The region is located on a sprawling peninsula on Scotland’s east coast, appreciated for its cinematic scale, ambience, and pure sense of drama. The name ‘Kingdom of Fife’ derives from its historical significance as one of the major Pictish kingdoms, once known as Fib. This four-day itinerary guides visitors through the region’s charming fishing villages, to iconic landmarks and across wild coastal paths. It’s a place where visitors can escape, relax and unwind. Explore the historic home of Scotland’s ancient monarchs and tuck into world-class local produce — all within an easy drive from Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city.

Day one: savour the landmarks

There’s no grander arrival than crossing one of the Forth Bridges, with magnificent views of the Firth of Forth estuary. From Edinburgh Airport, it’s a 13-mile drive, where you will travel over the Queensferry Crossing on route to Fife’s picture-postcard village of North Queensferry. From here, you can enjoy views of the Forth Bridge — a railway bridge and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Treat yourself to lunch at The Wee Restaurant: an intimate spot run by a husband and wife team, which serves simple seasonal dishes.

After lunch, push northwest, with a photo stop at Rosyth Castle. Continue to Fife’s lesser-known western flank and the quaint village of Culross on the 117-mile Fife Coastal Path. It’s home to a brilliantly preserved 17th-century port, which you may recognise from the TV series Outlander. Don’t miss the historic garden at Culross Palace and, lined by grand old buildings, the village’s cobbled streets.

Day two: explore Scotland’s newest city

Head east along the 64-mile Fife Pilgrim Way — a walking route that’s divided into seven manageable chunks, with a bus service that means you can leave a car at one end. Cut inland to Dunfermline, once Scotland’s de facto capital. Despite a rich history, it also proudly holds the title of the country’s newest city, granted in 2022 as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.

Begin by visiting Dunfermline Palace, the grand abode where the ill-fated — later beheaded — King Charles I was born. Adjacent to the palace is an abbey that is the final resting place of Scotland’s best-known monarch, Robert the Bruce.

Savour the city’s treasures at the brilliantly revamped Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries. Andrew Carnegie — born in Dunfermline in 1835 — became one of the world’s wealthiest people and the first global philanthropist. He left an indelible imprint on his hometown and always felt it deserved the city status that, finally, it enjoys today. Two associated attractions not to be missed are the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum and Pittencrieff Park. The latter is a park from which he was barred as a boy but which he subsequently bought and gifted to the town.

As the afternoon approaches, venture east stopping off at Kirkcaldy, a town in the Heartlands of Fife. Check out an exhibition at the Kirkcaldy Galleries — named one of the best galleries in Scotland by the Times in 2022. Continue along the coast and visit The Wemyss Caves, where the largest collection of Pictish inscribed symbols can be observed, along with other fascinating archaeological discoveries from the area.

Alternatively, continue on to Leven where you can stretch your legs on the beautiful Leven Beach, before finally arriving at Lower Largo for the evening. After a day of exploring, relax by tucking into some local lobster and world-class wine at The Crusoe, where you can stay the night and savour sweeping views of Largo Bay and beyond.

Day three: visit vibrant seaside ports

Once a bustling hub for trade between Scotland and the Baltic and Low countries, the East Neuk of Fife is the kingdom’s eastern corner. Today it beckons visitors with charming fishing villages and a spectacular coast, alive with dolphins and whales. 

Elie, Pittenweem, and St Monans are delightful villages, with colourful tiled houses and old stone harbours. Explore all three, or focus on Elie, where you can relish a leisurely lunch of fresh seafood — and views of the dramatic North Sea — at The Ship Inn. The inn’s cricket team is, they declare, the only one to play all its home games on a beach.

As the afternoon unfolds, journey five and a half miles to Anstruther, the East Neuk’s largest town. Stroll along the harbour to the Scottish Fisheries Museum or get out on the water with a boat trip to the nearby Isle of May. Complete your day with smoked haddock and other favourites at the award-winning Anstruther Fish Bar.

Day four: hike the coastal paths

The East Neuk is hard to leave, so stick around for a while. Begin your morning with a hike in Crail: follow the Fife Coastal Path along expansive beaches bordered by rugged cliffs. Crail was so busy in its heyday that it’s said locals could walk across the harbour via the decks of docked boats. Today it’s a sleepy retreat for artists and dreamers, with local fishermen continuing to haul in fresh lobster — a treat best enjoyed at The Shed, overlooking the harbour.

A visit to Fife wouldn’t be complete without a trip to its east coast town St Andrews — renowned as the ‘home of golf’. Spend the afternoon here, meandering through the historic ruins of the cloisters at St Andrews Cathedral or pampering yourself with a spa treatment at the luxurious Old Course Hotel — one of Fife’s many wellbeing experiences on offer. Conclude your Fife experience on a high with a well-earned and Michelin-starred feast at Geoffrey Smeddle’s sublime Peat Inn. There’s so much to discover in The Kingdom of Fife, so a return trip will need to be arranged where North Fife and the inland countryside can also be explored.

Plan your trip
Visitors can fly to Edinburgh Airport, where there are plenty of car rental options. From the airport, drive 13 miles to North Queensferry in Fife. There are also good rail and bus services from Edinburgh. The Levenmouth Rail Link is reopening in 2024, making travel by train even more accessible around Fife. For more information, visit welcometofife.com/thekingdom

This paid content article was created for Welcome to Fife. It does not necessarily reflect the views of National Geographic, National Geographic Traveller (UK) or their editorial staffs.

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