If you’re looking for somewhere different to visit in Scotland, take a look at the beautiful area of Fife. You’ll find history around every corner, outstanding food and drink, visitor attractions in abundance, and plenty to see and do.
Our writer, Rachel McAlley recently ventured to the city of Dunfermline and took in a number of locations in the East Neuk coastal area of Fife too.
I arrived at Dunfermline City Train Station, a quaint and quiet station on the outskirts of the city centre. The city of Dunfermline itself was only very recently given city status in 2022 as part of the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours. It is located in the heart of Fife, one of the biggest councils in Scotland, and Dunfermline was once the ancient capital of Scotland between the 11th and 14th Centuries.
Garvock House Hotel, Fife
Garvock House Hotel was to be my base for 4-nights. It’s just a short walk from the train station, and within walking distance of everything that the city of Dunfermline has to offer. I was shown to my room on the ground floor, which was only moments away from the receptions area, bar, and restaurant.
The room had an extremely comfortable king-sized bed, large dresser and wardrobe, lovely little bathroom, Smart TV, and tea and coffee making facilities. It had everything I would need for the next few days. In addition, the room was decorated in pastel colours, with scatter cushions and table with 2 chairs, it was a spacious room with plenty of storage.
I unpacked my suitcase and went for a stroll around the immediate area. It took me around 30 minutes to walk into the city. However there is a local park that I could have walked through, which would have cut 10 minutes off my time!
Back in the hotel I indulged in a local takeaway for dinner, before having an early night, in order to wake early for the next day’s adventure.
Surprisingly, I had a great night’s sleep, on an exceptionally comfortable mattress. Morning had arrived and breakfast was served in the Garvock House Hotel restaurant. I ventured down and ordered poached eggs with avocado toast, plus I helped myself to juice, pastries, and fruit from the continental buffet table. A perfect way to start the day!
Dunfermline City, Fife
It was time to meet the group of fellow travel writers in reception and head off on our first day of experiencing Dunfermline. We were introduced to Donald MacKenzie, of Clan MacKenzie who was going to be our tour guide for the duration of our trip. There wasn’t anything that Donald couldn’t answer in relation to the history of Dunfermline, Kings of a bygone era, and the heritage of the buildings.
Donald took us for a walk around the city first, where we took in Pittencrieff Park, the statue of Andrew Carnegie, Dunfermline City Chambers, and Abbot House. We ended our morning Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries.
At the Library we enjoyed the onsite museum showcasing six themes; Industry, Leisure & Recreation, Transport, Conflict, Homes, and Royal Dunfermline. We then visited The Granary Café where we tucked into homemade leek and potato soup followed by a delightful fruit cake. Also, post lunch we went into the Galleries to see the Joseph Noel Paton exhibition, An Artist’s Life – From Dunfermline to the Royal Court.
From here we took a short stroll across to Dunfermline Abbey and Palace. We spent an hour enjoying the Abbey, finding out about Margaret, David I, and Robert I. In fact, there’s a mausoleum for St Margaret, David I, and Robert the Bruce within the grounds of Dunfermline Abbey. Only part of Robert the Bruce is buried in Dunfermline Abbey though (he’s under the pulpit). His heart is in a different location, it was taken on a crusade and buried at Melrose Abbey in Roxburghshire. Furthermore, the Abbey’s Great Nave is a beautiful example of Romanesque architecture in all of Scotland.
More from Dunfermline City
After our time in the Abbey we walked back through Pittencrieff Park, which was given as a gift to Dunfermline by Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish-born American industrialist and philanthropist. Therefore, while in the park we went to see the Pittencrieff House Museum building, and then returned to the hotel for the evening.
Dinner was enjoyed in the Garvock House Hotel restaurant, where all six writers, our tour guide, Donald and a member of the Fife Council team sat together. The food was very good, I ordered the prawn and salmon cocktail, followed by pear and blue cheese tart, and for dessert I chose the homemade crumble. Equally, the atmosphere was brilliant in the hotel, the bar was busy, and the restaurant full of happy diners. I couldn’t have asked for a better evening getting to know the rest of my party.
Back in my hotel room after dinner I had a relaxing late-night bath, watched a little TV, and fell fast asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow.
East Neuk and beyond in Fife
Our second day was packed with sightseeing and every weather known to man! We started our adventure at Silverburn Park in the East of Scotland, leaving snow and sleet in Dunfermline behind to be greeted with wind and rain in Leven. After donning hard hats and high-vis jackets we had a tour of the building with Clark Contracts LTD who are in the process of rebuilding the Silverburn Flax Mill.
Notably, the derelict former flax mill once brought back to life, will create a sustainable centrepiece for Silverburn Park. Opening in 2026 the renovation will offer a café, artist studios, gift shop, hostel, offices, meeting rooms, and event spaces.
Ardross Farm and The Wee Chippy
Onwards from Silverburn we headed over to East Neuk in Fife. Ardross Farm in Elie was our next stop. We meet the family behind this local award-winning farm shop. Everything in the shop is either from their farm of cattle, lamb, mutton, and vegetables, or from the local area.
Lunch was taken in Anstruther, a coastal resort, home of the Scottish Fisheries Museum, and also a haven for food lovers. We were invited to try fish and chips at The Wee Chippy, and boy-oh-boy were they good. I opted for fish, chips and mushy peas with homemade tartare sauce. I’ve had plenty of fish and chips in my time, but these were quite honestly the best I have ever eaten. No surprise then to find out that The Wee Chippy won Scottish Fish & Chip Restaurant of the Year in 2023 and The Scottish Takeaway Awards Winner 2023. Plus, Scottish Winner of The Food Awards Scotland 2024, and Fry Awards 50 Best Fish & Chips Takeaways Winner 2024. Additionally, they also won the Fry Awards 10 Best Fish & Chips Restaurants Winner 2024.
Crail and Kingsbarns Distillery
Moving on from Anstruther we spent some time in Crail, another quaint coastal location in Fife. Filled with cobbled streets, historic buildings, and Crail Museum & Heritage Centre. Moreover, the wonderful volunteers at Crail Museum guided us around their exhibitions telling us about the ancient Royal Burgh. Furthermore, we learned about the seafaring traditions still going strong today. Also, that Crail Golfing Society is one of the oldest in the world, founded in 1786.
Our last port of call on this day was at Kingsbarns Distillery for a Gin Experience. Kingsbarns is well-known for its Lowland Single Malt Whisky, but also produces Darnley’s Gin, which celebrates local botanical heritage. Firstly, we learned about Darnley’s where we had an in-depth tasting of three gins including; Darnley’s Original, Spiced, and Navy Strength. Secondly, we could try lots of different mixers by Fever-Tree. Thirdly, there were plenty of herbs, fruit and other botanicals to try in each gin.
I didn’t think I liked gin until I tried and tested a few options. Turns out I’m a Darnley’s Original Gin drinker! However, it must be mixed with Rhubarb and Raspberry Tonic Water along with a garnish of rosemary or orange.
We ventured back to our hotel for an evening of relaxation, dinner and TV. It had been an exhausting day, with plenty of wild and wet weather in Fife.
Forth Bridges, Culross, and Aberdour in Fife
Our final day started perfectly, the sun was shining and the snow had disappeared. Moreover, everyone had enjoyed a great night’s sleep, so we were raring to see more attractions around the region.
First stop was the North Queensferry Forth Bridges, second stop was Culross, and our third stop was Aberdour Castle.
The Forth Bridges are an amazing sight to behold, standing proudly over the Firth of Forth. This is where culmination of several Scottish rivers join the estuary on their way to the North Sea. There are three bridges that cross the Firth of Forth. The Forth Bridge (railway bridge), the Forth Road Bridge (public transport, pedestrians, cyclists), and the Queensferry Crossing (other traffic).
More from Culross
From the Forth Bridges we travelled to Culross, to visit the Palace Garden and explore the area, which was originally a port city on the Firth of Forth. The village itself is home to only around 400 residents, with Culross Abbey, and Culross Town Hall. Plus, the Palace Garden nestled amongst the 17th and 18th Century buildings.
Culross Palace and garden is now cared for by National Trust for Scotland. It is an example of a merchant’s home in the early 17th Century. The garden is looked after by volunteers making sure the planting is how it would have been back then. The views from the top of the garden can see across the village roof tops, and over the River Forth.
One of the Victorian cobbled streets, Tanhouse Brae, and the monument Mercat Cross leads up to the Abbey at the top of Culross. This is another beautiful visitor attraction!
We dined at the Red Lion Inn in Culross for lunch, a fantastic pub, which served outstanding food. The villagers of Culross own the pub, it’s a co-operative of local residents that keep this wonderful place going. There was a farmer’s market on the green whilst we were visiting, and it meant that The Red Lion was packed with Sunday diners. We couldn’t have eaten anywhere better. I enjoyed a hearty Huntsman’s Lunch which came served with a bowl of homemade soup on the side, just what was needed after all the walking.
Red Lion Inn and Aberdour
It was time to leave Culross and drive to Aberdour to see the Aberdour Castle of Carvings Tour. Run by Historic Environment Scotland the castle was built in the 1100s and has been home to three noble Scottish families. Including, the Mortimer, Randolph, and Douglas families who all gradually added stone buildings over the years. The castle at Aberdour is amongst the oldest masonry castles still standing on Scotland today.
There is a gift shop and visitor centre at Aberdour as well as a kids trail for the younger generations to enjoy the castle and its buildings. We saw the pre-historic Rock Art exhibition, which is running until early January.
Dinner was booked for us back in Dunfermline, at Jack ‘O’ Bryan’s Restaurant, a venue that infuses Scotland’s natural larder with Asian and Iberian cuisine. Jack and his father, Bryan are chef-proprietors at the restaurant and their ethos is simply to promote Scotland and marry it with different flavours from around the world.
Jack ‘O’ Bryans
We chose from the Festive Dinner Menu at Jack ‘O’ Bryans. I opted for Buffalo Mozzarella & Sticky Fig to start, followed by Festive Stilton Chicken for main, and finished with Winter Basque Cheesecake. Every dish was a wow factor, from the outstanding flavours of each individual morsel on the plate, to the fabulous presentation. This place is definitely worthy of being in the Michelin Guide.
In summary, the mozzarella starter was served with honey, orange, and roasted fig. It was a taste sensation as all flavours worked in harmony together. The festive chicken was presented with Serrano ham, turkey stuffing, sautéed potatoes, cranberry and stilton sauce. This was unbelievably flavoursome, the stilton sauce added something very special to the dish. Finally, the dessert of all desserts, a burnt Basque cheesecake with vermut caramel apple, cinnamon ice cream and blackberry. I am a dessert fan and this was exceptional from start to finish, from the delicately chopped apples to the creaminess of the cheesecake.
My last night was spent at the wonderful Garvock House Hotel. I embarked on my journey back into England from the beautiful region of Fife in Scotland.
City & Coastal Break with Welcome to Fife
With thanks to Welcome to Fife for the amazing tour of Fife, to Donald MacKenzie for being the best tour guide anyone could ask for. Additionally, a shout out to the team at Garvock House Hotel for 4-nights of pure comfort. Plus, a great big thank you to all the attractions, landmarks, castles, restaurants, distilleries, farm shops, heritage centres, gardens, and coastal venues I visited during my time in Fife.
A Wonderful City & Coastal Break in Fife – Words by Rachel McAlley / @LadyRach
