Day Tours from Edinburgh to the Kingdom of Fife

Forth Bridges - Dunfermline - Falkland - East Neuk - St. Andrews

King James VI called Fife, "A beggar's mantle fringed with gold".
or even less charitably by other Scots, "You need a long spoon to feed a Fifer!"

The Forth Bridges

Your adventure starts from your accommodation in Edinburgh.

All packed, set off on the first leg of the journey to South Queensferry to view the mighty bridges over the Forth before crossing into The Kingdom of Fife.

Culross

Culross, a village restored to its late 16th/17th century splendour when it was a major exporter of coal to the Low countries.

This village appears in many period films - "Outlander" being the most recent.

Dunfermline

The former capital of Scotland. Visit the Royal Palace and Abbey of Dunfermline, burial place of Saint Margaret and King Robert the Bruce. The former monastery was refurbished as a Royal palace by James VI for his queen, Anne of Denmark. The palace was birthplace of Charles I, later behead in 1650.

It was here that Andrew Carnegie (one of the wealthiest men in the world) was born and later gifted Pittencrief Park (The Glen) to the town and opened the first of his lending libraries.

Falkland

Falkland Palace
Experience a day in the life of the Stuart monarchs at Falkland Palace, their country residence for 200 years – and a favourite place of Mary, Queen of Scots. Set in the heart of Falkland conservation village, and surrounded by extensive gardens, this partly restored Renaissance palace is the perfect place to while away an afternoon.

Part of the Palace is in ruins but the original and reconstructed rooms are packed with 17th-century Flemish tapestries, elaborate painted ceilings and antique furnishings. Home to the oldest Real or Royal tennis court in Britain, built for King James V.

East Neuk

Head east and into fertile farming land of the East Neuk.

Following the coast and visit the colourful fishing villages of Pittenweem (where my gr-grandfather was the local Registrar) and Anstruther, where no trip would be completed without tasting, reputedly the best fish and chips in Scotland

Scotland's Secret Bunker

Three miles north of Anstruther is Troywood, the site of one of Scotland's Secret Bunkers, underground Nuclear Command Control Centres, a relic of the Cold War and now open to visitors.

St Andrews

Turning north, we visit the fascinating pagan and early Christian site at Dunino then onwards to the town of St. Andrews, where Prince William met Kate while studying at Scotland's oldest university, founded in 1413.

St Andrews is also known as the home of golf where the R&A (Royal and Ancient) is the governing body outside the USA and Mexico which administers the rules of golf.

Thank you again for a fantastic, highly informative and fun tour [of Fife]! We can't wait for the next trip to Scotland...

Jimmy & Dan, New York, March 2017