The towns and villages of the north coast of the Kingdom of Fife,
along the shores of the Firth of Tay, provide an excellent base to explore Fife
or across the Tay Bridge to Dundee. Communities such as Tayport, Wormit and
Newport on Tay grew as the wealthy jute barons of 19th century Dundee sought
quieter, cleaner surroundings in which to live. They commuted across the old
Tay Rail Bridge, which famously collapsed one stormy December night in 1879.
The coast road meanders west to the town of Newburgh, an agricultural community
with an important 12th century abbey overlooking the famed salmon fishing
waters of the River Tay. To the east, the town of Leuchars has prospered
through its association with an RAF base. It is also the site of one of the
finest examples of Norman architecture, the 12th century Church of St
Athernese. Further inland, the peaceful farming communities have many absorbing
places of interest. The Lomond Hills provide ample opportunity for walking and
other activities, with its spectacular vistas over the surrounding countryside.
The Lomonds
Shoreline at Newport on Tay
Drinking Fountain at Newport on Tay
Scottish Deer Centre, Cupar.
Bales of Hay, Howe of Fife.
Hill of Tarvit Mansionhouse, by Cupar.
Falkland Palace
Fife Folk Museum, Ceres.
The Provost, Ceres.
The rich agricultural land of the valley of the River
Eden, known as the Howe of Fife, is scattered with small, pretty villages, such
as Ceres, home of the oldest Highland Games in the world. The old county town
of Cupar was the original seat of justice and government for the whole of Fife.
Two miles south is the Hill of Tarvit, a glorious Mansion House now in the
hands of the National Trust for Scotland. Nestling in superb gardens, the Royal
Palace of Falkland was once the country residence of the Stuart kings and
queens as they hunted deer and wild boar in the forests of Fife. Built between
1501 and 1541 by James V, the palace has some of the most exceptional
architecture of its time in Britain. The surrounding village of Falkland is
equally picturesque.